Why do CERTAIN white people feel like they have to use slang when talking to a black person?

Question

IM NOT TRYING TO OFFEND ANYONE! I am just curious because NOT everyone but alot of white people always use certain slang when talking to african americans. I am a very educated black female, and sometimes I can catch a white person saying some slang around me, or to me that you can tell they dont usually say. Im just wondering if anyone else has noticed that also. ALL FEEDBACK WANTED! Thanks!

I appericate the comment when she said they are trying to change for me. I do not use slang so are you saying that most assume that I do?

Answer 1

I've noticed that too.. I think some white people are worried that there is still racial tension and they are trying in their own way to bridge a gap of some kind. There is still racial tension in the world unfortunately, even if it 's just tension about tension, and tension makes people do weird things.. But I think some people do that as a way of trying to establish a sense of comfort and relaxation.. it may have the opposite effect though..

<>. lol.. Yes and it's really funny. A lot of television shows parody the white guy who does that.

Answer 2

It may be automatically reinforcing to say and hear such slang (as might have been heard on a comedy show perhaps). A person similar to that of the performer then becomes a sort of controlling audience for the emission of those responses.

If you don't react to this slang, don't model it, and even prompt for non-slang alternatives during conversation it will go away.

You might see it as a form of racism, and it might be. However, it is not likely to be deliberately offensive as simply inappropriate. Some gentle hints should move the socially ungraceful towards appropriate conduct. If they don't get it, suggest they consider seeing movies that explore racism in Hollywood portrayals of African Americans (e.g. Hollywood Shuffle).

Answer 3

Yeah I hate that, at my school when a white person uses slang, they say "he is the most ghetto white boy I know!" or "He is trying too hard to act black when he know he aint!" It's really annoying to hear this becaue maybe thats jjust how people are you can't always just assume that how a person acts is all an ACT just because they don't act the way you expected them to. I'm also considered acting white because I'm timid, shy, and am not loud and ennunciate all my words and vowels, it's really annoying.

Answer 4

I really think you should take that as a show of caring for you. If someone is changing the way they speak when they talk to you, it's most likely because they are trying to "speak your language," as in "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Of course, they don't need to do that, but they are probably doing it in a spirit of friendship and trying to have common understanding, so I think you should take it in the spirit that it's given. Personally, I try very hard not to change the way I speak, unless the person just doesn't speak English (like when they speak Spanish.)

Answer 5

I guess it depends on the person, if you are around certain people, you pick up their slang. So, whenever you are talking to someone similar, you use the same slang.

Answer 6

Maybe they (erronously) think you're a master at it. And they want to run a few terms by you, to see if they sound O.K.

Like maybe if they mispronounce something, you can correct it for them. And it will make their slang-vocabulary better.

Answer 7

well they alwayz want to be more like u i no u said that u don't use slang language but most blacks do so they might think that they should rather speak in slang language wid u so yea thats my thinking.

Answer 8

I think most white people see black people as being more cool than they are. Imitation as flattery