<p>Yeah, but I still don't think Gates was suggesting that they were not African American enough. I think when he referred to African American he meant having two parents who are black descendents of slaves. </p>
<p>
Or you could pass, but that's a totally separate issue...</p>
<p>Hotpiece: "I also understand how the one drop rule is in full effect"</p>
<p>What is that?</p>
<p>Hotpiece: "In addition, the majority of black people are considered overweight (have a BMI above 25)"</p>
<p>Is that a statistical fact? Isn't the majority of all Americans overweight these days?</p>
<p>Segway/levity: An attractive young man who worked at a major department store, who was of African American descent, recently told me that "Black men don't use the word fat. We say "Big".</p>
<p>Let me just say that as an overweight Caucasian woman, my personal experience is that the ONLY guys who check me out are African American men (no exceptions - ever). And God Bless every last one of them!</p>
<p>What's your question, spidey: What is the one drop rule or how is it in full effect?</p>
<p>It is a statistical fact that 70% of African Americans are overweight (80% of African American women are overweight). And yes, the majority of Americans are considered overweight as well.</p>
<p>And, I just realized, I have very rarely referred to a person as "fat." I am African American and my family and I just call visibly overweight people "big." Interesting how that may be a cultural thing.</p>
<p>"Let me just say that as an overweight Caucasian woman, my personal experience is that the ONLY guys who check me out are African American men (no exceptions - ever). And God Bless every last one of them!"</p>
<ul>
<li>Wow, just.... wow. lol.</li>
</ul>
<p>"And, I just realized, I have very rarely referred to a person as "fat." I am African American and my family and I just call visibly overweight people "big." Interesting how that may be a cultural thing."</p>
<ul>
<li>Idk... I hear "fat" said all the time by Black people.</li>
</ul>
<p>"Idk... I hear "fat" said all the time by Black people."</p>
<p>-same.</p>
<p>So are you guys trying to say that "Fat" is obscene and informal because I don't think it is.</p>
<p>If you're fat its just like callinga nother skinny.</p>
<p>If anything, labeling someone as "obese" sounds even more hurtful.</p>
<p>"Let me just say that as an overweight Caucasian woman, my personal experience is that the ONLY guys who check me out are African American men (no exceptions - ever). And God Bless every last one of them!"</p>
<p>I think thats just a mere coincidence. Don't think that just because the only guys that checked you out were African/American, you won't come acroos any that will reject you. And don't think that there won't be any caucasian guy that won't check you out. Everybody have their own taste no matter what race</p>
<p>yeah, kk and jets... that's why i said it MAY be a cultural thing. i don't usually call people fat (just because i feel like "big" is a more polite term), but i'm not gonna presume that the whole race doesn't. i'm sure there are some black people (as you have attested to) that call overweight people fat.</p>
<p>and yes, So Authentic, i just feel like "fat" is more hurtful and rude than "big". but, that's just me.</p>
<p>Ask Mo'Nique (the actress/comedian), she's comfortable with the Word "Fat"</p>
<p>well, I geuss I can't argue with how you feel about a word.
& yeah, I geuss the proper term is "overweight"</p>
<p>You want to know something? I have never seen an overweight asian before. Have you? (except sumo wrestlers) other than that, I've never seen an asian thats overweight. I think I know why but I don't want to come off as stereotypical.</p>
<p>so authentic: good point lol. i never have either. i'll say it for you: it's probably because they eat so much rice and sushi, and in their spare time they're always doing something such as playing music, a sport, or curing cancer. no one take offense please, it's simply the truth, and is why asians are among the most educated and advanced peoples in the world. not to mention healthy!</p>
<p>Thank you vc08 for reading my mind</p>
<p>I feel the same way. They're like the origin of ginseng, green tea, herbs and all other healthy stuff thats why I have never seen an obese asian. & I see that as a good things</p>
<p>Racists!!!</p>
<p>I have seen overweight Asians, but not many. Their diet has less fat content, and I don't know if it is nature or nurture, but I guess their bodies, genetically, store less fat. </p>
<p>Spidey, the one drop rule means that one drop of Black, makes one Black whether they look it or not, which most look it. The genes Black people have are more dominate than most other "races", or ethnicities. One example is Mariah Carey. She is only a fourth Black and doesn't look it at first glance even, but she is still considered a Black woman.</p>
<p>I, too, think that the "one drop rule" still prevails in our society.</p>
<p>P.S. Idk why im on CC, school has started and I need to do some work...</p>
<p>"P.S. Idk why im on CC, school has started and I need to do some work.."</p>
<p>Then you need to get with the quarter system..... September 25th babi! :rolleyes:</p>
<p>My classes don't start until the 17th and I'm on the semester system...</p>
<p>hotpiece: "What's your question, spidey: What is the one drop rule or how is it in full effect?"</p>
<p>What is the one drop rule?</p>
<p>Oops - I just saw that Trackbabi answered that. Thanks.</p>
<p>Just look up a few posts.....</p>
<p>"Spidey, the one drop rule means that one drop of Black, makes one Black whether they look it or not, which most look it. The genes Black people have are more dominate than most other "races", or ethnicities. One example is Mariah Carey. She is only a fourth Black and doesn't look it at first glance even, but she is still considered a Black woman."</p>
<p>I think it doesn't matter if people use the word "fat" or "obese", but I think that what matters is how they feel about it and if they would treat someone less well because of it. </p>
<p>I really can't know for sure if African American culture is kinder to the "fluffier" among us, but in my small statistical sampling my guess is that it may be. And that wouldn't have as much to do with the specific words used as it would to the meaning behind those words.</p>
<p>So authentic: ""I think thats just a mere coincidence. Don't think that just because the only guys that checked you out were African/American, you won't come acroos any that will reject you. And don't think that there won't be any caucasian guy that won't check you out. Everybody have their own taste no matter what race"</p>
<p>I certainly know that the majority of African American males would reject me (my best days are long gone - sigh). The good news is that I am very happily married and content with fading memories of my 80's hotness. I never said that ALL of any race would think one way or another about an overweight woman. My experience is that whenever someone does check me out, and it isn't often, it is always someone who is African American and never (ever) someone who is Caucasian. True story. It's been going on for years. That is some coincidence.</p>
<p>the one drop rule was used during slavery and segregation to delineate who was African American and who was not. If you had one drop of black in you (i.e. you had any African/African American ancestry), then for all intents and purposes, you were black. So you were subject to the same discrimination. Even after segregation was legally ended, African Americans still apply the one drop rule to biracial people. We generally have no problem claiming Halle Berry, Mariah Carey, and Tiger Woods as black. And the same holds true for non-celebrity biracial people as well. I was always taught that if a person has any black in them at all, then they were also black. At school as well, the biracial kids seem to gravitate towards the ethnic clubs (such as the Black Students Association, Black Men's Forum, and Association of Black Harvard Women) and we accept them as our own.</p>
<p>i guess, i was a litle late with my post...</p>
<p>I get it. Interesting - new information there for me.</p>
<p>"new information there for me."</p>
<p>-For real? And you're how old?????</p>