Q: As a project to help improve vocabulary and literacy I am doing a pen pal project with teens from foreign countries. (Some students are learning english as a second language and simply need help with their word flow.) So far I have been writing back and forth with teens from Korea, Algeria, France, and Africa. I received a reply from a 16 year old boy in Botswana. He knew I was American, but I had yet to introduce myself to him. (So I said nothing to make him think I was racist.) He told me briefly about his likes and dislikes, and at the end said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am black." From all the pen pals I have had none of them had apologized for their race. I am trying not to feel insulted that he would assume I am so shallow, because I know there may be some kind of cultural reason that he feels he should apologize for his race. I don't know much about Botswana, but does anyone have any idea why he would feel ashamed of his race? Why does he expect me to be disappointed with him? Racism exists everywhere- obviously. Even in America. It's just not normal to assume that everyone is going to be racist against you. MY people did not ship African slaves over. MY people were walking the trail of tears from one side, and struggling -barely managing- to make a life for themselves as immigrants in a strange land. So it's not cool to associate me with the slave driving Brits from hundreds of years ago, if you know what I'm saying. And to the first answer, sorry, when I said Africa I meant to say Botswana, but I didn't go back to fix it because I didn't think it was that big of a deal (and it's too late anyways.) So piss off jack*ss.
A: Hi there I'm a Tswana speaking African from South Africa and I am hoping that he didn't mean it in a bad way. For some reason I believe that when finding out you were a white American, he probably assumed that you were probably under the assumption that he too is white. I dont know I tend to want to make things clear too at the beginning of a friendship with someone on the net. Some people preffer to chat or befriend those of the same race/gender etc... so maybe he felt that he'd somehow unintentionally deluded you and needed to clear the fact for you. I wouldnt take it to heart until I found out the reasoning from him before asking others with different opinions on it. please try to do that first? Then can you see a way forward after that... I hope it works out for best, mwah!!!