I moved to the United States from the United Kingdom when I was almost 9 years old and the culture shock was real. I realized that Americans were very interested in where I was from, my family history, and my race. Now, at 19 years old, I notice that I have been asked many questions multiple times. Below are the most frequently recurring questions that I have been asked and my answers to all of them. (Yes, I have actually been asked these questions.)
1. "Why don’t you sound black?"
You can't sound like a race. "Black" is not an adverb.
2. "Can I touch your hair?"
No, I am not an animal that you can pet.
3. "Can you teach me how to whip?"
Yes.
4. "Can you twerk?"
No, I was not blessed with that gift.
5. "Is one of your parents white? You don’t act black."
No, they are both black (both of them are Nigerian, actually). Once again, "black" is not an adverb and you can't "act black."
6. "Is being at SMU hard because you're black and you're surrounded by white people?"
No, it's not. Believe it or not, SMU is pretty diverse. 50 percent of the student body is not from Texas. I have a very diverse group of friends from all around the world, all with different life experiences, and I have learned so much from them. Yes, SMU is home to many white students, but white people are cool and I'm friends with them too. This isn't the 1960s.
7. "You know that you're really pretty for a black girl, right?"
You know that you're pretty ignorant for a human being, right?