How come black and white people are so culturally different?

Question

If you think about it black and white people have been in america for the same amount of time. What caused such a difference in culture?

Answer 1

I believe that the differences you see basically stem from a strong history of oppression, being marginalized and discrimination.  Most people today want to think that racism is a thing of the past, discrimination is not as it used to be, therefore it is not an important matter anymore.  I disagree.  If you look in inner cities you will see that institutional racism remains strong in this country.  We are more subtle about it now, but it continues to be just as damaging.  I am white and I see this.  

However, most of our cultural differences are wonderful.  Who wants to live in a country where we are all the same?  How boring would that be?

Answer 2

white people whipping the black man and raping the black woman for a century might have done it. the fact that black people were slaves here before they were free...the fact that if youare black today you are still treated differently than if you are white. I am white, and I have two mixed nieces, I see it every day...it's sad that people still judge color.

Answer 3

It is a process known as Assimilation.

whenever you have 2 or more groups of people, the larger group will set the norm (or rules or culture), the smaller group is assimilated into the culture, and often times have some influence on the "norm" culture.  however the hardest group to assimilate into the norm group is the group that is most different from the norm, so if you have a group of say Asians, and a group of African Americans, the Asians will fit in better, due to them looking more like the norm group.  

Bottom line is the smaller group often ends up co-existing along side the larger group, with interactions, but not actually being a part of the group

20/20, the human race is the same, melatonin in the skin makes them different colors. basic biology

Answer 4

Because both sides make it a point to keep it that way.  Ya hang with your own for the most part.  It's like that all over the world, and not confined to just black and white.  Identical races who claim different religious beliefs are culturally different.

Answer 5

2 different races of human.

Answer 6

Actually, white people have been here longer...but Indians are the REAL original Americans.

Even white European cultures are different than their white American counterparts...and there are also differences in regions in American (ie: Southern v/s Northern)...

It all depends on family, upbringing, tradition, income level, education...etc...etc...

How boring we would all be if we WERE the same!

Viva La Difference!

Answer 7

I guess it really depends on where you are from and how you were raised. So I'm not really sure what types of differences you are talking about. Both groups came to this country around the same time, but under different circumstances. There is no one unified black or white culture. We all have different cultures, some have to do with our skin tone, and others do not. Again, I think it depends on who you are talking about and where they are from.

Answer 8

because they were raised not to get along by society and it`s cruel ways.

Answer 9

Because they come from different cultural groups within America. If you were raised by a slave the tenth generation is bound to be different than a person who is raised by a slave owner in the tenth generation. Also education level, and income play a major role in behavior within families.

Answer 10

I don't find them to be that different.  

I live in a slightly above middle-class neighborhood.  My kids have many black friends in the neighborhood.  When we visit them or they visit us, I see that culturally, we are very similar.

However, I work in a low-income area of town.  I find I have very little in common with those around me at work, both black and white.

i think the majority (not all) of cultural differences are based on income or class (I hate that term), more than race.

Just a small example: the selling of lottery tickets is more prevalent among the lower income people I know.  But those in my neighborhood, tend to do their gambling at the casinos.