Passage A:
Cross-cultural Verbal Clashes: Black Americans
Because of the mix of ethnic groups in America, there can be a lot of racial tension. Throughout American history, certain groups have exploited, disliked or mistreated other ethnicities. This cultural background affects how different ethnic groups feel and behave today. In the following story, there are two female nurses, one Black and one Anglo (white). They are both trying to help take care of a Black patient in an American hospital.
A Black woman was the primary nurse for a black teenager. Sometimes, the teenager would misbehave. The Black nurse would simply say, "Boy, keep your mouth shut and go somewhere and sit down." The teenager usually complied.
One day, it was time for the teenager to go to physical therapy, but he was not behaving for the Anglo nurse. First she was frustrated that the teenager would not listen to her. Finally she remembered what the Black nurse always said to the teenager. The Anglo nurse then said, "Come on boy, I'm not kidding with you. You have to go to therapy." The young man became very angry and started swearing at the nurse.
The Anglo nurse was confused because the teenager had never responded that way to the Black nurse. What the Anglo nurse didn’t realize is that the term ‘boy’ is fine when used by one Black person speaking to another, but it is highly insulting when used by Caucasians because of the term’s origins among slave owners.