I must confess that my first thought was that the CFAI might have found a new way to raise money via the reverse Nigerian spam letter. But then I realized that this was real. I agree with Valores that it just seems is weird to address “All African Candidates” to people who took the exam in Ghana. Even if people from Ivory Coast or Cameroon went to Ghana to take the exam, surely there were exams in Nairobi, or JoBurg, or elsewhere on the continent have taken the exam. It’s not even as strange as Valores put it. It’s stranger. As if the exam in Miami had a problem, and the letter went out “Dear All North American Candidates”
Dear Black People,
Or, the exam in Tokyo had a problem and the letter went out to “Dear All Asian Candidates”. Seriously, wtf was CFAI thinking when they wrote that email?
I am Black and African - and when I saw the letter it didn’t surprise me at all. While on a serious note it didn’t come across as racist, but it represents some subconcious level of ignorance from some in the west which still baffles me. When I first moved to Australia, I remember going to see a manager I was helping out understand his business unit reports, and the guy asking me if I knew how to use a computer - despite then working as a senior accountant. The funniest one is when I went to Bali and South Africa with my aussie colleagues, and when using cabs am charged half the price my colleagues were being charged - which ended up saving us some money. I have no idea where the perception that the white man will some how act as the saviour of the black dude came from. Not every one is ignorant, but some things could be pretty annoying, like being singled out from a queue at Dallas Fortworth International Airport last year, and searched like a terrorist - not sure if I look suspicious, but still… I learned not to be too sensitive and live with it, and just ignore.
Mzungu, In the US they also check illegal stuff that you might carry, like goods for sale, etc. I am small and carry a big suitcase, which might look suspicious. Also I travel alone, and I dress casual, so I am always singled out. I honestly think I look antiterrorist, but I can’t rule out racist motives, as I don’t look particularly white. Actually I am pretty sure their motives are, first, racist, and then out of “non-whites” they choose most suspicious, i.e. young ppl without kids, traveling alone and not looking like businessmen. It’s weird to be singled out of thousands of people, and be thoroughly checked next to an Arab boy and nobody else. They look through each single paper, and touch all underwear, everything, ask stupid questions (like “why so many shoes?”) and take notes of your answers. it takes an hour.
I remember explaining to my stepchild that not everyone with black skin is “African American.” It’s a big world out there!
Valores Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Mzungu, > In the US they also check illegal stuff that you > might carry, like goods for sale, etc. I am small > and carry a big suitcase, which might look > suspicious. Also I travel alone, and I dress > casual, so I am always singled out. I honestly > think I look antiterrorist, but I can’t rule out > racist motives, as I don’t look particularly > white. Actually I am pretty sure their motives > are, first, racist, and then out of “non-whites” > they choose most suspicious, i.e. young ppl > without kids, traveling alone and not looking like > businessmen. It’s weird to be singled out of > thousands of people, and be thoroughly checked > next to an Arab boy and nobody else. They look > through each single paper, and touch all > underwear, everything, ask stupid questions (like > “why so many shoes?”) and take notes of your > answers. it takes an hour. I honestly do not think all people are racist, but more to do with ignorance or just being plain stupid. How can I explain an immigration officer asking me how long am going to stay in Australia, what I have come to do - and yet I have an Australian passport? My screen name “mzungu” is a swahili word which means “White Man”.