Fine Dining at Kozen Restaurant in Kumamoto city
June 2007
Are you in the mood for some good French dining in Kumamoto city? Well, look no further. There is a very nice restaurant
located near Kotsu Center downtown called, Kozen.
Upon entering Kozen, the waitress welcomed us within 10 seconds. She then motioned for us to go upstairs and choose a
table.
The atmosphere was very quiet and nice with small square tables with red table clothes. The first floor has a large square
table in the center of the floor for large groups. But if you’re looking for a quiet time with a small group of friends or a romantic meal
with that special someone, then Kozen provides the perfect atmosphere. At the top of the stairs on the second floor, there is a
rectangular table in the corner that is separated from all other tables. Looking to the right at the top of the stairs, there are three
square tables perfectly separated for three different groups or a larger group. If you look to the rear of the restaurant, there are four
more square tables for more small groups or couples. The music played at a very nice soothing tone is a mixture of Spanish and
French music. All tracks were neither fast or slow tempo, but rather a steady tempo just right to listen to it or block it out to talk with
your dining partner or partners.
The menu had so many items to choose from as well as a chalkboard with the day’s choices. Everything looked so delicious
from dishes with various types of prepared fish, beef, pork, pasta and chicken. Looking over the menu, we decided to start with an
appetizer. Immediately, the garlic fries caught my attention. Kozen’s garlic fries were so soft with just enough garlic to add for a good
taste, but also to ensure there will be no kissing or close talking that night. Next, we moved onto the main dishes. We then ordered
the Thai butter fish, roast grill beef salad, garlic bread, and a spicy sausage pasta.
After finishing off the delicious garlic fries, out came the garlic bread. With all this garlic, the chances of talking to someone at
close range became further and further out of range, but then again since we were both eating garlic, my chances may have been
increasing. Nevertheless, Kozen’s garlic bread was grilled just right. Trying to save a few of the eight slices for the pasta, we were
saved by the fish coming. The fish was so soft and flaky, I was tempted to order it again. The garnishing of green vegetables were the
last to leave the platter. Allowing a few minutes to engage in a conversation, the beef dish arrived. The beef was so tender and very
easy to cut. I’m sure some people understand how it feels to be on a date with someone they like and spending a lot of time trying to
cut the meat. Trying to hold a conversation with a vein bulging from your forehead from cutting hard meat is definitely not a good time,
but the beef at Kozen, was cut with one stroke of a butter knife. Even if you’re not good at cutting meat and making a good impression,
the beef at Kozen will make any uncoordinated person look skillful.
The final meal to reach the table was the spicy sausage pasta. After the waitress removed all the empty platters, it was time to plan
an attack on the pasta. The pasta had a tomato sauce with spicy sausages mixed in. I do believe I saw some spices in the
sausages, so I suspect Kozen did not buy them from some local grocery store. I do believe after eating all that spice from the
sausages, it diluted some of the garlic and increased my chances of sitting closer to my dinner partner.
Finally, it was time for dessert. Although, I didn’t have much space for dessert, it was impossible to pass up a good dessert after
such a marvelous dinner. Looking over the menu, I decided on the chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream and oh just put the ice cream
on top of the sweet chocolate cake.
Well, there you have it! So, if you’re out one night looking for a nice place to eat, consider Kozen for your dining experience. I
guarantee you will be more than satisfied. I was. I recommend Kozen to everyone, young, old, children, elderly, men and women.
If you’re looking for Kozen, it is quite easy to find. Simply follow these directions and you will be at the front door asking for a table
tomorrow.
First, follow the train line to Shimotori on the side of Kotsu Center. Follow the train tracks towards Kumamoto train station, but of
course don’t go that far. When the train tracks split, do not follow the tracks going towards Kumamoto train station. Instead follow the
train tracks going straight past the back of Kotsu Center. The very first train stop look to your left. There is a narrow road and Kozen is
located on that road. You will see a small orange sign with black letters sitting in front of the door that says “Kozen”. Places to look for
to know you are near Kozen are: Higo Bank main branch, RKK
If you’re interested in having a Kozen lunch, the hours are 11:30 - 2:30pm. If you’re looking for a place to enjoy a nice dinner, then
plan on the hours of 5:30 - 10:30pm. Oh, and keep in mind Wednesdays they are closed.
If you prefer to make reservations, give them a call at 096-354-9239.
Well, there you have it. The perfect evening dinner at Kozen restaurant located downtown. I do hope everyone has a chance to go
and enjoy a meal at Kozen and bring lots of friends so you can order lots of foods and try them all. I was kind of hoping I had more
friends in my group so I could have ordered more foods. We thought it was a little much to have eight dishes arrive at a table of two
people. Also, we did think of ordering another order of garlic fries, but we thought maybe the waitress would think it was a bit strange
and much for just two people, so I guess I’ll have to go again to get my garlic fries, fish and beef.
Making friends with a Westerner
June 2007
While it is true westerners have come to Japan to live and work, it is also true westerners hope to make Japanese friends.
After living in Japan for about 6 months, most westerners learn Japanese people like to introduce themselves and talk about
themselves. Also, Japanese usually like to talk about foods, whether or not they like or dislike the foods. Japanese also like to ask a
lot of questions to the westerner.
When a westerner tries to make friends with a Japanese person, westerners usually stay on these topics because they know
Japanese people will be interested and hopefully they will make a friend. The westerner is hoping the Japanese person thinks they
are interesting and will become their friend.
The main thing to remember is when a person lives in a different country, the person does not change. Even though westerners
are in a foreign country, it doesn’t mean that these topics are not interesting. They are still considered quite boring. This is why most
westerners want to also make western friends so they can talk about things that are interesting to them.
Most westerners never ask their friends about hobbies and their past life. Sometimes in a conversation, a person might say, “when
I was…..” or “When I used to…” and then mention something about their past.
When talking to a westerner, asking a lot of questions is the worst thing a person could do. Asking a lot of questions is an
interview, not a conversation. Most westerners never say, “My name is James. Please call me Jimmy.” They will simply say, “My name
is Jimmy.” Westerners almost never say their real name if they have a nickname. They introduce themselves by their nickname.
Westerners never really ask if someone is married. In the west, all married couples wear wedding rings on their ring finger, so if a
person is married, just look at their left ring finger. If there is a wedding band on it, then they are married so you don’t have to ask.
A westerner does not usually talk about their hobbies. Hobbies are a little private and are not usually shared with others.
If you, a Japanese person, wants to make a “real” western friend, try talking about a subject. For example, 1. What did you think
about a trip you took?
2. What did you think about a movie you recently saw?
3. What are you future plans?
Most westerners do not want to talk about themselves or listen to others talking about themselves. Especially, if you are in a bar, no
one wants to have a very serious conversation. Westerners want to talk about something with very little meaning or just joking. They
do not want to talk about their job, why they came to Japan, their family, girlfriends or boyfriends….etc. They want to relax and talk
about small things like going to Singapore and eating all the food. Men may say something about finding a girlfriend in Singapore, but
it is usually just a joke.
Of course everyone is different, so if asking lots of questions does not work, try this advice. GOOD LUCK!!
Working in the USA.... Does age matter?
June 2007
When interviewing for a job in America, there are some questions an employer can not ask by law. Some questions are age and
marital status.
Americans believe it doesn’t matter how old a person is. If they can do the job, then they should get the job. Employers also can’t
ask a person’s birthday because they can figure out the age by the birth year.
For example if a person is working for the post office, the only thing that is important is they can lift a certain amount of weight for
lifting small packages. They should also have good vision if they are sorting mail so they can read zip codes, names and city or
country. If a person is 22 years old and they can pass the test, they may be hired. If a person is 55 years old and they pass the test,
they may be hired too.
If a person wants to drive a bus, they would only be tested to make sure they meet the minimum requirements. Some requirements
are probably being in good health so they don’t get sick while driving, have good eye sight so they can see and read road signs and
of course have the proper license. American companies can not say they will not hire someone because they are too old. This is age
discrimination and it is against the law in the United States.
While most jobs want younger employees, Americans don’t usually retire at the same job these days. A long time ago employees
would stay at a company until they retired, but since the economy has changed and there is so much competition, employees may
stay at one job for about 5 years to get the experience and then find a better job that pays more money or has better benefits.
Sometimes companies want older employees because older people don’t usually cause problems or argue with the boss. They
usually do their jobs without any problems. Older people are usually set in their ways and won’t take a lot of days off. Younger people
usually take a lot of days off, sometimes calling in sick, but really they are going to a concert or traveling. Older people usually go to
bed early and wake up early so they will not be late to work. They have led their lives and want peace so they usually won’t call in sick.
Older people also have a specific style of clothing and are not interested in making fashion statements, so they will wear any uniform
or professional clothes.
Companies sometimes like older employees also because the company is thinking about retirement. If an 22 year old employee
works for a company for 43 years and retires at 65 years old, the company will have to pay a lot of money for retirement. The company
might have to pay $5,000 ( 500,000 yen) every month until the person dies. However, if the company hires the person when they are
45 years old, now they only have to pay retirement money for a shorter time. The amount may be half or less. Hiring older people in
America, can sometimes save a company a lot of money in the future.
It also saves the company money in salaries.
WESTERN NICKNAMES
March 2007
Nicknames are very popular in America and other western countries. There are different ways a person can get a nickname. There
are also different reasons why people have nicknames. For some people they may introduce themselves with their nicknames. There
are some friends who never know their friend’s real name.
One way a person can get a nickname is the person thinks of one themselves. Most DJs and Rappers in Hip Hop music think of
their own nickname. It could be from something they like. For example, if they drink a lot of cold drinks, they may have “ice” in their
nickname.
Another way is sometimes people do not like their first names. They may think their first name sounds silly or stupid. Sometimes
boys think they have a girl’s name or an old fashioned name. Since they don’t like their name, they think of a nickname and use it
whenever they meet someone. For example, the name Leslie is usually a girl’s name. If a boy has that name, they may be
embarrassed, so they think of a nickname. He may never tell people his real name until he is an adult. Even when he becomes an
adult, he may still not like his name and still not tell anyone. Every person is different.
Another way to get a nickname, is friends give them a nickname. Maybe their friends saw them doing something funny or they do
something a lot, so they think of a nickname for them. For example if a person looks like they are rich, their friends might nickname
them “Big” something because “big” is slang for “rich”.
When people introduce themselves, they almost never say “My name is Bill, but call me Buck.” They will just say, “My name is Buck.”
Some common nicknames in America are:
REAL NAME = NICKNAME
BOY’S NAMES
Richard = Dick
William = Bill
Randall = Randy
Thomas = Tom
Christopher = Chris
GIRLS NAMES:
Valerie = Val
Stephanie = Steph
The worst thing a person could do is give someone a nickname they don’t like. Americans never give a nickname of a famous
person because Americans don’t like it. Even if you think someone looks like Brad Pitt or J-Lo (Jennifer Lopez), you should never call
that person J-Lo or Brad Pitt. Instead of making a friend, you might make an enemy. If friends give another friend a nickname, they
have to make sure the friend really likes the nickname. If the person does not like the nickname, then others will not use it.
You should never call a person anything other than their name. To some non-Americans calling someone by a famous name like,
“Eddie Murphy” sounds funny. To an American Black male, it is the worst thing and it will not be taken as a joke. That person may hate
you if you say it. So, be careful when using nicknames and have fun.
American Valentines Day
March 2007
Valentines Day in America is for boyfriend and girlfriend, married couples and sometimes men and women who like each other.
Co-workers never give or exchange chocolates or gifts. Valentines Day is a celebration of love.
Valentines Day is more common with girlfriend and boyfriend. Usually they will both exchange gifts or candy on this day.
Usually women give their boyfriends a box of chocolates. The size of the box is not important, but usually it is a small box. The box
is usually wrapped with a red bow since the colors for Valentines Day is red, pink and white. Some ladies give small gifts like a
watch, tie or anything as a present. She will give the present to her boyfriend usually after work.
Men usually do more for Valentines Day. The most common gifts are a large box of chocolates, stuffed animals, balloons filled with
helium and 12 red roses. The most popular way to give a Valentines day present to a girlfriend is by delivery. Men have to call a floral
delivery company. The men have to make the order of exactly what they want and pay for it. Most men make the order at least 2 weeks
before Valentines Day to make sure they get the good roses. The men pay for the order and give the company their girlfriend’s work
address. Most men know their girlfriend’s work schedule and the times their girlfriends go on break and to lunch. The man will tell the
company what time to deliver the presents. For example, if he knows his girlfriend goes to lunch between 11 - 2pm, he may want the
flowers delivered between 3-4pm. He wants to make sure his girlfriend is at her desk so she receives the flowers and presents.
Ladies like to receive a Valentines day present at work because when the delivery man comes to her job, she has to walk to the front
of the building to sign for the gift. Offices in America are very large sometimes between 200-300 employees. She wants others to see
her receiving gifts at work because it means someone loves her.
Some men take their girlfriend out for a special dinner for Valentines Day. After he delivers the flowers and chocolates to her job, he
will pick her up from work. Then her friends see her being picked up and they think it is romantic. The boyfriend will bring her to a
fancy restaurant where you have to wear nice clothes like a suit. There are some expensive restaurants in America that you can not
wear jeans, shorts or t-shirts to. You have to wear nice clothes like a shirt and tie to get in or they won’t let you in. The meals usually
may cost between $100 - $150 (10,000 - 20,000 yen).
The important thing for American men to remember is to try and be unique. If a man does the same thing every year, his girlfriend
may get bored. He should try to do something different every year and his girlfriend will be happier. If he can think of different things to
do, she will think he really loves her.
Common Sense
March 2007
Common sense is different for people from different countries. For most westerners, common sense questions are roughly the
same. It is hard to know what is considered common sense, but when you do figure it out, you should remember so you don’t ask the
same question. Most westerners hate stupid questions that we think are common sense.
For example, I went to an international party with Japanese and Westerners. I went to the table to get some food. I got a plate and
put some shrimp, rice balls and pizza on my plate. As I was eating, a Japanese man (my friend) came to me and said, “Do you like
shrimp?” I thought this was the dumbest question because I put shrimp on my plate. I don’t know anyone in the world who puts food
they don’t like on their own plate. For those who do not know, this is considered common sense question. If you see someone eating
something, do not ask them if they like it. Westerners only get foods they like or want to try. Either way, you should not ask a “Do you
like “ question if you are not sure. However, if you know they are trying it for the first time, it is ok to ask “Do you like it?”
Another question Japanese like to ask is “Are you cold?” This is usually a common sense question to us too. Here is the reason.
Adults get dressed by themselves. They do not need any help. It is obvious your friend is an adult. Your Western adult friend got
dressed. They went outside. If they were cold, they would have went back in the house to get a jacket or change into warmer clothing.
So, to most westerners you should not ask adults if they are cold. Of course it’s different if they are in your car and the window is
down. Westerners are from different countries and different parts of the same country. For example, people from Boston,
Massachusetts and from Orlando, Florida may get cold at different temperatures. Maybe someone from the southern states in the
USA will get cold faster than a person from the northern states. So, the northern person may still wear short sleeve shirts in
September and maybe even in November.
Of course it is sometimes impossible to know what is considered common sense to other people, and you may make mistakes.
The thing to remember is to remember those mistakes and try not to make them again by asking common sense questions.
There is a saying in English that is: “A stupid question deserves a stupid answer.”
That saying means if someone asks you a stupid question like: “Are you a man?” you should give them a stupid answer like, “No, I’
m a dog.” When someone is coughing very bad and taking cough medicine, and someone asks them, “Do you have a cold?” Well,
this is a very stupid question. The only reason a person takes cough medicine is for a cold, so since this is a stupid question, a
westerner may give you a stupid answer like: “No, coughing is my hobby.”
If you really want to make good friends with westerners, it is a good idea to know how your western friends think. Your friendship
will grow stronger the more you know.
American slang
March 2007
America is a very large country. Every area has their own style of slang. The northeast states like New York, Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania and Virginia has their own style of slang. Southeastern states like Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas
has their own style of slang. The west coast states like Washington and California also have their own style of slang.
Some slang is known by almost all Americans. Even though everyone in America are Americans, the slang is very different
between races. White Americans and Black Americans have very different slang. Usually Black Americans know about slang used by
White people. Although Black people know the slang words and phrases, they never use them. If a White person used the words, the
Black people would understand the meaning. Unfortunately, White Americans don’t know about slang used by Black Americans. Most
White Americans think they know slang used by Black people, but they are almost always wrong.
There is a TV show on MTV called “Punk’D”. Spelled correctly it is “punked”. Now, to a White American, since the show was created
by White Americans, the word “Punked” must mean “play a joke on someone.” The TV show plays jokes on famous Americans like
singers, actors and actresses and other entertainers. When the joke is finished, the staff comes out and tells the famous person,
“You got punked.” For the show, even Black Americans understand “punked” means “play a joke.” To a Black American, “punked”
means “To make someone look stupid and embarrass them in front of a lot of people.” If someone said, “You got punked.” to a Black
American, it would make the Black American angry and probably want to fight. If White Americans knew the meaning to other races,
they probably would have chosen another word, but since they don’t know, they used the term, “punked”.
Other differences in Black and White slang are:
WHITE BLACK
awesome off the hook
cool tight
Oh my God ---------
kick ass beat down
There are so many differences that it’s impossible to list them all. Even Black Americans who live in different states and cities may
have some different slang. The reason is because the weather is different so clothes worn are different. Seasons are longer or
shorter in parts of America, so the slang can be a little different.
If you meet an American, don’t try to use slang because the meaning can be different to who are talking. Shaking hands is also
different for Black Americans in different states and of different ages.
African American Fashion
March 2007
While fashion is important to almost everyone in America, it has a different meaning to African Americans. The most important facts
about fashion to African Americans are up-to-date style, cleanliness and matching. Recently, for younger African Americans, buying
Black owned brands is also very important. For the past few decades, the only available brand names were owned by White
companies. Now, African Americans want to support Black owned businesses and try to help Black companies to get rich and more
popular. Some Black owned fashion companies are: Roc a Wear, FUBU, Karl Kani, DGAF, Phat Farm and Sean John.
Let’s start from the top and work our way down to the footgear. Headgear is important to African Americans. It doesn’t have any
special meaning, but it completes a fashion style. Most African Americans wear baseball caps, skull caps or do-rags. Usually when
an African American is wearing a baseball cap, it is not because they like the baseball team. They are usually wearing it because
either they are from that city or because the team colors match the clothes they are wearing. For example, if a person is wearing a
Boston Red Sox baseball cap, it is not usually because they like the team. They may be from Boston or they may be wearing red and
blue clothes, in which case the team colors match their clothes. Do-rags and skull caps are usually worn because it is the style of the
times and it is considered cool. One very important thing to always remember is, under any circumstances DO NOT TOUCH an
African American’s hat or headgear. Do not play with it, touch it, try to take it off or anything. The main reason is the next topic -
cleanliness.
As I mentioned previously, cleanliness is very important and probably the most important to African Americans. First, let’s talk about
touching headgear. If a lot of people touch an African American’s hat, the hat will soon become dirty and can not be worn anymore,
which means it is not garbage. Remember, you are not the only person who wants to touch a person’s hat. So, the best thing to do is
DON’T TOUCH! Working our way down the body, the shirt and jeans and most importantly the sneakers or footwear. Probably
everyone in the America wears clean clothes, so this is not different, but for African Americans, wearing clean and new sneakers or
other footwear is very important. The hat and sneakers complete the set. When you are near an African American, be careful not to
step on their shoes or sneakers. Even in crowded clubs in America, African Americans are very careful not to step on each others
shoes. Keeping the sneakers clean and looking new makes a person’s style look clean. When most African American’s sneakers
become too dirty or has too many smudges, they will throw them away and buy new ones. Most African Americans do not clean their
sneakers or polish them because it looks really bad and not clear, so buying new sneakers is always better.
Another important fact is matching. There are so many popular brands, that most young African Americans probably have
something from every brand. Although this may be true, African Americans do not mix and match the clothes or brands. For example,
if a person is wearing a Phat Farm shirt, Roc a Wear jeans and a FUBU cap, others will definitely laugh at that person because they
look silly. Matching clothes means wearing all the same brand at the same time. If a person is wearing a FUBU cap, they should
wear all FUBU clothes - shirt and jeans. If they do not have FUBU clothes, they should not wear the cap. The only time it is acceptable
to match clothes, is when wearing non-brand clothes like Levis, Nike or Adidas or other jeans. Although these are name bands, the
name brand is not very important to African Americans, so wearing Levi jeans and a FUBU cap is acceptable. Matching also means
matching color. For example, if a person is wearing a yellow FUBU cap, red FUBU shirt and FUBU blue jeans it looks a little silly. It’s
true they are wearing all FUBU, but the colors do not match. Red and yellow are not a good combination. That person should either
find a red FUBU cap or since they are wearing red and blue, they could wear a Boston Red Sox baseball cap because the Red Sox
colors are red and blue. If they were wearing a Phat Farm yellow shirt and Phat Farm blue jeans, they could wear a Pittburgh Pirates
baseball cap because the colors are yellow and black or they could wear a yellow do-rag or skull cap.
Although probably the most popular sneaker brands with African Americans are Nike and Adidas, the style of the sneaker is very
important. Usually is it a good idea not to buy clothes for an African American. African Americans are not concerned with looking funny
or cute. Looking cool is the most important thing when getting dressed.
Keeping up to date with the new style is probably the last thing to remember when thinking about African American fashion. Style
changes very quickly and constantly. Style changes of how to wear the jeans, brands that are popular and not popular and kinds of
clothes to wear. In the 1980s, folding both of the jean legs up was cool. Then in the 1990s, straight leg jeans were cool with no cuffs.
Now in 2000, folding one pants leg up to the knee is considered cool. The exact length is important because even though you fold it
up, if you fold it too high it is not cool.
Most young African Americans are strict when it comes to fashion. If someone is wearing an old style, a young African American will
not hesitate to laugh at them and tell them they are wearing an old style. Young African Americans help older African Americans to
stay in the style of the day.
No one wants to be out of style and no one wants to wear the same style of White Americans, so African Americans always talk
about new styles and how they are changing.
African American Hair
March 2007
Appearances over the years have changed for African Americans. This is mostly because of the hard years of living in America.
Unfortunately America has a lot of racial problems, especially between Whites and Blacks. The racial problems have started
centuries ago and still continue today. There have been numerous ways to help the racial problems in America, but none are quite
successful.
From the early 1900s to the 1960s, White Americans made Blacks Americans believe they were not beautiful. If a Black American
wanted to be accepted in the White community, they had to look white. If their skin was too dark, White America would not accept them
and think they were ugly, dangerous and scary. White Americans taught in schools and in public that only people with blond hair and
blue eyes were considered beautiful. Since White people controlled all of America, Black Americans didn’t have a choice but to
believe the same thing. White Americans also taught that everyone wanted a White girlfriend or wife and that having a White wife, the
man was successful and lucky. White Americans taught that Black women were only for recreational sex and did not make good
wives.
In the early 1900s, Black people tried to change their appearance. Most Black men straightened their hair like in the popular movie,
“Malcolm X.” This style was called a “Conk”. Black men wanted to look like White men, so they began by changing their hair from
naturally curly to straight. Of course, Black men had to let their hair grow long before “conking” it so it would look like a White person’s
hair. Black women did the same but instead of conking their hair, they used a “straightening comb.” Both methods caused a lot of
pain, so Black people caused themselves a lot of pain only to look like a White person. For men, conk is made by mixing potatoes
and water. Because of the acid in the conk mix, if the mix is left on the head too long, it begins to burn and really hurt. There is a scene
of this in the movie, “Malcolm X” by Spike Lee. For women, the old style straightening combs were heated by placing them in the fire
on the stove. When the comb got red hot, someone had to begin combing the lady’s hair. The first pain was coming through curly
hair. If a person was not very careful and the comb touched the back of the woman’s neck, it would leave a bad burn mark. This
continued up until the mid 1900s. Although no one used the term “conk” anymore, Black people continued to straightening their hair
to look like a White person and be accepted by White Americans.
In the 1960s, Black Americans realized that no matter what they did, White Americans would not accept them. White Americans
simply did not like Black Americans only because of the color of the skin. Still some Black Americans went even further by dying their
hair blond, light brown or dark brown to try and look even more like a White person. It didn’t matter what Black Americans did, White
Americans still hated Black people. Some White people even laughed at Black Americans because they were trying to look like White
people.
Around the end of the 1960s, Black Americans started to stop listening to White America’s racist teaching that other races were not
beautiful. Black Americans started to use phrases like, “Black is Beautiful” , “I’m Black and I’m Proud” as well as other slogans. This
increased more and more Black people to stop straightening and dying their hair to look like a White person.
Black people also stopped saying “Black people” and started using the term “African American” because other races used their
original country’s name such as “Asian American” , German American” and other countries. Black people were not “Black” , but they
were originally from Africa, but taken to America in slavery hundreds of years ago, stripped of their culture and language by White
Americans in America. African Americans began to look at pictures of people in Africa and their hair styles. When they saw the
beautiful hair styles of educated Africans, they realized that a person could only have that hair style with curly hair. Finally, African
Americans could have a hair style that White Americans could not copy because of the different texture of the hair.
Some hair styles that became popular were the afro in the 1970s. Only African Americans hair naturally grew up and out into a big
curly afro. White Americans could not do this naturally. Now, if an African American was walking down their street, towards you or
away from you, the hair style would not be mistaken for a White person.
Other hair styles that slowly became popular were corn rolls and the fade (for men).
Corn rolls are just a method of braiding hair but leaving the braids stuck to the head or scalp. There are a lot of African American
women who can corn roll hair, but there are also a lot of African Americans who can not do it. Now, both men and women can have
corn rolls and it is considered cool. In fact, there are a lot of African American women who love men with corn rolls. From the year
2000, it was considered cool to have different designs of corn rolls in their head, so all designs look different. African Americans like
to be unique, so it is best if everyone has a different corn roll design in their head. There are a lot of NBA (Basketball) players with
corn rolls in their hair, and it considered cool.
The fade is simply cutting a man’s hair by leaving a lot of hair on the top and cutting the sides very close to the scalp. This hair style
is mostly for men, but there are a few women who use this style.
Some African Americans choose to simply leave their hair naturally curly. Even African American women sometimes leave their hair
curly, which is natural, to remember their true culture.
Some African Americans still straighten their hair, but it depends on how they straighten their hair. If it is done to make a new style,
then it could be cool. If it is done to look like a White person, they can be referred to as a “Sell out” by other African Americans. A “sell
out” is a person who changes their appearance only to be accepted by White people. Although Michael Jackson is a great singer, he
changed his hair only to be accepted by White America and many African Americans regard him as a sell out. There are a lot of
people like this.