[or-roots] Little Black Sambo 1946

[Kith-n-Kin (ATT)]

Would it just be tacky as heck to point out that the story of "Little Black
Sambo" was about an East Indian boy? Where did you ever see a tiger in
Alabama? Too bad about that PC stuff, ruined a good book once people started
taking offense. 

 

Matter of fact, probably the first movie I ever saw was "Song of the South",
played in Kinzua at the Community Center - perhaps 1945 or so. My all time
favorite movie and you have to get a copy from a European source if you want
to watch it today. Think I will. So there.

 

I have to say, much as it pains me, that my grandfather, who probably never
saw many black people growing up in Jackson County and only one Asian that I
know of, was a bigot. Who knows where he got that! Fortunately, my parents
somehow protected us from his behavior, or explaining that it wasn't right,
so we grew up differently. Just sort of middle class white bread
unintentional racist. But, we got over it.  Helps to have all sorts in the
family tree. . . and to dinner. . .

 

Pat (in Tucson)

 

-----Original Message-----
From: or-roots-admin at sosinet.sos.state.or.us
[mailto:or-roots-admin at sosinet.sos.state.or.us] On Behalf Of Connie Guardino
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 12:57 PM
To: or-roots at sosinet.sos.state.or.us
Subject: Re: [or-roots] Little Black Sambo 1946

 

There were no black people in Grants Pass when my mother was growing up.
There is a "Black Sambo" story told about her: The first time she ever saw a
black person, she asked: "Why does that man have shoe polish all over his
face?" I forget now how old she was, but she must have been quite young. I
also grew up in Grants Pass, and didn't know about blacks or hispanics until
we moved to California for a brief period of time. I knew about Chinese
because of neighbors. Your wife died in 1993? She was terrified by black
people for the rest of her life? That seems mighty strange, as she would
have lifed through the civil rights movement and should have had enough
exposure to blacks to know the majority of them aren't going to put anybody
in a "stew pot!" 

Cecil Houk wrote: 

The following is NOT PC. The story of "Little Black Sambo" is no longer
allowed in this country, but it was very popular in the 1940's.  Not only in
the USA, but also in Japan. Prior to WWII Japan was a "closed society"; no
foreigners were allowed.  The only exposure to black people the Japanese
people had was "Little Black Sambo" and stories of African cannibals. One
day in 1946, a young girl was walking home from school.  She passed a field
where American occupation soldiers were playing baseball.  One of them
offered her a candy bar... he was black! She envisioned herself in a big
stew pot!!  She ran all the way home - screaming.  She was terrified by
black people for the rest of her life. I know this is true because she was
my first wife.  She died in 1993, but not in a stew pot; cancer.   Midori
Murakami1935-1993 Cecil Houk, ET1 USN Ret. 
PO Box 530833 
San Diego CA 92153 
FAX 619-428-6434 
mailto:cchouk at cox.net 
ANDERSON - BLAKELY - FORD - HOUK - KIMSEY - MOE - RULAFORD - SIMPSON 
Searchable GEDCOM: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~cchouk 
My web page MENU: http://members.cox.net/~cchouk/

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