Interactions with blacks

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Most of the black people I've met are pretty awesome. However, there are a few at my school who act like this guy:
(WARNING: OFFENSIVE)
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=9UDlPk_b5ME[/youtube]

(Not that there aren't plenty of white people who act the same way.)

Black people are just like white people, only more colorful.

It's part of black culture in America to be more playfully "aggressive" than whites. While this isn't a bad thing it can be disconcerting if you're not used to it.

Where I work about half the employees are black. When they start ragging on me about this or that I just look them in the eye and laugh it off. Next to giving it right back (i'm not witty enough for this, also i'm the new guy and i cant quite afford the social capital) this is the best possible response.

I suggest you try being a little more assertive and have a sense of humor about the teasing. It's not intended to hurt you, but at the same time they'll find it hard to respect you if you visibly let it bother you.

Similar culture in a way to the Islander/Maori communities here. "Messing with ya" is a way of building rapport, having a joke and easing the tension in a situation. With NTs, confusing them and making them panic gets them worked up (as it would anyone), but the sudden relief of "Just messing with ya" brings a smile, a laugh, and easier conversation.

It's a sign someone likes you, ya know Especially in regards to you taking it well...laughing or smiling...they'll have some respect for you at a basic level.

That's a good lesson to learn, as is Unnamed's experience above. Learn to laugh and smile, develop a comfortable sense of humour, NEVER take yourself too seriously. Life's a game...you can enjoy the game or burn out trying to win. I say go for gold, laughing the whole way!

Getting back to the topic of the humor used that confused the original poster, I totally understand where you are coming from. I HATE it when this sort of humor is used. The "psych" or "just kidding" humor. I can never tell when it's happening and then feel extremely embarressed because I didn't catch it. My perception of this type of humor is that it is a kind of trick to be played on guillible people like me, so I feel hurt when the person is trying to make a joke. I sometimes have troubles with other types of humor too, but at this point in my life I have more people around me with a similar sense of humor as I, so I can share my own humor and theirs. However, with strangers, I don't usually catch on to subtle humor.

Just my two cents.

Rae

Ok I havent read all of this thread but i had a thought about the op's question.
Could it be that when he asked you for the thing he asked for , and then after said just messin with you , could it be that the long pause was accompanied by a confused or shocked look on your face , and so whilst he was not actually messin with you , he said it to put you at ease , to make you stop thinking about it , of course we can see it didnt work but he wasnt to know that. a bit like when someone tries to explain something to someone and the otherperson doesnt understand so the first person says *don't worry about it* and moves onto the next thing.

I am surprised at how long this thread has continued.

Is it better to just smile and laugh at *everything* someone says to you so that there is no mistaking on the part of the other person that you think they're not joking?

Also, I'm working at a new job at the main cash register and a lot of black people have come by and I have experienced few problems there so far. However, there was a black woman I was helping in the food aisle (she was asking whether we accepted EBT (food stamps)) who said I looked "scared" and said to me "you're some kind of something...bad...aren't you?" (As if I were better off not born.)

Public Service Announcement to Americans:

There are blacks outside of american culture!! !
I know this is shocking, but its true! :O