i’m black where it counts… i have soul, what were you thinking?
i’m going to start documenting the instances where people hear my name and refer to the “blackness” of it. more often than not, when a person hears my name, my name is immediately alluded to a black man (it happened this past week as a matter of fact). i mean “jerome” could be a french name; jerry seinfeld’s full name is “jerome” and he’s jewish. it’s not annoying or anything, it’s rather amusing actually; i do get a good laugh when it happens, especially now that’s it not just an isolated occurrence.
weird thing is, i didn’t start getting any of this until the summer after my junior year in high school when i worked at kiddieland amusement park, and my name’s been “jerome” my entire life.
are there any other “jeromes” out there who aren’t black that this has happened to? i think i might start a facebook group for us if there are.
i.e.
friend: “oh, jerome’s on his way; he’ll be here in like 10 minutes.”
person who hasn’t met me yet: “jerome? ok, cool.
::i arrive:: “man, i thought you were black when i heard that ‘JEROME was on his way’ haha.”
me: “yeah, it’s happened before.”
::we laugh::
or
person who hasn’t met me yet: “hey, wa’s goin on, i’m chris.”
me: “i’m jerome. nice to meet you.”
person who hasn’t met me yet: “really? jerome.”
me: “yeah, that’s my name.”
person who hasn’t met me yet: “fo real.”
me: “yeah, tha’s what my mama calls me.”
person who hasn’t met me yet: “you, know that’s a ‘black’ name.”
me: “yeah, i’ve heard.”
::shared laughter::
or
me: “hey, i’m jerome.”
person who hasn’t met me yet: “what? you don’t look black. what’re you, filipino?”
me: “yeah, straight up filipino.”
person who hasn’t met me yet: “this is the first asian i’ve met named ‘jerome,’ haha, man that’s a trip.”
::chuckles all around::
or
person who’s accepted the fact my name is “jerome”: “I SAY JEROME’S IN DA HOUSE!!”
::i dance a little to that person’s repeated chanting of said quote::
for your viewing pleasure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9MHnYuuFTM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSve3f_sdDU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmxjI4PuJNU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgeHUiGRo5c
