Is this a caucasian/oriental/hispanic hobby?

13 years ago

We have a black president, had a black Secretary of State recently, were are the black orchid growers? No Eskimos makes sense but this?

I'm not of these fanatics who goes to 10 different orchid societies, (I know 2 like that) but circumstances have taken me to 4 different societies in the last 1/2 year. 2 in the my area where I go regularly, a species study group in San Diego where 4 of my kids live and I go there, coupling it with a monthly get together with the brood and recently the Pleurothallis Alliance which meets in San Francisco. I go to that one on the way up to Redding, which is north of there, where my oldest son and another crop of grand children live. In addition to that, I have given a talk to 2 other societies.

I just realized that amongst these 6 societies there was not one black face. We do have one black member, on paper only since he never attends meetings, the last time I saw him was several years ago.

What gives? A black chief executive but no black orchid growers? All the other races represented, but not them. What's the racial diversity in your group?

Nick

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Comments (34)

highjack
13 years ago
We have three African-Americans, two Japanese, one Chinese and an Indian in our club. I guess our club is a people club for anyone interested in orchids club.

I don't know if we have any Eskimos in our area :>)

Brooke
cjwatson
13 years ago
Ours is a very small society with two Asians, one African-American and a pretty fair number of old fuddy-duddies.
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bradarmi
13 years ago
Great post Nick, when I did go to the local meetings I only saw Asian (Korean and Chinese) and old white fuddy-duddies, no 20-something guys except me, and no black people.

I did meet a new boyfriend of one of my wife's friends and I found out he raised orchids - I wanted his number so we can "talk orchids" and my wife accused me of wanting a "bro-mance" just because I met a guy with similar interests.

Its funny how certain hobbies attract certain racial and ethnic groups and not others. Someone post if they know an Eskimo at their club.

That being said I met a national league baseball player once and talked orchids with him since I got to find out that he raised them. I did not talk baseball with him and have received countless jabs/jokes from my friends for not doing so.
digitalphrag
13 years ago
John Hope Franklin was one of the better known hobbyists who happened to be black. He's gone now, but fairly well-known.

I've never been in a society that had any black members, but I've certainly met or seen a number of black folks while out perusing the various greenhouses that specialize in orchids.
dragon_kite
13 years ago
Brad- it IS a bro-mance, but it's ok, go have fun ^__- .

I haven't joined any orchids clubs here in NYC but I believe we have a few posters here who have, so I'll let them answer.

I think interest in orchids is a cultural thing.

Far East Asians have native orchids, their poetry, paintings, and other art forms are full of orchids. I believe they also call the orchid a "gentleman" because it blooms and emits fragrance even when there is no one around to praise it. Calvin's the expert on this since he actually paints them.

Hispanics and non-hispanics are from South America, home to many orchid species and hybrids. So of course they are no strangers to the orchid's beauty.

I don't believe orchids are a very big part of African-American culture, if at all. Actually my black friends refer to their culture as "black culture." Anyway, Black people are not surrounded by the concept of orchids the way Asians and Hispanics are. So maybe that's why there aren't as many black orchids growers? Or maybe there are lots of black orchid growers but they just don't go to clubs.

However, quality is more important than quantity! My orchid-sensei, who has taught me so much with his wisdom and experience in growing orchids, was a black man who used to post on this forum: Howard. For those of you that remember, Howard often advised giving orchids more light.

Having said that, that Eskimo orchid grower better be the Yoda of orchid growing to make up for the lack of quantity.
jane__ny
13 years ago
We have quite a few black members, Asian members, Italian, Irish, Jewish, doctors (a lot), lawyers, rich people, poor people and lots of old people.

Ours is a large club with a lot of active members.

Jane
orchidnick
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you for the thoughtful comment dragon kite. I'll certainly make an announcement if an Eskimo ever joins us.

Nick
stitzelweller
13 years ago
Red and yellow
Black and white
They are precious in His sight.

We got 'em all.

--Stitz--
velamina
13 years ago
Stitz, your posts are always so elegant :)

(Says Velamina as she chews on anther piece of gum).
smwboxer
13 years ago
Well my society is pretty much has people from all races and creeds.
westoh Z6
13 years ago
Steph,

Gosh, I think I rewmember that H lost almost everything in a flood in his NYC basement apartment.

Didn't he move to Washington or Oregon? Any idea what happened to Howard after his move out west?

I seem to recall a few posts from after the move, but none for several years.

Bob
dragon_kite
13 years ago
Jane- are you with the BIG orchid society? The GNYOS?! If so, any heads up as to whether there'll be a NYIOS for 2011??!!

Nick- perhaps we should openly solicit for Eskimo orchid-growers. Entice them with a free Sharry Baby

Bob- That's our Howard!! I haven't heard from him in atleast two years or so. Let's hope he's so busy enjoying his orchids that he doesn't have time to post. To be honest, I thought he'd want to move to a drier state after the flooding, like Arizona or New Mexico.

Steph
dirtysouth
13 years ago
Why does it matter? And why do you care?

Not that you care about your post being politically correct or anything, but for your information the proper term is Inuit and not Eskimo.
ntgerald
13 years ago
I wonder where Howard is now, and how he is?
ifraser25
13 years ago
Brazil is one of the most racially mixed societies in the world and yet I too have never seen a black face at any orchid society meeting... I have no explanation for this except that African-Americans in any part of America are among the least well educated and least affluent members of society. Orchid growing may be seen by them as just too esoteric an activity. Incidentally many orchid societies in Brazil have a high percentage of Japanese members...which in a way kind of proves my point.
dragon_kite
13 years ago
Dirty- I don't believe anyone here wants to be politically incorrect or wants to offend any group of people. The problem is terms often change. "Oriental" was ok and non-offensive 30 years ago, today the "correct" term is "Asian". Who knows when the term "Asian" will be deemed offensive and be replaced with yet another word.

Also the same term can be offensive in one country and not another. For example in Vietnam the Hmong people find the term "Miao" offensive because of how the word has been used in the past. However, in China the Hmong are still refered to as "Miao" and the Hmong in China do not find it offensive because the term "Miao" has no bad connotations there.

As a woman of color that grew up in an ethically diverse environment, I try to focus less on "proper" terms and words and focus more on the actual intent behind the usage of those words. If the user is not trying to be offensive, I have no qualms. However, if the speaker is deliberately being offensive, even if they use the "proper" terms, well, it's still offesive.

If a term is particularly offensive to you or anyone on this forum, just say "that term is offensive to me , could you please use ++++ instead of that word?" and I am sure everyone will comply.

Personally, I prefer to use the word Eskimo because there are many different ethnicities within the Eskimo culture, Inuit, Aleut, and Yupik to name a few. To refer to all Eskimos as Inuit would be like calling all Native Americans, Cherokee. I believe in Alaska they use the term Alaska Native, we can switch to that if it is a better term.

Why does it matter, why do we care? Well, if we had more Alaska Native orchid growers, they could tell us how they grow orchids in their environment. Their advice could help out a lot of us, or spark some new ideas. They could also tell us whether or not the term Eskimo is offensive to them, or if there is a better word they prefer.

Ntgerald- I miss him too. Actually, I haven't seen you in a while either! Good to see you're still here.
trini1trini
13 years ago
I'm the Caribbean-American member in most of my plant clubs. heehee. There are many people of color in the clubs and sometimes they don't attend the meetings, but do attend the wonderful shows. I know several who own their own nurseries.
garyfla_gw
13 years ago
Hi
I don't know because we follow the "Don't ask don't tell" policy We may be in trouble since the repeal???
gary
ntgerald
13 years ago
dragon_kite,

At some point I began to feel lost. Too many members have gone and although there are still some left from the days when we had regular posts from Howard, Laura, and Alberta, I felt like a stranger and have ceased posting.

I shall begin posting once more my photos with the new year. This was one issue with me also because I think most members do not appreciate a lot of the Asian plants.

But, I shall start posting, once more.
cjwatson
13 years ago
I love Asian plants, Nelson, and have lots in my collection! I do miss your photos and information. Please do start posting again.
helga1
13 years ago
I have to hand it to you Nick. You always come up with an engaging subject when things get a little boring here.

B.t.w., I too would like to know what happened to Howard as I enjoyed his posts and learned a lot from him about proper lighting. I do hope he is well.
orchidnick
Original Author
13 years ago
Things have gotten a little boring. We are actively recruiting Eskimos, if we get one to join our group I will report immediately.

Nick
stitzelweller
13 years ago
Nick,

My heritage is half-Swedish. There are probably a couple of drops of Lapplander blood in me. As you undoubtedly know, the Lapps (known as Sami, also spelled Saami up North) people are an Arctic indigenous nomadic people who inhabit northern Scandinavia. We herd reindeer in the arctic parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia, including the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway.

The Saami are Europe's northernmost and the Nordic countries only officially indigenous people. A few Saami might inhabit igloos on rare occasion!

I pray to Valhalla that the GardenWeb Board of Equal Opportunity will consider my application toward the Eskimo quota. Nick, please don't relegate me to the status of an ethereal world, wannabe-Eskimo created through poetic imagination. FWIW, the other half of my heritage is also from beyond half-way to the North Pole.

Humbly bored,

--Stitz--
orchidnick
Original Author
13 years ago
I spent 3 Summer month in Inuvik, Canada, a sister town of Aklavik. Fished in the Arctic ocean, the MacKenzie river and the many lakes that dot the tundra there. Made friends with both Eskimos (a perfectly acceptable term to them) and the local Indians, a tribe whose name has escaped me. The tundra in June and July was a sea of color, no doubt some of the plants may have been orchids but that was before the orchid phase of my life.

Was introduced to a family who are descendants of people who drove a herd of reindeer across the arctic from either Lapland or Finland. These animals were the ancestors of all the reindeer in Canada today. They could have been introduced to Alaska first and then made their way to the North West Territories, don't know which of the 2 scenarios was the source of the animals around that area.

In either case it was a memorable Summer.

Nick
stitzelweller
13 years ago
"...Eskimos (a perfectly acceptable term to them...

Good point, Nick. Not all "Eskimos" are Inuit, something that "politically correct" types fail to recognize.
howard_a
13 years ago
I am thinking that the percent of white individuals who are passionate enough about orchids to want to join a local society devoted to them is pretty small. Vanishingly small would not be an overstatement. .0004%? Just guessing really but you see where I am going... white people are usually 75% or more of the population except for places like NYC or Detroit. In California, blacks are... 6% of the population? What is .0004% of 6%?

And that is only half of it because as dragon kite alluded, there are cultural forces in the black community that see to it that a certain percent of the .0004% of hyper-committed orchid lovers keep their predilections in the closet. I could not and did not indulge my passion for exotic plants until I was living on my own.

That African American person, especially if male, sitting alone near the back of the audience at a society meeting at one of the country's Mortheast or MidWestern metro's likely has a story to tell about how they got to this point. Chat them up. They may want to talk about it.

H
highjack
13 years ago
Still in Oregon Howard?

Brooke
westoh Z6
13 years ago
H,

Long time, no see....
Welcome back!!!

Bob
helga1
13 years ago
Grab him and don't let him go! Howard, we missed you and your advice. Must tell you, ever since you urged to give phals as much light as they can stand (morning sun until 11:00 A.M. here, plus 16 hrs. from 2 shoplights), mine are spiking and branching, thanks to you.

Helga.
stitzelweller
13 years ago
"That African American person, especially if male, sitting alone near the back of the audience at a society meeting at one of the country's Mortheast or MidWestern metro's likely has a story to tell about how they got to this point. Chat them up. They may want to talk about it.
"

Howard, I have an even better idea! That person, sitting alone near the back of the audience at a society meeting? No matter where the meeting, "Chat them up". They may want to talk about orchids!

Support your local orchid club!!

--Stitz--
howard_a
13 years ago
My bad Stitz... of course you are correct. I have to be honest though I have only attended a handful of such meetings in my life. One in Staten Island, one in New York, NY (Manhattan to visitors), and one in Salem, OR. The meeting in NY was noteworthy for having Fred Clarke (Sunset Orchids) as speaker. Love those Cataseum hybrids! Its one thing to be a minority, it is quite another to be a freak. I've always felt a little freakish doing things like singing in Early Music ensembles, attending Calligraphy workshops and of course Orchid Society meetings. As the original poster was aware there is often minority representation from the usual suspects but with the obvious notable exception. I would much rather not be an exception. Anywho, thanks for the kind words of welcome. How have all of youse been doing? Being good to one another, lol? Any good flame-wars in the archives I should dig up? Fess up, I have started a new job and do not have a lot of time to get personal with the Gardenweb Search Engine. I will do what I can as a newly re-instated member of the light brigade but, really, what can I say that I haven't already said? "It needs more light". Cut and paste the preceding into any posts that you feel I should respond to. It's ok I give you permission.

H
xmpraedicta
13 years ago
Howard you're back!!!! Welcome! :D
jane__ny
13 years ago
Wow, what a shock! Geez Howard, been holding a spot for you forever!

Moved to a new place myself, doesn't have the windows like my old place.

Keep in touch,

Jane
stitzelweller
13 years ago
Howard,
Whatever happened to Clara?

--Stitz--

Is this a caucasian/oriental/hispanic hobby?

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