So I was looking for information about Bulgaria and came across this article Written by Elizabeth Miller at the American University in Bulgaria. More thoughts to come on this article later. Happy Reading...
Nothing quite satisfies one’s craving for chocolate as the Bulgarian snack, Negarche, whose name is translated into English as “little niggers.” In Bulgarian, the translation means merely “little black baby,” with the reference being cute rather than derogatory. But I have found no luck in my quest for “little white baby” or “little yellow baby” cookies.
The Negarche cookies are easily recognized with the near-photographic representation on the cookie box of a black baby with a head a third the size of his body and lips bigger than his hands. Whether the name is intended to be racist or not is up to debate, but the picture on the box clearly reflects stereotypes.
The following disclaimer may be necessary: all opinions in this piece are the opinions of an American, an outsider if you will. This is just something I noticed as an outsider and felt worth bringing to light.
The demographic shortage of black people in Bulgaria, while not the fault of Bulgarians, has me counting them as I see them. I have been in Bulgaria for six months and have seen only six black people. As an American used to color and a diversity of people, I find this odd. The most reoccurring black person in my life here is Uncle Ben, whose picture is advertised on some of the rice and flavored food sauces available in Blagoevgrad.
Most people here seem oblivious to racial slurs as advertisements boldly repeat them on products in the local stores. Even at AUBG, attempts at addressing diversity issues seem to be minimalist. (A couple of years ago though, when AUBG had a student from Antigua, the Skaptopara cafeteria stopped selling Negarche cookies because of their potentially offensive name.)
During the diversity training session I attended during my first week at AUBG, students discussed ethnic, religious, sexual and other differences a student body may encounter. Then the resident assistants showed us examples of cultural tolerance.
My mouth hung open when the resident assistant used the word “nigger” in one of the example exercises demonstrating tolerance. I scanned the room for the look of shock I expected to see in others. No one seemed the least bit surprised by this word in a seminar teaching tolerance, despite its offensive connotation to a whole race of people.
Later I was told the “n” word is not offensive in Bulgarian - instead, saying ‘black” has the connotation of the “n” word. Funny the language of instruction at AUBG does not happen to be Bulgarian, but English, and in English, the “n” word remains offensive. One would hope in a tolerance class showing incoming students who speak many languages, English sometimes being their only common language, this would be an inappropriate English example of tolerance.
Numbly, around town I read posters advertising “Nigger Party” or “Black Party” in Blagoevgrad, though these posters are meant to advertise rap or hip-hop nights. Rap music provides one of the many stereotypes associated with black people. No one seems to have a problem associating them with gangs, thieving, drugs, and other aspects connected with rap music.
However, most Bulgarians are appalled that anyone would associate them with their most popular music - pop-folk, also known as chalga. Apparently many Bulgarians are offended if someone ignorant of Bulgarians in general associates them with scantly clad women, laud sex acts, and poor taste in lyrics. I imagine most of the black population feels that same offensiveness to being associated solely with rap music.
I expressed my shock that so few black people reside in Bulgaria to a few friends here. The topic brought up interesting perspectives. One Bulgarian informed me of common knowledge I had not been privy to earlier: “Black people are inherently stupider than white people.” He believes intelligent black people happen about as rarely as super geniuses.
A Ukrainian, knowing I had lived in Africa, asked: “So, is it true, I heard that black men are really, you know, big?” Perhaps he thought everyone runs around naked in Africa (not the case), and I was thus knew the size of male genitalia in Ghana. Or maybe it is just common practice for him to ask about the size of other men’s genitalia in the first week of knowing someone. I find either case disturbing.
An American Mormon missionary to Bulgaria merely said, “There are some smart black people,” thus proving ignorance is not limited by any means to residents of Bulgaria.
“Because there are so few black people here, they are seen as fun and exotic, and often become movie stars,” said a Bulgarian. Fun and exotic, like a label on a zoo tag.
These beliefs confuse me. With so few black people in Bulgaria, how can anyone comment at all? Then I recall my distain as time and time again I hear people group ethnicities, religions, and nationalities together in their prejudiced opinions of Christians, Atheists, Muslims, Albanians, Bulgarians, Americans and other groups. Even when reminded of exceptions they brush them under the carpet to stand firm in their close-minded prejudices, forcing stereotypes to encompass everyone in these “groupings.”
For me, people are all the same. No matter what race, nationality, sex or any other differentiating man-made category, the bottom line is there are good and bad people in any category. I distinguish the difference on an individual basis.
I have never met anyone who wants to be associated with a mass stereotype. The common courtesy to not judge someone else on stereotypes should be enforced worldwide. Practice starts with sensitivity in language usage and making intelligent references to people, or none at all if one has no experience to draw reference from.
However, perhaps cookies’ association to racism is a tradition throughout cultures. The famous American cookie Oreo was first made and named in 1902 and at that time had no negative connotation surrounding its name. Yet, now, according to Wikipedia, the word Oreo has a new meaning. It is “often used by lower-class blacks against professional and educated blacks, often those who work for whites or who work in industries that they feel exploit African-Americans.” This usage, the online encyclopedia says, was developed as a metaphor for a new generation of educated African-Americans starting in the 1960s.
It seems cookies are being used by multiple races, nationalities, and other groups of people to express some form of xenophobia. So then perhaps the question is: does the racist connotation make the cookie or does the cookie make the racist connotation?
With the EU accession drawing nearer, Bulgarian people are working to change buildings, governments, and other aspects of society. Desserts with potentially offensive names are probably one of the remains of the past Bulgarians are not quite ready to give up. Meanwhile, it’s nice to know I can go to the sweet shop any day of the week and pick up a fresh “little nigger.” No questions asked.
