Why do Asians really get straight A's? - Project Gutenberg Consortia ...

my eyes. “ All these yuppies are looking for a piece of the action. I swear, it's like they've all
jumped on the condo bandwagon.”
We finally make it to Golfland, a family fun center with miniature golf, but more
importantly, an arcade showcasing the best Street Fighter players in the world, most from the
city of Sunnyvale, which is about half an hour from Auntie's house— not too close and just far
enough away. Gabriel heads straight for the change machine while I venture to the gaming
area to scout out the competition. Much to my dismay, no one is there; I guess all the Asians
are out racing. Gabriel sees the bleak emptiness of the arcade room and frowns with lament,
as if his childhood pet recently past away. Notwithstanding the absence of the best Street
Fighter players in the world, we both play each other, with much fun and excitement. It's good
to relax, unwind and forget about things, even for just a few hours. I then realize that we have
to get going or else we'd miss dinner, and Auntie would love nothing more than to scold me to
no end—and then telling my parents of course. I haul @ss out of the arcade, as I grab Gabriel
by the arm.
“ I was whooping you long time, ” Gabriel jokes, strutting and prancing. “ Fo' shizzo! ”
“ Fo' shizzo? ” I remark with astonishment. “ Since when did you turn black? ”
“ Oh, calm down, fool, ” Gabriel coolly replies. “ Don't be a sore loser. ”
“ I'd rather be a sore loser than be a fake Blackanese like you. ” I really don't have a
problem with Ebonics, the idiomatic African American slang of our generation. I just wish that
words such as fat and scared wouldn't be turned into phat and scurred. It's astounding to me
that monosyllabic words can actually be made more complicated, with the needless change in
spelling. And if that's not bad enough, there's a rapper that goes by the moniker, 50 cent—
they can't even spell their own name right! Many people are avidly concerned about the
increase in violence, drug use, and sexual paraphernalia in our generation; I'm more
concerned with the horrific spelling and grammar! Phat and scurred account for the reasons
why most young Americans can't even locate the United States of America on a map. That's
why I'm almost livid with Gabriel speaking Ebonics.
“ Alright, alright. Let's just drop it, Johnson, ” Gabriel peacefully amends. “ No reason to
get your panties in a bunch. ” I decide to let that remark slide since I really am sore that
Gabriel beat me so many times in Street Fighter. Of course, my pride won't allow me to admit
this, sure enough, or even accept this. Besides, I have to put on my game face when I see
Auntie, and I can't look all whiny and grumpy.