Nehorayan 1

Kayla Nehorayan
English 114B
Professor Jackie Hymes
March 19, 2015
The Seen and Unseen Stereotypes and Racism
It is difficult for a person to look in the mirror and not be able to identify with the
person looking back at them. This was the exact crisis that Macon Detornay faced everyday in
Angry Black White Boy by Adam Mansbach. He is a young, Jewish, white man who struggles
to identify with his race and religion because he can only relate to the black race, their
struggles, and their overall history. Macon is thrown into his own internalized race riot, which
he later externalizes, when he is unable to see the obvious stereotypes that he presents to his
immediate surroundings. Macon breaks the classic racial boundaries by establishing a racist
approach to his own race and using stereotypes to establish bonds with black peers.
Throughout the first part of the novel, we see Macon become frustrated every time a
white man or woman would talk about black people in any way. No matter what they were
saying, whether it was offensive or not, he would feel his blood boiling within his veins. While
driving these two white men in his taxi, they began to imply all the racist stereotypes about
black people that they could think of, from what music they listened to, to where they would
land in the world. They were on their way to meet two women, one white and one black; the
men began talking about the women. When one of the men asked if it was a black woman,
Macon couldnt take it: He knew them too well, better than he knew himself, knew what they

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were thinking and everything theyd ever thought and it was vile, all of it, smug and oblivious
(Mansbach 21). In this scenario, Macon becomes angry with the men for being racist, as seen
before by the comments they made. Later in that moment remove, he pulls into a street that is
not their destination and steals their wallets and ties. These men got themselves into trouble by
bringing up the word black and by describing the woman in a stereotypical way. To Macon,
almost everything said about black people from white people is considered racist and in his
mind, he was teaching them a lesson, but soon he finds out it back fires on him. Even though to
many it might have not seemed to be racist, there are people who believe that we live in a
society that rejects overt displays of racism but still embraces less obvious acts of covert and
institutionalized racism (Perez 15). Although society does not allow racism, there are still
times and people that show racism in one-way or another. Many do not use racist words, but
rather racist remarks that are not looked down upon as much. This all leads back to what the
men were saying about the black woman and how it came out to Macon. Although they did not
call the black woman any racist names, just saying black in general was somewhat racist to
Macon and could have been to many other people. Macon does not only see stereotypes being
used by his fellow white man, but also unknowingly uses them himself towards white and black
people.
Throughout the novel, we see Macon using black stereotypes to connect to and create
bonds between his black peers. Before meeting his black roommate Andre, he mentally
prepares himself for who he is about to meet. Macon chose his roommate based on their
ancestors; Andres being a black baseball player who was tormented for his skin color, while
Macons ancestor was the tormentor. After his roommate admits he has never read his

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ancestors book about what had happened in the past, Macon, with surprise, tells Andre that he
can borrow [Macons]. Its a dope book, man. Makes you realize how little anything
has changed in this country (Mansbach, 31). Trying to prove his worthiness to his roommate,
he admits to reading Andres ancestors book and is shocked to find out that Andre has not read
it yet. Macon was assuming that a black man would have read and enjoyed the book, or at least
would want to read it. When Andre admits not even caring about what it had to say, Macon was
stunned. This is not the last situation when Macon uses stereotypes to connect with his black
acquaintances. After meeting his roommate for the first time and trying to prove his value as a
white friend, they decide to visit Andres friend Nique, who is also black. When entering
Niques room there are many black power posters hanging from the walls. As Macon comes
upon a poster of Rodney King he says to Nique that its a nice picture and a tattoo shows that
on Macons bicep in small green characters was 4-29-92. It was the day the verdict had
been handed down Mufucker got a Rodney King tattoo? Shit, I thought I was black
(Mansbach, 48). Although Jewish, Macon had decided to get a tattoo of numbers on his arm.
When Andre and Nique point out how that correlates to the Holocaust, Macon seems to not see
what is wrong because he is trying to use it as a connection to black history and cares more
about black history than the struggles his people have been through. By having that tattoo, he
has earned respect from his black peers and shows that he is one of them in a way. Nique,
who was skeptical himself, exclaims that he thought [he] was black, which shows many
people that now he sees Macon as someone just like him. Macon has shown many more actions
and said many things to show his racist side, whether it was to be accepted or not, and does not
realize he is playing into stereotypes.

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One other act Macon shows is his black history knowledge and his way of being like an
African American is when Macon admits that there is no such thing as a white hero. All white
folks who have seemed to be heroes for slaves have just been helping their own selfish needs.
When talking about one man who apparently freed black slaves, Macon sat forward and
cracked his knuckles Fuck John Brown Nique rocked in his chair and clapped his
hands I love it. So youre it, huh, dog? The downest whiteboy in history (Mansbach, 51).
After showing some African American pride by knowing the history of many people who have
saved slaves, Nique admits that Macon is the blackest whiteboy he has ever met. Macon
impressed these two black peers by showing them that all white people are devils and that all
their intensions are to either make themselves feel better or for revenge. Ironically, that is
exactly what Macon is doing too. He is using these racist stereotypes of black people knowing
their history and always putting down the white man to make himself feel better and to prove
that he belongs. Although the stereotypes are not known as bad stereotypes, never the less
they still exhibit racism. In an essay by Cynthia Estremera, she even states that Macon has the
desire to undo history and the racist sins of his forefather, Cap Anson, by rejecting his
Whiteness and embracing Black culture (Estremera 8). Macon is trying to be better than his
ancestor, Cap Anson, was and is trying to make up for all he had done in the past. This plays
into what Macon was saying himself. He believes that all white people either helped slaves
because they felt bad or for revenge. There is also the excuse that white people during his time
were just trying to make up for the past. Although Macon believes this about every single white
person is history, whether he has met them or not, this shows that having the desire to make
racism goes away because of his ancestor is only to make himself feel better in his own white

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skin. He does not see it that way though. Macon sees it as him just being born as the wrong skin
color. This can also show how Macon is not only using the racist stereotypes of blacks to
connect with them, but also how he is racist against his own skin color. He comes up with
assumptions about all white people, which is what he is trying to stop. Macon continues this
pattern throughout the whole book, but mainly with his black peers. After being invited to join
Niques drug selling business, Macon takes the offer and Niques hand [sweeps] toward him
and Macon braved a familiar instant of panic before he caught it in a satisfyingly well-executed
poundthe Negro Greeting Ritual (Mansbach, 54). Macon was happy, but nervous to see that
Nique reached out to give him a fist bump because in Macons eyes, it is a ritual that black
people share. By being a part of this ritual, in Macons eyes he is being welcomed into their
culture. Macon is stereotyping all black people by saying that they all fist bump and in a sense
it is something they use as a ceremonial tradition between them. Although this is not seen as
a stereotype that would hurt their reputation, it is still considered to be using stereotypes and
Macon does not see that. That is what Macon does; he takes every little thing black people do
into consideration as something that could invite him into their race and culture.
Macon, although not trying to be, is a racist man. He uses negative stereotypes about
white people to have excuses to hate them and to show reasons why he does not want to be like
them. On the other hand, he uses stereotypes in general, not good, but not bad, towards black
people to connect with them and show them that he can be one of them. There are many
instances in the novel where Macon tries to prove that he is down, can hang, and be on their
level. He tries to show the black peers he encounters that he is on their side and that he thinks
all whites are devils and that on the inside he is really black. He uses black history in extreme

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ways to show his dedication and Macon takes every little thing black and white people say and
analyzes it in a racist way to either find ways to hate whites even more or to try to act, talk, and
dress like blacks so that he can be accepted into their group.

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Works Cited
Estremera, Cynthia. Navigating the Miscegenated Identity: Failure, Success and the PostRacial Conflict in Johnson, Hurston and Mansbach. Thesis. Villanova University,
2014. Web.
Mansbach, Adam. Angry Black White Boy, or, The Miscegenation of Macon Detornay: A Novel.
New York: Three Rivers, 2004. Print.
Perez, Laura R. In the Middle, In Between: Cultural Hybridity, Community Rejection, and the
Destabilization of Rave in Percival Everetts Erasure, Adam Mansbachs Angry Black
White Boy, and Danzy Sennas Caucasia. Thesis. Howard University, 2011. Web.