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CHAPTER 14 THE DICTATES OF RACIST ETIQUETTE IN many sections of the U.S.A. the ordinary rules of etiquette do not apply when you are dealing with persons ofanother race. In such circumstances you are supposed to forget what you have been taught is proper behaviour in human relations-much ofit is altogether taboo in interracial relations. There exists a special interracial etiquette to govern such relations. You will fmd it well-nigh inviolate in the Southern states, but no matter where you go in the U.S.A. you may encounter groups and individuals who insist upon its observance to one degree or another. But on the whole, regional variations in interracial etiquette conform more or less to the institutionalized forms of racial segregation in the area. The dictates of the etiquette are therefore most stringent in the territory long segregated by law, diminishing progressively in the border areas and relatively free territory. Be advised, however, that there is no nook or cranny anywhere in the U.S.A. where whites and Negroes can commingle in the public view without being made aware of the fact that they form an interracial group. Even in those sections of the country where it is possible for whites and Negroes to visit each other in the privacy oftheir homes, you may fmd, if nonwhite, that it is advisable not to go calling upon white persons without a definite invitation for a specific time; otherwise you might encounter white guests there who would make you uncomfortable , to say the least. Southerners, whites and Negroes alike, having been steeped for generations in the atmosphere engendered by the interracial etiquette, usually know precisely-almost instinctively-just what is expected ofthem in all situations. But in the· border areas-where everything is sort of betwixt and between-no one can know for certain what to expect, and this uncertainty gives rise to a certain added tension in interracial encounters . 204 JIM CROW GUIDE TO THE U.S.A. The existence of an interracial etiquette has also given rise to two separate and distinct intraracial etiquettes-one governing relations among whites, the other governing relations among Negroes. Consequently , your race may be judged quite as much by the etiquette you employ as by the physical characteristics you manifest. Indeed, in any apparent contradiction between the two (that is, ifyou look white, but act black among blacks) the Southern white community considers the etiquette decisive. The obverse (ifyou look black, but act white), needless to say, only gives rise to homicidal tendencies in the Southern white community. Since a faux pas under the interracial etiquette in this section is popularly regarded as a capital crime, it might be well for you to acquaint yourself as thoroughly as possible with the code. Even ifyou were born and raised in this section, you couldn't possibly learn, in one lifetime, all there is to know on this subject. It is therefore treated at some length here. Inside the South you will fInd few if any opportunities to treat persons ofthe other race as equals. If you are nonwhite you may fInd that in some places with some people you can "take a few liberties" (as white folks put it), while in other places and with other people you will have to "toe the line". Class counts in interracial etiquette, sometimes. For instance, if you are a professional-class nonwhite, some white workers will not insist that you tip your hat in greeting them, as they invariably would if you were also a worker. But watch out for exceptions-some poor whites like to go out of their way to exact deferential treatment from professional-class nonwhites. Your chances of achieving aJ1ything like mutually respectful relations with a person of the other race are somewhat improved if you both belong to the same class. Any such relation you might establish in segregated territory will have to be indulged in privately, however. If, despite being nonwhite, you succeed in fInding some influential white who will associate with you with some semblance ofequality in public, a peculiar phenomenon may ensue: white tradespeople, upon observing such fraternization, may conclude that it is the stylish thing to do, and begin to serve you in a manner to which you have not been accustomed. (This could happen only in non-segregated territory.) As with other etiquettes, maximum security lies in cultivating the general attitude required; ifyour attitude is right, you may be excused [3.144...

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