Tiger Woods Looks In The Past: Racial and Hard Lifestyle
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Tiger Woods is considered the greatest golfer by many, and his childhood lifestyle has helped successfully.
His lifestyle wasn't pretty, but Tiger used it to succeed. Being around his father Earl Woods, helped him realize how successful he'll be in
Being treated different, because of his African-American and Asian race helped a huge bit.
It wasn't just race; Tiger had strict parents, but it made him a respectful person.
Tiger is liked by all, and hated by none. He gives his parents all the credit, because they raised him to be though.
"I was raised in two different cultures" Tiger said. "I have my father, who is African-American and my mom, who is Asian, specifically Thai. I had to understand and appreciate more then just one way of looking at things because my dad's view a lot times was the polar opposite of my mom's view because they were raised under two different cultural heritages. I was probably raised more in the Asian tradition because my father was working and my mom, who was at home more, was the disciplinarian. And a Far Eastern culture, as anyone who has experienced it knows, is very strict. So you have responsibilities. You had to do what you had to do if you were delegated to your family. You can't disrespect anybody who's older then you, because if you do you're disgraced your entire family. That's kind of how I was raised, and from what I've seen it's a different philosophy from other cultures that I've been exposed to in America that are Asian. If you didn't say 'Yes, sir,' 'Yes, ma'am,' 'Thank you, ma'am' 'Thank you, sire,' I'd be smacked in a heartbeat, right on my butt. That's just how it was."
It's different from other cultures, because children get away with everything. Now, it's different. Children are disrespectful to parents, and aren't grateful. Their in gangs, and selling drugs. It's a whole different world, and it didn't get better.
Parents are not strict on children, and it isn't good. Being strict helps children to grow up respectfully, and sometimes successfully. Living hard helps them understand, because it's different when children get older. Being responsible, and success becomes a factor when children get older.
It was hard for Tiger, because he was raised different. Having strict parents with a different culture played a huge role in his career. Tiger's father Earl is the reason for his success, because Earl brought golf into Tigers life. Playing with competitive competition, and people his father's age, made Tiger become competitive.
"Being raised under two different cultures gives my life a dichotomy that I think made me more well rounded earlier. And then there was the fact that I was playing a sport in which I didn't ever really play with my peers. Golf traditionally is an older gentle men's sports. So as a kid I was always around people who had been in the workforce for twenty, thirty, and forty years. There was a point in time I was probably about thirteen, fourteen years old when I told Dad, 'I'm more comfortable hanging out with you guys then I am with my peers.' But that's the environment I was raised in, so I was forced to grow up faster. You couldn't out petulant at a young age being around men who were very influential in what they did," Tiger said.
Being around older people helped Tiger become a respectful person. Tiger never played with children, because being with his father made him older then reality. It effects his life, because his personality has never changed. He always was a gentlemen, and treated everyone with respect.
Tiger never been in gangs, or sold drugs. His parents made sure he'd succeed, and they've done a find job. They've kept Tiger around respectful people, and involved in activities. He felt important, because Tiger wanted to succeed.
Not being around children wasn't an issue, because Tiger was focused on the important things of life. He wanted to prosper, and being around children wouldn't have helped him. Children want to play, and get into trouble; Tiger wanted to achieve his dream, and become a golfer.
"I never tried to do it, or saw the need to because everyone else was trying to do it for me" Tiger said. "And it didn't really bother me. My whole objective was to try to win golf tournaments, and along the way I had my own challenges I had to deal with, being not the standard golfer. So I had to endure my own little bumps along the road to get to where I was. My dad went through it playing baseball. He was the first black to ever play in the Big Seven. It wasn't even the Big Eight yet. Now it's the Big Twelve. My dad played at Kansas State. He was the catcher. So my dad endured his hardships. He couldn't go to Norman and stay when the team played the University of Oklahoma. He had to go stay in Oklahoma City and then drive to Norman to meet the team to play, then find a black hotel. So his mom and dad always told him, if you're going to take advantage of opportunities you have to be twice as good to have half a chance. And that's kind of the philosophy that my dad raised me with."
Racism played a huge role in Earl's life, and Tiger experienced it himself. Earl knew what its like to be treated wrong, and disrespected. Being criticize because of your skin color, and considered a failure. It made him a strong person, and a better parent. Earl was successful because of the racial background he dealt with.
Tiger didn't escape racism either, because he went through it as a child. Being called names, and getting into altercations in school.
Remember, Tiger was different from other children. He liked to be round older people, and other children weren't formula with it.
Getting teased, and going through issues is what Tiger dealt with. His childhood day weren't joyful, it was about hard work. Getting into trouble because of his African-American background, and not being around children, Tiger went through hard times as a child.
"I was talking about this not too long ago with some kids. They asked me 'what was it like growing up?' I said 'It was great. But there were times when I wasn't allowed to play golf'.' At the Navy golf course where I grew up playing, there's an age limit at military golf courses it was ten and over. But for some reason all the white kids were allowed to play who were ten and under, though I wasn't. I had people who were older and I don't know if they were serviceman of retired or active or guests...I don't know who they were use the N word with me numerous times. I was there pitching, just pitching, so I'd do to the putting green and I'd get yelled at over on the putting green. These are things that obviously hardened me a little bit and made me realize that golf was not like basketball and football at the time. It was different, under different rules. Even traveling the country as a kid. I wasn't allowed to go to certain pro shops or certain clubhouses to change shoes where all the other kids were allowed to," Tiger said.
Those times were hard for Tiger, because he couldn't have fun with other children. He'll get called names, and treated wrong. It wasn't fair, and Tiger knew. He couldn't do anything about it, because everyone was white. Nobody could help him, he was alone.
White children having fun, but Tiger couldn't. Tiger couldn't play golf, because he was black. These are things people did, and nobody could stop it.
It's sad to see adults treat a child disrespectfully. That's how Tiger was treated, and it made him strong. He had to succeed, because nobody wanted him to. They didn't want to see an African-American accomplish his dreams, but Tiger wanted to flourish.
"Being black is just looked at differently. And in this country I'm looked at as being black. When I go to Thailand, I'm considered Thai. It's very interesting. And when I go to Japan, I'm considered Asian. I don't know why it is, but it just is. It shouldn't be about that but it is, unfortunately, because even as the world is becoming more global and more interconnected through all the different information streams, we're still very separate and distinct. People are trying to maintain their cultural heritage, even though we, in American, are probably the biggest melting pot of anyplace in the world. Now being married to a Swede, it's interesting to see how excited she is when she's able to talk to a Swede. Or when my caddie Stevie, being from New Zealand, is able to talk to someone from New Zealand. I guess because I have more then one heritage. I really don't feel that. The closet thing I have as a sense of that kind of connection is when I'm oversea and I run into someone who is speaking English," Tiger said.
Being around children wasn't easy for Tiger, because it was even worse. Going to school Tiger wanted to learn, but he was teased by other children. Getting into confrontation, and fights with others hurt Tiger's image. Children didn't like him, because he was African-American.
"I become aware of my racial identity on my first day of school, on my first day of kindergarten," Tiger said. "A group of sixth grades tied me to a tree, spray painted the word 'nigger' on me, and threw rocks at me. That was my first day of school. And the teachers really didn't do much of anything. I used to live across the street from school and kind of down the way a little bit. The teachers said 'okay, just go home.' So I had to out run all these kids going home, which I was able to do. It was certainly on eye opening experience, you know, being five years old we were the only minority family in all of Cypress, California."
Not having teachers to help wasn't great. They didn't care about Tiger, because they're racist as well. They didn't help Tiger when he was being tied to a tree, and having rocks through at him.
He received disrespect from everyone, and the teachers weren't there. Tiger went through enough to give up, because everyone wanted him to fail. It was hard for Tiger to succeed in school, when so much pressure was on him.
This helped him, because he didn't give up. Tiger became strong from his childhood racism issues, now he feels he'll overcome his problem.
Tigers parents went through racism as well; not being welcomed in their own neighborhood. Being treated wrong, because of their race. Tiger couldn't escape racism at home, because it was just as worse.
"When my parents moved in, before I was born, they used to have these oranges come through the window all the time. And it could have not been racially initiated or it could have been. We don't know. But it was very interesting though people don't necessarily know it, that I grew up in the 1980's and still had incidents. I had a racial incident even in the 1990's at home where I grew up, the Navy golf course. And right before the 1994 U.S. Amateur, I was eighteen years old, I was out practicing, just hitting pitch shots and some guys just yelled over the fence and used the N word numerous times at me. That's in 1994," Tiger said.
Tiger never escaped racism, and it's sad to think about it. He dealt with it for a while, and sometimes it's still an issue.
Some African-Americans think Tiger isn't loyal to our race. Many believe he isn't happy to be an African American. He gets a lot of heat, and criticism for it.
Tiger isn't uncomfortable being African-American, it's because he's been around his mother when he was a child. She's Asian, and Tiger's more formula with their culture. He wasn't around lots of African-Americans, he barely was around children. Tiger understands he's African American, and he's proud to be one.
Being raised with strict parents, and being treated wrong. Those helped Tiger to become successful, he's living his dream. He believe he'll overcome any issue, because of his childhood. Tiger went through the worse as a child, and he become successful from it. Nobody has experience Tiger's childhood in today's age, because many would have given up.
Source: Charles Barkley and Michael Wilbon
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This is ridiculous...
Are you talking about kids have entitlement now?! I don't get it...
The only thing most people talk about tiger woods is...well...he'll probably go down as the best ever...not only that, but he's doing it in the classiest way...more so than any other sport...
I can only speak as a white college kid (personally)...but I don't respect Tiger woods because he's black or asian...but because he's a really good golfer and from what I've seen...a pretty good guy too...
Of course racism still exists...so does ageism, sexism, homophobia, religious distaste, etc etc etc...just because half of a country lost a war partly due to racism doesn't mean it just disappears...
but...is there a difference between 1864 and 1964...yeah (although, you could probably argue that!)...but how about 1964 and 1994...yeah, definitely...and 1994 and 2007...yes...
Its called progression...