Trevor Noah's Born a Crime Chapter 4-5

1. In this section, he was explaining the way he would often be spoken about in other languages when people did not know he spoke their language. Noah noticed that their attitude would consistently change when they realized he was “like them.”

2. Because Noah was not fully black, he was often treated differently within his community growing up and even by people like his grandfather. Due to Noah being mixed race he was able to change the way he acted, the language he spoke, and who he interacted with to “fit in” with a variety of groups.

3. The “black tax” is the burden black families suffered from due to remnants of apartheid and systematic racism. Many families are financially burdened due to their older relatives having missed opportunities and disadvantages caused by racism.  Noah's mother was responsible for paying for things older family members needed because she had the highest-paying job. Noah’s mother told him not to “cry about the past” but to learn from it and “let the pain sharpen” him.

4. Even though Noah’s family was barely getting by on what his mother made, he had a rich childhood filled with various colorful experiences and exposure to many beautiful cultures.