Posted on 06/03/2004 5:17:32 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
The two PC racial terms that are the most ridiculous are "Asian" and "Native American." As you pointed out, Asia encompasses many nationalities. An Israeli or a Russian have very little in common with a Korean or a Filipino. Indians and East Asians, the two principal Asian groups in America, are vastly different in race and culture. As for "Native American," the traditional term, American Indian is admittedly inaccurate. However, America as a nation and a concept had its origins in the European, especially British, settlers who came to this nation from 1609 onwards. Calling the mostly Northeast Asians that inhabited this continent prior to the European settlement Native Americans implies that the Europeans were evil interlopers, rather than the noble founders of the greatest nation in today's world.
I usually just stick with black, personally. It's never gotten me into trouble. :) Sir or ma'am has also served me well with people of all colors!
If you're polite, you're usually safe. :)
So true. No matter what the title, it means the same thing.
LOL
"Negro is a legitimate form of "Negroid"....."
Hum, saying a "Negroid in the woodpile" just didn't have the right ring!
"Negro is a legitimate form of "Negroid"....."
Hum, saying a "Negroid in the woodpile" just didn't have the right ring!
Yeah I remember reading that thread. Though it is rather sad commentary that Martin Luther King would also be sent there today for re-education. ;-)
I don't mention race when talking about someone, unless I'm asked about it. Sometimes, due to the nature of the conversation I mention his/her nationality, but not the race. It's not important to me. To me an American is just that --without hyphens.
Identity isn't found in hyphenated names, but in ourselves, in our personalities, and our relation with others. Calling oneself African-American or Italian-America or whatever, means limiting one's identity to that specific group, which dictates patterns or behavior to the rest of the ethnic group... i.e. how to think as an African-America or Spanish-Italian-American, or what to feel about such and such thing, etc. Why limit ourselves to a small group?
bttt
Hehehe...that's good one.
Hola Negro, soy blanco!
When I was in school there were 4.
Australoid for the Aboriginies in Australia.
"Black" is best, because it is more universal. What about a black French West Indian, for example, who is certainly not an African-American (and adamantly dislikes the term because she does not want to be identified as "American" at all, since she ISN'T)? "Black" works for her. It also works for Africans, and there are more and more of them in the states. It works when speaking of white/black issues in South Africa. It works for Jamaicans and Brazilians and Canadian blacks who are not American and don't want to be labelled as such. It works in Europe, where there are plenty of blacks in France and England too, but very few are African-American expatriates.
Black is the more universal and therefore better term.
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