Racial Description

[dazara]

Now I hope I don't get called a racist for making this topic, but it is something that I am not sure about.

Me and my friend were having a discussion for whether the polite racial description if a person was to say they were 'black' or 'coloured'.

I'd like to know which of these is polite, or if it is something different. I always thought it was 'black' but now I am not as sure.

[AntiGravityAzn]

I would probably say that in the end you, you're going to end up pissing someone off, lol. But growing up in a ghetto high school, I can say that most of the kids there hated being called "coloured" and some didn't even like "African American" because...well, some weren't African. When I personally hear "coloured", I make reference to segregation (coloured restrooms, coloured drinking fountains, etc.), so I could understand why.

 

It's funny because I would be insulted (kind of amused, though) if someone called me "yellow," but most of my black friends prefer being called black as opposed to coloured or African American.

 

LOL...racial terms are so messed up.

[dazara]

I would probably say that in the end you, you're going to end up pissing someone off, lol. But growing up in a ghetto high school, I can say that most of the kids there hated being called "coloured" and some didn't even like "African American" because...well, some weren't African. When I personally hear "coloured", I make reference to segregation (coloured restrooms, coloured drinking fountains, etc.), so I could understand why.

 

It's funny because I would be insulted (kind of amused, though) if someone called me "yellow," but most of my black friends prefer being called black as opposed to coloured or African American.

 

LOL...racial terms are so messed up.

 

Yeah. I was told that it was better to say coloured, and that calling them black was offensive.

But I'm what people would call white, and it doesn't offend me. It's political correctness gone mad.

[Macabre]

But I'm what people would call white, and it doesn't offend me. It's political correctness gone mad.

 

Exactly. I've found that most of the time people prefer just to be called black. There's nothing offensive about it.

[Revenge]

Political correctness is stupid and comes off as offensive to me even when they're trying not to be. Because thinking that calling someone what they are is offensive is stupid in itself. "African American"... What do you say if he's British? Is it any different? Does it make him a different person if he's called a certain way? If you want to describe someone based on their color tone, go ahead, because honestly it's one of the easiest ways to do it. But don't go out of your way to find "the correct label" to address someone depending on their looks. If it sounds comfortable to you say it. Call them black, or brown, or whatever, and don't think twice about it. That's what I do. (Just don't call them nigger, 'cause that's an actual insult based on color.)

 

Politically correct? Calling someone black or asian (I don't really understand yellow, I've never seen a yellow asian), or fat isn't an insult. It's a description. If you feel like what you're going to say is insulting because they might think you're being racist or bias, it's probably because you are. But if you think about it, and decide that you're not judging someone, but just addressing them, don't worry about it.

[Unstream]

It's funny because I would be insulted (kind of amused, though) if someone called me "yellow," but most of my black friends prefer being called black as opposed to coloured or African American.

Haha I'd actually be amused if someone called me "yellow", the same what that I was amused when some asked me if I spoke Asian xD

 

But yeah, as long as you're not using it in a derogatory manner, you should be fine. I don't hear colored here where I live, but I hear black all the time, and it flys pretty well at my school.

[Stephé]

My parents are chinese and use the terms 'black' and 'white'.

Its actually the polite way to address people (at least that's what they say)

 

But I don't really mind if people call me yellow, its all cool. :P

[Mackenzie]

I don't take being called "black" that offensive, but I prefer to be called "mixed" or "light-skined"

[livvy]

Basically, as long as you're not using it in a derogatory manner, you're probably safe. I mean, I'm white as a bedsheet, and I'm perfectly fine being called white, but I get a little offended when I'm called "that skinny little white girl." Yes, I'm skinny, and petite, and white, but when the description is used in that manner, THAT's when it gets offensive.

[Mimii]

I just say black.. I suppose around here it isn't offensive. I mean, I am probably the easiest person to get along with ever so most people aren't going to take offense to what I say. Plus I don't usually go around and say stuff like "Hey Elizabeth, my black friend, what's up?" HAHA! So I dunno.

 

Generally I just leave color or race out of the topic unless it is directly addressed. I also tend to have little pet names for my good friends so for instance my friend Natalie Marie I usually just refer to her as Natty-poo. XP I generally refer to her as Natty-poo to ANYONE, all the time, so race doesn't come into play.

 

:T I hate that we have to walk on thin ice about race.. I wish everyone would just shuddup and have a party or something..! HAHA

[Guest shanemk]

Well you're in england so I'm not sure. But here in the us calling someone colored pretty much rats you out to have old fashioned views. It's either black or african american.

[Golden Eyes]

I don't really like how we have to walk on thin ice about this topic either. It's just that some people are so sensitive y'know?

 

I hope I don't offend anyone here but there used to be a girl from Pakistan at my old high school. She used to write "paki 4 life" all over her English book and her hands, yet if a white person used that term, we'd get thrown in detention or shouted at, which was REALLY hypocrtical. Why can you say a name is racist when you call it yourself?

 

It's like me going around and calling myself a "brit" and jumping on anyone who calls it me.

[M!!]

Personally, as an African American, I think saying colored would be a bit offensive in the United States. I don't know how it flies in other countries, though. Saying colored is a reminder of segregation, seeing as the government would hold signs that said 'colored' over fountains for Blacks.

[livvy]

I don't really like how we have to walk on thin ice about this topic either. It's just that some people are so sensitive y'know?

 

I hope I don't offend anyone here but there used to be a girl from Pakistan at my old high school. She used to write "paki 4 life" all over her English book and her hands, yet if a white person used that term, we'd get thrown in detention or shouted at, which was REALLY hypocrtical. Why can you say a name is racist when you call it yourself?

 

It's like me going around and calling myself a "brit" and jumping on anyone who calls it me.

 

So true! I hear black people call each other "nigg--" all the time, but if I were to say it, I'd get jumped. It's so hypocritical, and really stupid.

 

There's a British girl at my school, and she's totally fine with being called a brit, as long as we're not using it as a label. (We mostly use it to explain her strange sense of humor, though I don't exactly understand why...)

 

Really though, I think people should just accept what their skin tone is and deal with the labels that come with it. You can't change it, and there will always be the people who use offensive terms. Why should we let it bother us?

[Cara]

The problem with saying coloured with me is that I can't help but let my imagination run wild. If you think about it coloured could actually mean anything, as you never say what colour the person is, rainbow anyone? Hay it's a colour

[livvy]

The problem with saying coloured with me is that I can't help but let my imagination run wild. If you think about it coloured could actually mean anything, as you never say what colour the person is, rainbow anyone? Hay it's a colour

 

Oh yes, I am purple colored. It's a new feat of genetic engineering. :P

 

Honestly, we're all the same color; just different shades of that color. I am a really really light shade of brown, known as barely tan. Indians (from India, not America) are a darker shade of brown, and black people are a much darker shade of brown. But we're all brown.

[Shane for Wax]

Political correctness says to call them african american. I call them black or dark-skinned. Race is a social invention anyways.

[livvy]

Race is a social invention anyways.

 

True. There's only one race: the human race.

[Golden Eyes]

So true! I hear black people call each other "nigg--" all the time, but if I were to say it, I'd get jumped. It's so hypocritical, and really stupid.

 

There's a British girl at my school, and she's totally fine with being called a brit, as long as we're not using it as a label. (We mostly use it to explain her strange sense of humor, though I don't exactly understand why...)

 

Really though, I think people should just accept what their skin tone is and deal with the labels that come with it. You can't change it, and there will always be the people who use offensive terms. Why should we let it bother us?

 

Oh my god, yes, I agree! It's like, the black rappers say that in their songs ALL the time, but when Eminem or another white rap/r&b singer uses the word, they are completely bashed by the media! Why are they allowed to call it themselves?

 

Yeah, Brit is fine to me too, I was just using it as an example :)

[Unstream]

Yeah I never got why people call others of their own race names that they wouldn't tolerate from anyone of another skin color.

 

I'd use black. African American is just too cumbersome to use all the time. It's the same way that most people say white instead of Caucasian.

[Shane for Wax]

If you wish to really get into the whole debate on race, I suggest you read this: http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/race.html

 

The dust has yet to settle from Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray's The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life. Therein it is claimed that the social and economic advantages whites have over blacks is due to their greater intelligence. Among the many shortcomings of the authors' logic and methodology is the simple fact that there is only one species of the human race; it cannot be broken into biological units such as race. Further, in studying the variability of intelligence between those in our racial taxonomy, molecular biologists have found that more than 85 percent is among individuals within the same race.

 

Nevertheless, most of us hold preconceived theories about attributes of those in various groups and view others through their stereotypes. For instance, three-quarters of African-Americans believed in 1994 that whites are "insensitive to other people" and 42 percent said that Asian-Americans are "unscrupulously crafty and devious in business" (Harper's Magazine, 1994). Stereotyping is undoubtedly a natural process, used by individuals to simplify the world and to make life somewhat predictable. Nevertheless, we always need to remember the maxim of W.I. Thomas that if people believe something to be true it will be true in its consequences.

[livvy]

o_0 You sound like a Wikipedia article.

 

My Social Studies/Human Geography/History teacher recommended we read The Bell Curve just to see what the public and scientific attitude was towards race. From his description, the authors were dead wrong. You mentioned that we can't truly be broken down into different races/species, but we CAN be broken down into different cultures, which is where most stereotypes come. An African can be the exact same skin tone as an "African American" (which is such a silly term), but have totally different stereotypes.

[Guest shanemk]

So true! I hear black people call each other "nigg--" all the time, but if I were to say it, I'd get jumped. It's so hypocritical, and really stupid.

 

There's a British girl at my school, and she's totally fine with being called a brit, as long as we're not using it as a label. (We mostly use it to explain her strange sense of humor, though I don't exactly understand why...)

 

Really though, I think people should just accept what their skin tone is and deal with the labels that come with it. You can't change it, and there will always be the people who use offensive terms. Why should we let it bother us?

It's not hypocritical. When one black person say's it to another at least they have the comfort of knowing it isn't being used in a racist way. They don't have that comfort if someone outside the race says it. Same with the fa---- word with homosexuals. It's not hypocritical, it's just defensive thinking. Why are you going to be using the word anyways?

[livvy]

It's not hypocritical. When one black person say's it to another at least they have the comfort of knowing it isn't being used in a racist way. They don't have that comfort if someone outside the race says it. Same with the fa---- word with homosexuals. It's not hypocritical, it's just defensive thinking. Why are you going to be using the word anyways?

 

How else can it possibly be used? It is, by it's history, a derogatory term in America, regardless of the speaker. Similarly, I don't understand why some girls are perfectly fine joking around and calling each other bit--es, but then turn around and use it as an insult against someone else. It doesn't make sense.

 

And no, I personally would never call someone a nigg--, even if I was black. I have a problem with the sheer hypocracy of it. Maybe it's not hypocracy in their eyes, but to me, it will always seem not quite right.

[Guest shanemk]

How else can it possibly be used? It is, by it's history, a derogatory term in America, regardless of the speaker. Similarly, I don't understand why some girls are perfectly fine joking around and calling each other bit--es, but then turn around and use it as an insult against someone else. It doesn't make sense.

 

And no, I personally would never call someone a nigg--, even if I was black. I have a problem with the sheer hypocracy of it. Maybe it's not hypocracy in their eyes, but to me, it will always seem not quite right.

As you can see it is used in a friendly way amongst some black's. They have changed the word around but it hasn't been changed completely, it's all about context. And it really is all up to them as to whether or not they want to use it, the word was applied to them, therefore they can take it or leave it.