Political Correctness Can Sterotype Just As Much.

[Ferg]

I was hanging out with my badass friend Jim. Jim is black. Jim's ancestors come from Trinidad. The other day, someone attempted to refer to him by his race and called him African American. Needless to say, that guy got punched out by Jim. Not only is Jim not African, he's not American either, he's Canadian. What's wrong by refering to races by their color? Why couldn't he just call him black, or white, or yellow, or red, or brown? No one ever called my Grade 6 teacher African-Canadian cause she was white...but from South Africa. I smell a lot of bullshit in this though process.

[Body Count]

I disagree with the term "African American" for the simple fact that it implies that all "blacks" have some sort of spiritual, and/or genetic, and/or cultural "obligation" to Africa. Its BS "Race = Continent" crap. I'm sure you have your own ideas about things, but I see things in terms of nation....not race, ethnic group, or any other label.If you agree with some form of pan-africanism however, "African American" is probably quite appropriate.

I think your walking a dangerous line with your "why not refer to races by their color?" thought though.....I'd say why not refer to individuals as their names....and any other "descriptive" terms that apply need to be said with phenotype, not race, in mind.

However, there is certainly some cases where one can and should be offended by a label....a reactionary might say "Why can't they just be happy with the term negro?".......

For the record, the whole "Black", "White", "Yellow", and "Brown" system is just as outdated to me as "negroid", "caucasoid" etc etc........however, unlike the former words, the latter can be used in a non-psuedo scientific way, so I will use them before something else.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Calling someone "black" is fairly accurate and not at all insulting. If anyone says otherwise they have their head firmly jammed up their derriere.

[Body Count]

Originally posted by NoXion@Jul 15 2006, 12:58 PM
Calling someone "black" is fairly accurate and not at all insulting. If anyone says otherwise they have their head firmly jammed up their derriere.

"Fairly Accurate"? What does that mean?

LOL, "Black People" aren't typically black as "White people" aren't typically white.

[Dean]

Originally posted by Body Count@Jul 15 2006, 01:03 PM
"Fairly Accurate"? What does that mean?

LOL, "Black People" aren't typically black as "White people" aren't typically white.

Race has often been called a social construct. While I cannot decisively support or deny the claim (becase I don't know of its intricacies) I think that it makes sense in this context to refer to the assumption of "white" or "black" as being relative to a specific genetic strain as a social construct. It is clear that people of many different geneaologies can arrive at similar pigmentations, and even facial features that mirror races that they are not closely related to. Race, it would seem, is not only decaying as an idea but becoming illogical.

I don't mind being called yellow or pink or off white or white, but when I'm called "caucasian" I am more confused than offended.

[Delta]

I don't mind people being called by their color (black, white, etc). It's a good descriptive way to characterize someone. And colors certainly aren't offensive in and of themselves.

[Avtomatov]

People here in canada often call natives: native americans. They are not american they are canadian.

And alot of children forget we live in canada because there is so much american media here. Im not even joking, when i was a kid i would forget that i was living in canada sometimes.

[Ferg]

I chill with some natives, I usually refer to them by their tribe. I hang out with Micmac (the white man's term for a name which I can pronounce but can't spell)

[More Fire for the People]

Originally posted by Generalissimo@Jul 15 2006, 02:27 PM
People here in canada often call natives: native americans. They are not american they are canadian.

And alot of children forget we live in canada because there is so much american media here. Im not even joking, when i was a kid i would forget that i was living in canada sometimes.

The two continents are called 'The Americas' thus any indigenous person from Canada to Chile is considered a Native American.

[Avtomatov]

Originally posted by Hopscotch Anthill+Jul 15 2006, 08:41 PM--> (Hopscotch Anthill @ Jul 15 2006, 08:41 PM)

Generalissimo

@Jul 15 2006, 02:27 PM
People here in canada often call natives: native americans. They are not american they are canadian.

And alot of children forget we live in canada because there is so much american media here. Im not even joking, when i was a kid i would forget that i was living in canada sometimes.

The two continents are called 'The Americas' thus any indigenous person from Canada to Chile is considered a Native American. [/b]

Oh yah, i knew that but i forgot.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Originally posted by Body Count+Jul 15 2006, 01:03 PM--> (Body Count @ Jul 15 2006, 01:03 PM)

NoXion

@Jul 15 2006, 12:58 PM
Calling someone "black" is fairly accurate and not at all insulting. If anyone says otherwise they have their head firmly jammed up their derriere.

"Fairly Accurate"? What does that mean?

LOL, "Black People" aren't typically black as "White people" aren't typically white. [/b]

Stop being so fucking pedantic. "black" and "white" don't make any cultural assertions unlike "anglo-saxon" and "afro-american/Afro-caribbean".

[kurt]

Originally posted by Ferg@Jul 14 2006, 09:32 PM
The other day, someone attempted to refer to him by his race and called him African American. Needless to say, that guy got punched out by Jim.

So let me get this straight. Someone called your friend African-American, and got punched out for it?

Your friend has some issues.

[Severian]

Originally posted by Ferg@Jul 14 2006, 11:32 PM
What's wrong by refering to races by their color? Why couldn't he just call him black, or white, or yellow, or red, or brown?

Who says there is? Most people say "Black" most of the time, including most Black people. Some people sometimes say "African-American." Why is this a big deal?

And heck, as long as you're bringing up terminology, what does "political correctness" mean exactly and why is it supposed to be a bad thing? It's always strange when people are accused of being right, or boast of being wrong. If I said 2+2=4, would anyone say, "Oh, you're just saying that to be mathematically correct?"

[Ferg]

Originally posted by Severian+Jul 16 2006, 02:38 AM--> (Severian @ Jul 16 2006, 02:38 AM)

Ferg

@Jul 14 2006, 11:32 PM
What's wrong by refering to races by their color? Why couldn't he just call him black, or white, or yellow, or red, or brown?

Who says there is? Most people say "Black" most of the time, including most Black people. Some people sometimes say "African-American." Why is this a big deal?

And heck, as long as you're bringing up terminology, what does "political correctness" mean exactly and why is it supposed to be a bad thing? It's always strange when people are accused of being right, or boast of being wrong. If I said 2+2=4, would anyone say, "Oh, you're just saying that to be mathematically correct?" [/b]

I agree. The whole system is bullshit. Let's burn it! BURN THIS MUTHA FUCKA DOWN!

[Body Count]

Originally posted by NoXion+Jul 16 2006, 12:24 AM--> (NoXion @ Jul 16 2006, 12:24 AM)

Originally posted by Body [email protected] 15 2006, 01:03 PM

NoXion

@Jul 15 2006, 12:58 PM
Calling someone "black" is fairly accurate and not at all insulting. If anyone says otherwise they have their head firmly jammed up their derriere.

"Fairly Accurate"? What does that mean?

LOL, "Black People" aren't typically black as "White people" aren't typically white.

Stop being so fucking pedantic. "black" and "white" don't make any cultural assertions unlike "anglo-saxon" and "afro-american/Afro-caribbean". [/b]

You didn't even answer the question. But, if I knew you were going to throw a fucking hissy fit, I wouldn't have even asked.

I'm not talking about "cultural assertions" (Thats really a completely different matter), I'm talking about racial assertions.....which "black" and "white" do indeed make.

[Body Count]

Originally posted by Severian@Jul 16 2006, 02:38 AM
And heck, as long as you're bringing up terminology, what does "political correctness" mean exactly and why is it supposed to be a bad thing? It's always strange when people are accused of being right, or boast of being wrong. If I said 2+2=4, would anyone say, "Oh, you're just saying that to be mathematically correct?"

Agreed, its as though some people just WANT to go out of their way to offend others.

[rioters bloc]

to be honest i don't really know what's going on in this thread. it's a bit confusing.

so i'll throw something else into the mix!

an ex-boyfriend of mine is mexican, and his skin is very pasty. however, he always refers to himself as 'brown', 'brown-skinned', stands up for 'brown pride' (synonymous with 'latino pride' i gather), etc. if i point out to him that objectively his skin is actually far from brown, he gets really upset. he says that being 'white' is identifying with spanish colonisers, and so to be called white-skinned is highly offensive. i compare my skin with his, and say, "no see, THIS is brown". but he says that it's black.

so, even using skin-colour to describe people doesn't seem to be very useful - certain cultures/ethnicities/etc are associated with certain colours, even if objectively those colours aren't actually found very often in those ethnicities.

here's an example of our skin-colours, to illustrate:

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Originally posted by Body Count@Jul 16 2006, 04:09 AM
You didn't even answer the question. But, if I knew you were going to throw a fucking hissy fit, I wouldn't have even asked.

I'm not talking about "cultural assertions" (Thats really a completely different matter), I'm talking about racial assertions.....which "black" and "white" do indeed make.

Now you're simply being obtuse. There's no such thing as race - When one refers to a "black person" or a "white person" everyone knows that one is talking about simple skin colour, nothing more.

Shock! Horror! I'm giving a rough description of someone's skin colour, without casting aspersions or judgement on their intelligence, or anything else that matters! I must be a racist!

Of course, you could decide to be a deliberately difficult fuckwit and insist that I acommodate for each and every possible shade that the human species comes in, but I'm not going to indulge your immature baiting tactics.

In other words, stop trolling.

[Body Count]

Originally posted by NoXion@Jul 16 2006, 04:59 AM

Now you're simply being obtuse. There's no such thing as race - When one refers to a "black person" or a "white person" everyone knows that one is talking about simple skin colour, nothing more.

Since most people think "skin colour=race"...."Black" and "White" still carry racial connotations, and imo, are words that are quite out of date at this point. After all the hoopla in most of the 19'th century over "who is white" I don't see how you could deny this.

Look, I'm sure that you don't believe in biological races (I never said you did), however, most people just see "Black" and "White" as better ways to say "negroid" and "caucasoid"....if you think "black" and "white" are fine descriptions of people, and can be used without racial connotations, then thats your opnion...I was just stating mine.

Shock! Horror! I'm giving a rough description of someone's skin colour, without casting aspersions or judgement on their intelligence, or anything else that matters! I must be a racist!

Of course, you could decide to be a deliberately difficult fuckwit and insist that I acommodate for each and every possible shade that the human species comes in, but I'm not going to indulge your immature baiting tactics.

In other words, stop trolling.

Stop being a sensationalist....nobody has made any assumptions about you.