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re: Do you say "Black" or "African American"?
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:34 pm to Tigah in the ATL
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:34 pm to Tigah in the ATL
quote:
quote:
I once used the term 'Oriental' and was quickly corrected by a white guy. "It's Asian, not oriental."
that's a geography issue, not being PC.
It certainly seems to have morphed into a PC issue, though.
quote:
Current usage
American English
Some in the Americas and Europe consider "Oriental" an antiquated, pejorative, and disparaging term. John Kuo Wei Tchen, director of the Asian/Pacific/American Studies Program and Institute at New York University, said the basic critique of the term developed in the 1970s. Tchen has said, "With the anti-war movement in the ’60s and early ’70s, many Asian Americans identified the term ‘'Oriental'’ with a Western process of racializing Asians as forever opposite ‘others’."[7] In a press release related to legislation aimed at removing the term "oriental" from official documents of the State of New York, Governor David Paterson said, "The word ‘oriental’ does not describe ethnic origin, background or even race; in fact, it has deep and demeaning historical roots"
LINK
1
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:36 pm to TSS4LSU
quote:
African American
I don't believe in that term and will never use it...either you are here or there, take your pick. I could care less where you ancestors are from.
Does a black man in Africa get called an American African if his parents lived in America? No! He's either an African or an American....
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:38 pm to Y.A. Tittle
quote:
It certainly seems to have morphed into a PC issue, though.
Well technically you can still use the term--to refer to goods, certain aspects of culture, etc. It is considered impolite to refer to people that way. I honestly don't know why it's such a touchy term, though. It simply means "eastern." People outside Europe and North America call us westerners--including Russians (who are white Eurasians).
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:38 pm to TSS4LSU
I use black. Have never, and will never, utter the words 'african american' except to make fun of the very concept itself.
I have been amused at times with journalists who refer to natives of Uganda as 'african americans.'
I even heard the History channel once refer to the historical 'out of Africa' movement of mankind into Eurasia as the migration of 'african americans.'
I also refer to homosexuals as homosexuals and not 'gay.'
I hate political correctness in all its forms but especially in innocent word usage and the creation of 'acceptable' verbage.
I have been amused at times with journalists who refer to natives of Uganda as 'african americans.'
I even heard the History channel once refer to the historical 'out of Africa' movement of mankind into Eurasia as the migration of 'african americans.'
I also refer to homosexuals as homosexuals and not 'gay.'
I hate political correctness in all its forms but especially in innocent word usage and the creation of 'acceptable' verbage.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:39 pm to Zach
quote:
I once used the term 'Oriental' and was quickly corrected by a white guy. "It's Asian, not oriental."
Every Oriental person that I've posed the question to says that they perfectly fine with the term "Oriental". I have a hunch that the same people who made up the term "African-American" made up the term "Asian-American", which ironically describes people from Tokyo to Baghdad and doesn't tell you much about a person's ethnic origin.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:40 pm to ChineseBandit58
quote:
natives of Uganda as 'african americans.'
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:41 pm to Navytiger74
quote:
I don't personally know a single IRL black person who uses the term African-American.
only sociology professors and the like
*EtA: they probably say black when i'm not around, amongst other [insert whatever term this thread deems acceptable] people
This post was edited on 5/30/14 at 1:43 pm
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:45 pm to SlowFlowPro
quote:
only sociology professors and the like
I knew the hardcore black students and professors at Cornell who lived and worked in the Africana Studies department.
They used black. The Cornell Black Student Union is called the Cornell Black Student Union. I get e-mails soliciting donations from the Black Alumni Association.
I'm pretty sure AA is now a white people thing.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:45 pm to ShortyRob
quote:
And, it totally ruins the question of if you are a pilot of black helicopters or a black helicopter pilot!!!
Quandary solved!!!
Have posed the question to him before.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:46 pm to Navytiger74
quote:
I actually call my nieces "biracial". I don't like the term "mixed." It makes me feel as though I'm talking about a dog
That's interesting. I don't know you, but assuming you're not of pure African descent, which is the case with myself and most Black folks in this country, why would you distinguish between yourself and your nieces in this manner? By the way, I've heard both Melissa Harris-Perry and Soledad O'Brien say that they're offended by the term "biracial" because it's usually used as a putdown by people who are trying to question their Blackness.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:47 pm to trackfan
quote:
I've heard both Melissa Harris-Perry and Soledad O'Brien say that they're offended by the term "biracial" because it's usually used as a putdown by people who are trying to question their Blackness.
Sounds like projection.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:48 pm to Navytiger74
quote:
Well technically you can still use the term--to refer to goods, certain aspects of culture, etc. It is considered impolite to refer to people that way. I honestly don't know why it's such a touchy term, though. It simply means "eastern." People outside Europe and North America call us westerners--including Russians (who are white Eurasians).
When I was in Europe, it took me a while to get used to folks calling me a Yankee.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:48 pm to Navytiger74
quote:
I think it's a needlessly laborous term, but I wouldn't say it upsets me. It's a manufactured issue, though. Nobody black is offended by the term black.
Nobody is offended but I do know lots of black people that use it.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:49 pm to Navytiger74
quote:
I'm pretty sure AA is now a white people thing
it's very "White people"
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:52 pm to trackfan
quote:
That's interesting. I don't know you, but assuming you're not of pure African descent, which is the case with myself and most Black folks in this country, why would you distinguish between yourself and your nieces in this manner? By the way, I've heard both Melissa Harris-Perry and Soledad O'Brien say that they're offended by the term "biracial" because it's usually used as a putdown by people who are trying to question their Blackness.
It's nothing I set about doing to make a point. I just never liked the word "mixed" and though, historically, they'd be considered black, they're actually less than half (my mother was actually biracial as well, and I'm sure there was some of that old style hanky-panky on my dad's side of the family since he always looked kind of Asian.) My brother had them listed as black on the BC over his in-laws objection, and I'm sure that's how they'll mark the census. I guess I'd do the same in a similar situation.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:52 pm to TSS4LSU
quote:
Do you call blacks black or AA? Why?
It varies depending on context - I very occasionally use "colored" - if I'm quoting Red Fox or Slim Charles or discussing a specific regiment from the U.S. Civil War - I would hope that those narrow contexts are not offensive.
On the other hand, I also refer to the community as "the black community" or "black folks" - much in the same way I might use that for any identifiable racial or ethnic group - purely without assessing a judgment or implying goodness/badness.
However, when describing individuals or even small groups, I find myself increasingly using African American - I believe it is what a consensus of black folks prefer to be called. I agree it is non-descriptive - and flat out misleading at times (Charlize Theron and Teresa Heinz Kerry are "African Americans" - 7 and 10 generation Americans, who happen to be black, would be more accurately described as "of African extraction" ). However, it is out of politeness and respect, in my case, not owing to any sense of political correctness or thought police.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:53 pm to Navytiger74
quote:
It's nothing I set about doing to make a point. I just never liked the word "mixed" and though, historically, they'd be considered black, they're actually less than half (my mother was actually biracial as well, and I'm sure there was some of that old style hanky-panky on my dad's side of the family since he always looked kind of Asian.) My brother had them listed as black on the BC over his in-laws objection, and I'm sure that's how they'll mark the census. I guess I'd do the same in a similar situation.
You know, brother - we might live long enough that this won't matter a hill of beans - it will be a good thing - perhaps we'll all look like Daniel Sunjata or Halle Berry.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:54 pm to Ace Midnight
quote:
I believe it is what a consensus of black folks prefer to be called.
I guess you haven't read the thread. It doesn't offend me, but it seems silly and might lead me to believe that you're trying to ingratiate yourself with me of something.
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:54 pm to Y.A. Tittle
quote:
Sounds like projection.
Well, with Jesse Jackson it was deliberate, and he and O'Brien got into a big kerfuffle over this. To me, it's silly for Black folks to quibble over how much European ancentry someone has in them, when practically all of us have a significant amount. For example, Emmitt Smith found out through DNA testing that he's 19% European descent, so how much European ancestry do you reckon Jackson, Al Sharpton and Louis Farrakhan have in them?
Posted on 5/30/14 at 1:55 pm to Ace Midnight
quote:
we might live long enough that this won't matter a hill of beans
I wish, friend. But I don't see it happening. I can get along with almost anyone when I'm sober, though.
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