"african american" is politically incorrect...

[Cid Silverwing]

People don't know what "political correct" means.

'nuff said.

 

[GrinningManiac]

I say black, but I don't like saying it, because...I dunno, I feel like I'm labelling people that way. Noone calls me "white", because it's taken for granted

Having said that, I do remember once when a teacher was telling me about latent racism, and used the example of:

'you know when someone says "do you know Tim" and you say "no" and they say "he's the black guy in So-and-So's class"'

Well, this teacher that was wrong, because you shouldn't immediately use his race to define him, or something like that (I can't think of the actual wording, but it wasn't bigoted or anything). I thought that was a stupid thing to say, because in Britain, with the white majority, when you describe someone, he's immediately assumed to be white, because that's the "norm" if you will

 

[E.X.D.]

i never got into trouble by saying "black people". black people say "white people" and "nigga" so w/e

Using the fact that black people say the n-word for justification of use of the n-word is unacceptable.

why

To paraphrase Rendall Kennedy, the n-word is like clay it is shaped by the hand that hold it and the intent and circumstance of it's use. When a white man says it, it reflects a history of this word's use as a weapon to harm humiliate and degrade. We live in a different time now I am no longer property but that word still holds weight and power like an ugly scar in our culture. When a white man speaks that word it will offend most not all but most. When a black man says the n-word it is not an insult but an acknowledgment of a long history of suffering often used in an ironic or self deprecating way. You can use that word if you know those around you will take no offense but know it is still a very powerful word, more than deserving of your respect, I personally refrain from using it ever since I was called it and then the offender used rap songs as justification.

although i am white, none of my ancestors where even in the country during slavery.

You still benefit indirectly from the oppression of minorities

 

[Jaygee02]

They call white people "white" so why can't they call them "black".

Exactly. I generally don't need to group people by race/colour, but if I did then the logical way to do it would be to describe their features, especially here in New Zealand where there are so many different races living here it's hard to get it exactly right anyway. And since here most Maori use the blanket term 'Pakeha' to refer to any white person, I don't see why I can't use a blanket term to group people with darker skin. I don't insist they call me a 'Dutch New Zealander'. I'd be happy just being called a New Zealander, since this is where I have lived all my life.

 

[E.X.D.]

i never got into trouble by saying "black people". black people say "white people" and "nigga" so w/e

Using the fact that black people say the n-word for justification of use of the n-word is unacceptable.

why

To paraphrase Rendall Kennedy, the n-word is like clay it is shaped by the hand that hold it and the intent and circumstance of it's use. When a white man says it, it reflects a history of this word's use as a weapon to harm humiliate and degrade. We live in a different time now I am no longer property but that word still holds weight and power like an ugly scar in our culture. When a white man speaks that word it will offend most not all but most. When a black man says the n-word it is not an insult but an acknowledgment of a long history of suffering often used in an ironic or self deprecating way. You can use that word if you know those around you will take no offense but know it is still a very powerful word, more than deserving of your respect, I personally refrain from using it ever since I was called it and then the offender used rap songs as justification.

although i am white, none of my ancestors where even in the country during slavery.

You still benefit indirectly from the oppression of minorities

but i dont chose to

That doesn't matter.

 

[Trace2010]

Are you really, really attached to another persons racial identifier? Why? If they want to be called African American, call em African American. Is a few extra syllables too much to ask for in exchange to showing someone a little more respect in there eyes? Isn't that just as unreasonable and rude as what you're accusing them of being? There is a nearly infinite number of things you should be more worried about then a noun which you think isn't optimally clear.

Umm...did you mean adjective there?

No, I meant noun. In hindsight, I was walking into a grammar debate disaster, but, "African American" can be both a adjective or noun (As in "The African American person is over there" or "The African American is over there)

I see where you're going. I'm no English teacher, but I always thought "American" was the noun and "African" was the modifier or the adjective. Thank you for correcting me.

 

[Xanadu84]

Are you really, really attached to another persons racial identifier? Why? If they want to be called African American, call em African American. Is a few extra syllables too much to ask for in exchange to showing someone a little more respect in there eyes? Isn't that just as unreasonable and rude as what you're accusing them of being? There is a nearly infinite number of things you should be more worried about then a noun which you think isn't optimally clear.

Umm...did you mean adjective there?

No, I meant noun. In hindsight, I was walking into a grammar debate disaster, but, "African American" can be both a adjective or noun (As in "The African American person is over there" or "The African American is over there)

I see where you're going. I'm no English teacher, but I always thought "American" was the noun and "African" was the modifier or the adjective. Thank you for correcting me.

Not to belabor the point, but that example also works with other elasticities. "That Indian person" versus "That Indian". "That German person" versus "That German". Canadian, Russian, Caucasion, Texan, American...Honestly, I couldn't tell you what the proper grammar would be, but at the very least in common language, they can be used as either.

 

[John Crouse]

You are NOT Native American.... you are Indian