So if we are going to be calling black Americans "African Americans" shouldn't we be calling ALL Americans "African Americans"? In which case, we need to use a completely different set of vocabulary to make the distinction between "Black people" and "White people" (and don't tell me that we don't need to make a distinction... you use the word "brunette" or "blonde" or "red head" to describe different people, you NEED to have a word to describe someone's skin color as well. If God did not want us to be different, he would not have made different races of people... duh) I think the best word to describe "White people" is "White" or "Peach" if you want to be more specific. (or tan, or lobster... lol) And the best word to describe "Black people" is "Black" or "Brown" or "Light Brown" or... You are describing the color of their skin, not their ancestry.
Now, if you ARE talking about their ancestry, then YES you need to be specific. But for the most part, when you hear people use the term "African American" or "Afro-American" they are usually generalizing the term and referring to the person's outside appearance, not their heritage.Please forgive me if you think I am being ignorant. I have ZERO intention to offend anyone. And if you think I am wrong, please feel free to correct me. HOWEVER, please do so in a manner that is respectful. I have a huge thing against people stating their opinions in a way which disrespects the beliefs of others. We can be civil and still have differing opinions.
yeah, that's about it.
In education, we are learning that it is not good to be "color blind" to race. The reason for this is that a person's race is one element that makes them who they are, and by ignoring it, we are sending the message that it does not matter. Consciously or subconsciously, whites often send the message that other races need to be more like ours, and that our race and culture are superior. We look down on dialects as being "improper grammar" or "poorly educated."
ReplyDeleteSurvey questions about a person's race perpetuate racism by categorizing race in heterogeneous groups. Often, a category will be as broad as "White/European/Middle Eastern" or "Asian/Indian." Within these groups, there are pretty big differences in the cultural background that makes up the person. I guess a solution would be to have a write-in line for people to identify themselves as they wish to, rather than be required to make a choice between categories. Especially with the increase in blended races. Regardless, as individuals, we really need to evaluate our behaviors and language as we interact with the many people in our diverse world, and work to rid ourselves of racist qualities. Throughout this recent diversity training I am involved in, I am learning that there are so many things white people do every day without even realizing we are exhibiting racism, or showing favoritism to our race. It's a tough world every day for minorities.