When I was young, the decent word for a black person was "negro" and "black" was considered offensive (I wasn't young in America, but I think it's the same there), then it just reversed.
I allways was curious what is the reasons and arguments for this change.

And second - are you, as a black person, finding the term (negro or black or african-american) important, and if yes - in which way?

I'm not black, but my cousin married a black man and had 2 kids, I don't think they really have any racial identity. They don't think of themselves as black or white.

I'm a whitey but most my black pals I describe as black if someone asks what they look like

I called a black acquaintance of mine "*****" once (that was back in my "listen to rap every day" and one of my best friends is part-black and we tossed that term around really casually) really offhand and she was totally ok with it. After a couple of seconds, I felt really bad and apologized, and she said its not even a problem because she knew I meant no harm by it. We talked a little more, and she admitted to me being really much angrier when she was called a negro a couple weeks prior to that because she felt animosity in the tone.

Same goes with me being Asian. I had white friends who called me every Asian slur in the book but it was cool. And then again, I got into a fight in 7th grade (you were THERE, Manu) when someone called me a chink. I've gotten into fights in cardrooms because someone so much as referred to me as oriental. Its the tone that counts, I think.

Edit: OK, they don't let you use the "N" word ending in "ga" on this site.

I'm not black, but my cousin married a black man and had 2 kids, I don't think they really have any racial identity. They don't think of themselves as black or white.

:)

Then consider my attitude to be very similar to the black man your cousin married.

Hey Coral, those terms don't have much importance for me at all. Far more important is the intent behind the words used.

We're all just human beans.

M.

I am not 'black' or a 'negro'. Those terms never made any sense to me because i don't hear anyone refer to themselves as 'yellow' or 'red'.

First and foremost I will always be African because my ancestors were decendents from Africa.

Read the book;

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0972972706.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

There isn't a lot of "reason" per se for things like that-I try to go with the flow.I lived in a little country town where there were blacks who insisted on being called colored-black is is safer now.
It's better to err on the side of being too polite-they'll usually tell you if something bothers them and like Malcolm says they're human beans-sp?

Calling a black persona negro is the same thing as calling an asian person a mongoloid - it just doesn't seem right, but it doesn't seem exactly racist either.

Its all about tone. I use 'colored' to get a laugh out of my black/african/whatever friends..."you know how you coloreds can be"....they always get a kick out of it. I insist on being referred to as "ofay" for reciprocal laughs.

There isn't a lot of "reason" per se for things like that-I try to go with the flow.I lived in a little country town where there were blacks who insisted on being called colored-black is is safer now.
It's better to err on the side of being too polite-they'll usually tell you if something bothers them and like Malcolm says they're human beans-sp?

LMAO

http://www.human-beans.com/images/HB-Logo.jpg

WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS!!!!!!!!!,
Samson

well now you've ofended the mexicans. you can't win for losing in these crazy times.

beans :)

well now you've ofended the mexicans. you can't win for losing in these crazy times.

I said BEAN not "Beaner!!"

Below is a pic of me explaining the fine difference to you:
http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~mespinos/public_html/MEXICAN_.JPG

Samson!Being politically incorrect!Well shut my mouth!

I remember when I had to undergo my first "racial sensitivity" seminar in the military...all the new personnel had to sit through it...they put a list up of every slur you could think of...my buddy was sitting next to me (a colored fellow, incidentally)..and they put "pollack" up on the board. Up until then I thought that was the 'real" term for people from Poland. Apparently so did my buddy because we both raised our hands at the same time to ask what you ARE supposed to call Polish folks. Turns out they're called "Poles", which nowadays somehow seems even more derogatory than "pollack'....but really the whole thing was surreal and ridiculous. Laughs were had by all. peple are too damn sensitive these days.

Hey, guys, if nobody really cares - why is this a big issue?

I like to call thems Blackcoons... kinda like a raccoon
Sometimes I find them digging in my trash like one. Terrible awful creatures.

I don't call people "African-American" unless they're from Africa. Almost all of my ancestry is from Germany, but I'm not a German-American. I was born in Ohio and raised in Florida. I'm just an American.

There's a company in Florida that will do a genetic breakdown of your exact racial makeup by percentage. I read about it from a "black" author who found out that none of his genetic ethnicity was actually "black". Most American blacks have little actual African blood. Americans are extremely ethnically diverse compared to most of the rest of the planet. I have a little Anglo-Saxon and a little Celt and a little Scott mixed in with the Germanic, for example.

I think the whole concept of ethnicity has lost it's meaning in the US, and people who are wrapped up in racial identity should be more concerned with develloping their own personal identity.

Calling a black persona negro is the same thing as calling an asian person a mongoloid - it just doesn't seem right, but it doesn't seem exactly racist either.

I am not 'black' or a 'negro'. Those terms never made any sense to me because i don't hear anyone refer to themselves as 'yellow' or 'red'.

First and foremost I will always be African because my ancestors were decendents from Africa.

What difference there is between the terms "negro" and "caucasian"?
"Mongoloid" can be a problem because of the assotiation with Dawn syndrome.

What difference there is between the terms "negro" and "caucasian"?
"Mongoloid" can be a problem because of the assotiation with Dawn syndrome.

no difference, but it just doesn't sound right in everyday conversation. I guess the term caucasian is more commonly used, but it still doesn't sound right to me.

no difference, but it just doesn't sound right in everyday conversation. I guess the term caucasian is more commonly used, but it still doesn't sound right to me.

I AGREE!!!

http://www.haloimages.com/imgs/GR00080_FPO_PREV.jpg

If a white person from South Africa moves to the U.S. and becomes a citizen, is he/she considered an African -American??

If a white person from South Africa moves to the U.S. and becomes a citizen, is he/she considered an African -American??

If a wood chuck could chuck wood, would he chuck a peck of peppers?

http://www.corrystuart.net/images/child_woodchuck.jpg

Phillisophically,
Samson

If a wood chuck could chuck wood, would he chuck a peck of peppers?

http://www.corrystuart.net/images/child_woodchuck.jpg

Phillisophically,
Samson

No THATS PETER PIPER THAT CHUCKS A PECKER.... I mean Picks a peckker... pepper... woodchuks cant chuck peppers, they only chuck wood.... dirty woodchuks.

No THATS PETER PIPER THAT CHUCKS A PECKER.... I mean Picks a peckker... pepper... woodchuks cant chuck peppers, they only chuck wood.... dirty woodchuks.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. It is so nice to visit a discussion board that encourages membership for people of your obvious intellectual depth.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. It is so nice to visit a discussion board that encourages membership for people of your obvious intellectual depth.

THank you. :D :eek: :cool:

Calling a black persona negro is the same thing as calling an asian person a mongoloid - it just doesn't seem right, but it doesn't seem exactly racist either.

*******, Australoid, Caucasoid, and Mongoloid are the only "useful" descriptors of a persons "race."

Take the word black, for instance.

I have an Indian professor that is blacker than just about any "black" person in the US.

African-American doesn't work, either. Plenty of Caucasoids live in Africa, and if they came to the US, they would also be "African-American."

Colored doesn't work, obviously.

If a wood chuck could chuck wood, would he chuck a peck of peppers?

http://www.corrystuart.net/images/child_woodchuck.jpg

Phillisophically,
Samson

It looks like my intellectual depth is not deep enough to understand your answer.

*******, Australoid, Caucasoid, and Mongoloid are the only "useful" descriptors of a persons "race."



And no jewish race? YEES!

And no jewish race? YEES!


Nope. Peoples from Ireland to the edge of India, including chunks of northern Africa, are all Caucasoid.

I work with a guy named Chris. He's from Ghana. One day I was with him and a few other black friends and the conversation got around to skin tone. I was joking with Chris about how he was like ten times darker in color than other african american people. Not brown or dark brown. I'm talking pitch black. One day he came to work wearing a bright white CU baseball cap and I busted out laughing because he looked funny. He's the blackest man I know. He owns a home in Ghana and has family there. He's got a great sense of humour.

I am not 'black' or a 'negro'. Those terms never made any sense to me because i don't hear anyone refer to themselves as 'yellow' or 'red'.

First and foremost I will always be African because my ancestors were decendents from Africa.

Re the latter comment. Isn't that because your African heritage was discriminated against? I'm a European-American but never refer to myself as that because being from Europe was the "power base" of this country. A-Americans use that term because it has always been an issue for them to be identified in the USA, either for bad (derogatory) or good (self esteem and identification), and so it has evolved. Negro/colored, Black, African-American. In due time another term will most likely take precedence.

I'm also guessing that you are 30 and under, as Black was de rigueur in the 60's, and Negro/colored was before that.

I work with a guy named Chris. He's from Ghana. One day I was with him and a few other black friends and the conversation got around to skin tone. I was joking with Chris about how he was like ten times darker in color than other african american people. Not brown or dark brown. I'm talking pitch black. One day he came to work wearing a bright white CU baseball cap and I busted out laughing because he looked funny. He's the blackest man I know. He owns a home in Ghana and has family there. He's got a great sense of humour.

Another funny one that never fails to get a laugh is "man you're so black if you put lotion on your legs it'd look like you were wearing leather pants" LOL

Nobody explained me yet why there was time when Negro" was decent and "black" offensive, and then it reversed.

Its like most things coral...most people go about their lives not caring about such things...then some loud-mouthed idiot "leader" decides to "take a stand" on some ridiculous issue like this and everyone folows cuz there's nothing better to do.

Its like most things coral...most people go about their lives not caring about such things...then some loud-mouthed idiot "leader" decides to "take a stand" on some ridiculous issue like this and everyone folows cuz there's nothing better to do.

X

+filler

I work with a guy named Chris. He's from Ghana. One day I was with him and a few other black friends and the conversation got around to skin tone. I was joking with Chris about how he was like ten times darker in color than other african american people. Not brown or dark brown. I'm talking pitch black. One day he came to work wearing a bright white CU baseball cap and I busted out laughing because he looked funny. He's the blackest man I know. He owns a home in Ghana and has family there. He's got a great sense of humour.

I have a friend from sudan and he is black like that too. There is a picture of him wearing a black t shirt, standing against a black wall. Unless you look closely all you can see are two eyes and bright white teeth :D

hugs

lilnymph

Nobody explained me yet why there was time when Negro" was decent and "black" offensive, and then it reversed.

I think they decided "negro" was the white man's word for black people and they wanted to distance themselves from that.

Nope. Peoples from Ireland to the edge of India, including chunks of northern Africa, are all Caucasoid.

What about Semitic? It may not be considered a race but it's definition includes: Arabs, Jews (Hebrews).

A member of any of the peoples speaking a Semitic language.
A person regarded as descended from Shem (Noah's eldest son).

So by this definition, to be anti semitic means to be anti arabic as well.
(But of course not anti dentite!) And of course it goes without saying then that many Palestinians and Israelis are anti semitic. Confusing aint it!

I think they decided "negro" was the white man's word for black people and they wanted to distance themselves from that.

You mean "*******" people, right? :rolleyes:

Anyway, it appears from the great deal of empirical research I've done for years, living, working, going to school, (even masquerading), with African Americans that "African American" is their preferred term. However, "black" seems almost equally acceptable.

I've never heard any use the word "*******," but the picture of a Large African American male being referred thus by some puny white pseudo-intellectual is quite amusing.

Another result of my reseach was the discovery that there is a great distinguishing of shades of pigmentation within the African American population. Many times I have heard females and males refer to how "bright" an African American was, and relate proportional beauty to the more lightly pigmented individuals.

It would be interesting to study this phenomena among Africans.

What about Semitic? It may not be considered a race but it's definition includes: Arabs, Jews (Hebrews).


"Semitic" is more linguistic than genetic/anthropologic.

Modern day Iranians genetically cluster closer to European populations than most Semitic ones.

It would be interesting to study this phenomena among Africans.

There's no need. It's found in all populations that haven't been entirely saturated by the western media. It's the single, universally- attractive characteristic(s): paedomorphic trait(s).

:topic:

I think the topic is about "A question for black people"

Try to focus. ;)

Gratefully,
Samson

You mean "*******" people, right? :rolleyes:

Anyway, it appears from the great deal of empirical research I've done for years, living, working, going to school, (even masquerading), with African Americans that "African American" is their preferred term. However, "black" seems almost equally acceptable.

I've never heard any use the word "*******," but the picture of a Large African American male being referred thus by some puny white pseudo-intellectual is quite amusing.

Another result of my reseach was the discovery that there is a great distinguishing of shades of pigmentation within the African American population. Many times I have heard females and males refer to how "bright" an African American was, and relate proportional beauty to the more lightly pigmented individuals.

It would be interesting to study this phenomena among Africans.

You be hangn out with differnt peeps than me,yo!
The guys I hang with object to the word "negro" but also to
the phrase "african american"-"I ain't no dam african" is the universal response-we deal with a lot of nigerians and the american blacks and the nigerians really don't get along.
I realize it's a mistake to take Austin to be entirely representative though.

You be hangn out with differnt peeps than me,yo!
The guys I hang with object to the word "negro" but also to
the phrase "african american"-"I ain't no dam african" is the universal response-we deal with a lot of nigerians and the american blacks and the nigerians really don't get along.
I realize it's a mistake to take Austin to be entirely representative though.

Could be.

But I think we can both agree: ******* is one of the last (well, almost next to last) term you want to use.

Another result of my reseach was the discovery that there is a great distinguishing of shades of pigmentation within the African American population. Many times I have heard females and males refer to how "bright" an African American was, and relate proportional beauty to the more lightly pigmented individuals.

It would be interesting to study this phenomena among Africans.

A lot of my [black] friends always refer to a black guy or girl as 'light skinned' and talk about how good they look.

Anyway, I think that any whitey around here that called a person a negro would get the **** beaten out of them.

Of couse, like it's already been said it really depends on the way you use the word and the intent behind it.

Could be.

But I think we can both agree: ******* is one of the last (well, almost next to last) term you want to use.

Actually,I've never heard it said in the presence of anyone black-you're probably right.

Actually,I've never heard it said in the presence of anyone black-you're probably right.

It's like calling someone caucasoid, or mongolloid..... or mongrelloid. :|

You can call me caucasoid!or caucasian or carcasian!or white boy... alright I'll stop.

I wanna be called "Titan." The last remaining titan on the planet.

But I think we can both agree: ******* is one of the last (well, almost next to last) term you want to use.

Why?
And why "negro" was O.K. before?

Why?
And why "negro" was O.K. before?

It's a matter of semantics as several people have said. "Negro" is old fashioned. "*******" sounds offensive, as if someone is trying to put you in a racial box, or as someone pointed out it sounds a little too much like the now derogatory term of a once O.K. word: Mongoloid.

The bottom line is: if somebody says there offended, they're offended, and don't ask why unless they're a good friend or want to tell you. It's similar to sexual harrassment ( I am not starting a new thread, or going off topic), the rules tend to be subjective with people, even though the law defines it objectively.

Calling a black persona negro is the same thing as calling an asian person a mongoloid - it just doesn't seem right, but it doesn't seem exactly racist either.

No, that would be *******. Negro is latin for black. The Latin Language has a strong history in Europe. The terms of science, religion (ie Catholic church), classical readings, etc are all in latin. The n****r word may even be the Southern twang of Negro or the people coming from a black land (as in Nigeria).

.

The bottom line is: if somebody says there offended, they're offended, and don't ask why unless they're a good friend or want to tell you. It's similar to sexual harrassment ( I am not starting a new thread, or going off topic), the rules tend to be subjective with people, even though the law defines it objectively.

Are you saying that my thread is similar to sexual harrassment?

Anyway it is not only a personal question but a expression of some social process, some change in perception, and that process is what I'm interested about.

It's a matter of semantics as several people have said. "Negro" is old fashioned. "*******" sounds offensive, as if someone is trying to put you in a racial box, or as someone pointed out it sounds a little too much like the now derogatory term of a once O.K. word: Mongoloid.

The bottom line is: if somebody says there offended, they're offended, and don't ask why unless they're a good friend or want to tell you. It's similar to sexual harrassment ( I am not starting a new thread, or going off topic), the rules tend to be subjective with people, even though the law defines it objectively.

Doesn't that take us down the road then to the place where every person can demand that they be identified only as they wish, at the threat of "offense"?

Are you saying that my thread is similar to sexual harrassment?

Anyway it is not only a personal question but a expression of some social process, some change in perception, and that process is what I'm interested about.

Nope. Don't see how you arrived at that conclusion. I was only saying that any "offense" taken by some people "of color" to being called something that was not intended to be derogatory i.e. Negro or Black is subjective. The same applies to some people taking offense at some comments as being sexually harrasing, i.e. "that's a nice skirt you're wearing." To them it might be to someone else it isn't.

Why do I get the feeling I'm digging myself into a hole here?

Doesn't that take us down the road then to the place where every person can demand that they be identified only as they wish, at the threat of "offense"?

It could if everybody was hyper sensitive or - dare I say - paranoid. Thank God most people are sensible and are willing to be reasonable.

I remember once being referred to as "that old guy" by a 20 year old. That I took offense to, as I subjectively do not see myself as old. No I'm not going to reveal my age, to prove my point. It's subjective. My being offended had nothing to with PC. In a few more years I won't be offended by the phrase.

Doesn't that take us down the road then to the place where every person can demand that they be identified only as they wish, at the threat of "offense"?
Ah, the slipperiest of slopes it is. :rolleyes:

Nope. Don't see how you arrived at that conclusion. I was only saying that any "offense" taken by some people "of color" to being called something that was not intended to be derogatory i.e. Negro or Black is subjective. The same applies to some people taking offense at some comments as being sexually harrasing, i.e. "that's a nice skirt you're wearing." To them it might be to someone else it isn't.

Why do I get the feeling I'm digging myself into a hole here?

There are individual preferences,nobody expects you to know them-but what is considered polite should be general knowledge-don't use the word "negro" around a black you don't know personally.
Alot of times they realize you might need to be told-so they'll tell you-don't get defensive,just accept the information.
As to the social background I'm sure I'm right-at the beginning of the civil rights hippies and jews were in charge and they had certain ideas that the later black leaders didn't keep.Negro is a white man's word-black is more acceptable because it merely describes the color of the skin and doesn't sound so close to the other word.

The problem with "Negro" is that it's hilariously old-fashioned. No one in the right mind would use it today.

If a white person from South Africa moves to the U.S. and becomes a citizen, is he/she considered an African -American??


No, I have a neighbor who was born in and lived in africa . he said he is ' from ' africa not afro american . he is a paleface also known as cracker , whitey and honky .

I was about to mention this but you did it for me .

African American is just a black person visiting the USA as far as I'm concerned . You can't be both, it's not possible and it's stupid . You don't hear indians saying their eskimos [ American Indian Eskimos Asians ],,although they are the same !

:confused: