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'Negro' - a choice on census form

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mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
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what, no oriental?

I've always found it odd that oriental is considered offensive. I guess because my family is British and that's the acceptable term over there. Asians = Indians, Pakistanis, Tamil, etc. Oriental = Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,291
14,712
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I've always found it odd that oriental is considered offensive. I guess because my family is British and that's the acceptable term over there. Asians = Indians, Pakistanis, Tamil, etc. Oriental = Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.

I never thought "Oriental" was offensive...used to indicate people from the Orient. That's why I prefer the term "Ornamental." :p
 

JDub02

Diamond Member
Sep 27, 2002
6,209
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in times like these, i ask myself ... what would bo snerdley say?
 

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
16,829
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UNCF,NAACP, and BET are dumb. All they do are create methods to increase separation rather than peaceful assimilation

/signed
ATOT Black Guy

For the record, you can call me awesome dude, blacky, whatever and it doesn't bother me one bit. It only bothers morons. Now where is my God damn fried chicken!!!

Different people in America have different culture. Some segments of the white population watch CMT. So do some rural blacks. Black people watch BET. So do some white people who like American black culture. Get over it.

I for one am glad we are not all the same. There is nothing wrong with NAACP any more than there is anything wrong with the American Foundation for Irish Heritage http://www.irishamericanheritage.com/

By the way, March 2009 was Irish-American month and I didn't see anybody complaining.
 
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lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,091
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Not sure what you mean by "separate people into special little classes type". The classes exist, period. Race does exist thanks to isolation that existed for most of man's history, despite the politically correct garbage that says "we are all one race, human". The only problem is our terms need refining. For example I'm mostly Indian, yet I check the box that says "Asian". The only thing I have in common with a Chinese person is continent of origin, and we are more closely related to whites than them.

Considering the Asperger's having nerds are being complete asses and attacking a whole race for what they want to be called, I think I'm perfectly justified in insulting them for being Aspergies. Maybe it helps them be aware that the reason they don't get certain things intuitively is that they have a mild disorder.

And yes I'm perfectly aware of the irony, which is specifically why I just invented the term "Aspergies". If they want to be called something else, TOUGH LUCK.

Which term do like best for yourself? "Dumb as a rock", "fucktard", or just plain "stupid"?

I think I like fucktard best. From here on out, I'll refer to you as fucktard....
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,979
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I see Caucasian on all sorts of forms.

Negro is correct. If a negroid gets pissy over it it's because he's stupid/uneducated.

You're stupid/uneducated, we're in America where people speak English not Spanish. Negro is black in Spanish not English. This same form has Caucasian for white people. If they use Negro for black, they should use Blanco for white, because no Spanish person has ever used the word Cancasian, because it's NOT a Spanish word. Explain to me what sense it makes to use a non English word on an English form, and the word in question doesn't even pertain to people who potentially might not speak English. Also the word Negro has undeniable racial history, which makes the use of it a double negative. It was put on this form purposely by somebody.

Therefore no, Negro is not correct on this form, not at all.
 
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lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,091
10,562
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You're stupid/uneducated, we're in America where people speak English not Spanish. Negro is black in Spanish not English. This same form has Caucasian for white people. If they use Negro for black, they should use Blanco for white, because no Spanish person has ever used the word Cancasian, because it's NOT a Spanish word. Explain to me what sense it makes to use a non English word on an English form, and the word in question doesn't even pertain to people who potentially might not speak English.

Therefore no, Negro is not correct on this form, not at all.

Negro is a component of the word black in most of the romance languages, and it has a long history of use. Negro, or black are the only correct terms. There's no such thing as an African American.
 

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
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Negro is a component of the word black in most of the romance languages, and it has a long history of use. Negro, or black are the only correct terms. There's no such thing as an African American.

We have Italian-Americans, Irish-Americans, Asian-Americans... so why would you say there's no such thing as an African-American? Is there some kind of generational cut off?

All of those terms are correct, it just happens that "negro" is considered obsolete in America. I grew up using "negro" and when I immigrated here I started using "black". Why is it so difficult to grasp for some people?
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,091
10,562
126
We have Italian-Americans, Irish-Americans, Asian-Americans... so why would you say there's no such thing as an African-American? Is there some kind of generational cut off?

All of those terms are correct, it just happens that "negro" is considered obsolete in America. I grew up using "negro" and when I immigrated here I started using "black". Why is it so difficult to grasp for some people?

We don't have any *"country here-Americans" outside of ethnic festivals. Some people privately refer to themselves in that way, but they're Americans in any official capacity.

*I'll be willing to concede a "your country here-American" for someone who started life a different nationality than they finished it, or a person with dual citizenship. Otherwise, you lose claim to your former country....
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,979
1,178
126
Negro is a component of the word black in most of the romance languages, and it has a long history of use. Negro, or black are the only correct terms. There's no such thing as an African American.

Ok, and English isn't one of those languages. Plus in America, unlike the countries where Negro's just a word, it has racial connotation here. Go To Baltimore or a thousand other cities full of black people. Then walk up to any random person of color and call them a negro and see what happens. If this form was in France or Peru there would be nothing to see here. In America though they should have used black, and even if you say there's no such thing. African American is an acceptable, and known term. As it's one most people see used every day.
 

polarmystery

Diamond Member
Aug 21, 2005
3,888
8
81
Different people in America have different culture. Some segments of the white population watch CMT. So do some rural blacks. Black people watch BET. So do some white people who like American black culture. Get over it.

I for one am glad we are not all the same. There is nothing wrong with NAACP any more than there is anything wrong with the American Foundation for Irish Heritage http://www.irishamericanheritage.com/

By the way, March 2009 was Irish-American month and I didn't see anybody complaining.

BET is not black culture. As far as I'm concerned, we don't have a culture. What would it be exactly?
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,291
14,712
146
We don't have any *"country here-Americans" outside of ethnic festivals. Some people privately refer to themselves in that way, but they're Americans in any official capacity.

*I'll be willing to concede a "your country here-American" for someone who started life a different nationality than they finished it, or a person with dual citizenship. Otherwise, you lose claim to your former country....

IMO, if you're born here, you're an American of <insert your nationality> heritage. American of Hispanic heritage, American of Chinese heritage, etc.

If you immigrate here, you're of whatever nationality until you become a citizen...then you're an American with whatever heritage...or, IF you prefer, you're a whatever nationality-American, but if your kids are born here...they lose that...and become Americans of whatever nationality heritage.

These <insert nationality>-American tags are just ways for people to try to set themselves apart from the melting pot.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,091
10,562
126
Ok, and English isn't one of those languages. Plus in America, unlike the countries where Negro's just a word, it has racial connotation here. Go To Baltimore or a thousand other cities full of black people. Then walk up to any random person of color and call them a negro and see what happens. If this form was in France or Peru there would be nothing to see here. In America though they should have used black, and even if you say there's no such thing. African American is an acceptable, and known term. As it's one most people see used every day.

Only in very recent years has African American come into common use, and I refuse to participate. It's a non descriptive term, and I won't jump through hoops every time somebody wants to change how others refer to them. I use black 100% of the time, and I'd be happy with negro due to long historic use. If people aren't happy with that they can go pound sand....
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
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IMO, if you're born here, you're an American of <insert your nationality> heritage. American of Hispanic heritage, American of Chinese heritage, etc.

If you immigrate here, you're of whatever nationality until you become a citizen...then you're an American with whatever heritage...or, IF you prefer, you're a whatever nationality-American, but if your kids are born here...they lose that...and become Americans of whatever nationality heritage.

These <insert nationality>-American tags are just ways for people to try to set themselves apart from the melting pot.

This I agree with. I think it's silly that some people want to pretend that we're all the same (i.e. race = "human"). We're not all the same, and we don't need to ignore our differences.
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,979
1,178
126
Only in very recent years has African American come into common use, and I refuse to participate. It's a non descriptive term, and I won't jump through hoops every time somebody wants to change how others refer to them. I use black 100&#37; of the time, and I'd be happy with negro due to long historic use. If people aren't happy with that they can go pound sand....

the whole point of people not being happy with Negro is due to it's long historical use, which is pretty much 100% negative.


"Negro" superseded "colored" as the most polite terminology.


The term Negro is now considered archaic and is not commonly used, and is widely considered a racist slur.


all that needs to be said here, this form needs to be changed immediately, it's not cool at all.
 

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
16,829
3
0
BET is not black culture. As far as I'm concerned, we don't have a culture. What would it be exactly?

BET is a media outlet that focuses on black culture, hence the name Black Entertainment Television. It doesn't mean black only-- there people of all races represented on the network.

I think you should familiarize yourself with what culture is. Blacks in America have unique dialects, foods, music, and customs.... Just like every other group of people. You don't notice any differences when you visit the homes of your friends of different races?

My rural white friend's family roasted a wild pig for New Year's Eve because hunting is part of their culture. My brother's wife's black family holds hands and prays before eating Christmas dinner because loving Jesus is part of their culture. My Asian friends eat eggrolls on every holiday because that's a part of their culture.

Like it or not, we aren't all the same, and that is a good thing. It's what makes America great.

If black culture didn't exist, we wouldn't have jazz, rap, R&B, or even rock music. If you think none of those are real, do you only listen to European classical music?
 
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TheVrolok

Lifer
Dec 11, 2000
24,254
4,092
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My rural white friend's family roasted a wild pig for New Year's Eve because hunting is part of their culture. My brother's wife's black family holds hands and prays before eating Christmas dinner because loving Jesus is part of their culture. My Asian friends eat eggrolls on every holiday because that's a part of their culture.

These just aren't true. Many, many (most?) white people do NOT roast a wild pig for New Year's so it's clearly not a "white culture" thing. There's nothing innately religious about black people, your brother's wife's family just happens to be religious and black. MANY white/brown/yellow/green families also pray before meals. Asians and eggrolls? Yeah. You're assigning culture significance where it really isn't clearly exemplified.
 

polarmystery

Diamond Member
Aug 21, 2005
3,888
8
81
BET is a media outlet that focuses on black culture, hence the name Black Entertainment Television. It doesn't mean black only-- there people of all races represented on the network.

I think you should familiarize yourself with what culture is. Blacks in America have unique dialects, foods, music, and customs.... Just like every other group of people. You don't notice any differences when you visit the homes of your friends of different races?

My rural white friend's family roasted a wild pig for New Year's Eve because hunting is part of their culture. My brother's wife's black family holds hands and prays before eating Christmas dinner because loving Jesus is part of their culture. My Asian friends eat eggrolls on every holiday because that's a part of their culture.

Like it or not, we aren't all the same, and that is a good thing. It's what makes America great.

If black culture didn't exist, we wouldn't have jazz, rap, R&B, or even rock music. If you think none of those are real, do you only listen to European classical music?

I don't disagree that we aren't all the same, but I don't see what people think of black culture as culture. Isn't culture defined as something traditional thing that has been carried on by generations? Sure jazz, rap, R&B might have came from a black person, but it could have easily been created by any other. That would be like saying because Newton came up with the idea of gravity, that gravity is a part of white culture. Caucasian people's culture stem from traditional Europeon ideologies through ages, Asian people's stem for parts of Asia, where do Black people fit in if not from Africa? Either I'm a blind man, or the only thing I see is some of my fellow race members -trying- to establish their own culture which largely has been not their own to begin with.

These just aren't true. Many, many (most?) white people do NOT roast a wild pig for New Year's so it's clearly not a "white culture" thing. There's nothing innately religious about black people, your brother's wife's family just happens to be religious and black. MANY white/brown/yellow/green families also pray before meals. Asians and eggrolls? Yeah. You're assigning culture significance where it really isn't clearly exemplified.

I agree with this post.