What to officially refer to a "Black" person as of today?

[Remobz]

I have a good friend who is lawyer in the US and it happen that she s "black", when i say black it s because she s considered as black in the US, but she so light skinned that here in France she wasnt considered as so.

From this story my conclusion is that one who is born white from lightly skinned parents that are considered blacks will be himself considered as black, on the other side i know an egyptian that live in the US and his papers says that he s white, yet the white part of the US society consider him as black whenever he s in contact with thoses white people...



I have a cousin who is a genuine afro american, a white one but still an afro american since he s born in Algeria...

I know a guy whose father is German American and mother is from Korea. Unlike his brother he looks white except the eyes might be a little giveaway.

He is considered white by American standards in many instances although his mother is 100 percent Asian from Korea and his brother looks different.

 

[Remobz]

So if you're from Africa, why are you white?



And, this just reminds me of that meme with a picture of a sad black man. It stated "He called me African-American. But, I'm British."

If White European missionaries living in Asia have a child in Asia then does that make the child Asian?

 

[MetalMat]

If White European missionaries living in Asia have a child in Asia then does that make the child Asian?

No, the child would be CaucAsian

 

[cubby1223]

Even if you are trying to talk positively about diversity, you have to choose a descriptive work, and whatever word you use, someone out there is going to claim offense for personal publicity. It doesn't matter if you say "black", "African-American", "colored", whatever, you just kind of guess at which word will offend the fewest number of people, and roll with it.

When you ask an individual which word is offensive, and which alternative is preferable... then ask another individual, their answers often are opposite of each other.

And if you avoid the subject altogether so as to not offend anyone with a choice of descriptive word, then it offends yet another group.

 

[Remobz]

Even if you are trying to talk positively about diversity, you have to choose a descriptive work, and whatever word you use, someone out there is going to claim offense for personal publicity. It doesn't matter if you say "black", "African-American", "colored", whatever, you just kind of guess at which word will offend the fewest number of people, and roll with it.

When you ask an individual which word is offensive, and which alternative is preferable... then ask another individual, their answers often are opposite of each other.

And if you avoid the subject altogether so as to not offend anyone with a choice of descriptive word, then it offends yet another group.

Very true. I hate how society likes to lump us into different racial groups. Some of us have like 4 or more different racial genes in our blood. So should they take some DNA test to break down the percentage of their racial make up and then choose a racial category? Or just lump them in a racial category based on how they look?

 

[shortylickens]

On 4chan I think its still Roody Poo.

 

[OrByte]

darky


edit: and I was upset to hear BC apologize.

he should have just told everyone to ah heck off.

 

[who?]

When a hate filled racist says any word it's going to make people uncomfortable so a nice word now will be considered to be racist later.

 

[brycejones]

well done?

Black is the currently accepted term.

 

[Abwx]

So if you're from Africa, why are you white?

Because there s white africans.?.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabyle_people

He s an african american who will never be called so in the US, i think that this is the prove that this moniker is a racial categorization and has nothing to do with someone s ancestor s origin, problem is that they are actualy black Usans and that s all, the term afro american is pointing their ancestors origin and as such should apply to whatever black people living in north or south Americas, indeed the USans should stop calling themselves americans when they talk about their country, Canadians or Mexicans are also americans as well as Brazilians.

I know a guy whose father is German American and mother is from Korea. Unlike his brother he looks white except the eyes might be a little giveaway.

He is considered white by American standards in many instances although his mother is 100 percent Asian from Korea and his brother looks different.

What about his brother, is he also considered as being white.?.

For the record there s no mention of race in french id cards, it s just forbidden here to categorize people by either their ethnicity or religion when it comes to official papers or even public publications, that is one does not have the right to create a listing based on ethnicity or religion.

 

[amdhunter]

Colafricameriblack.

 

[who?]

Is Olivia Munn chinese because her mother is?

 

[CharlieThompson]

Well every human being on this earth is equal no matter whether you are white or black. But if someone uses black word for men if he doesn't mean to offend anyone then it is all right.

 

[smackababy]

Because there s white africans.?.

It is a Mean Girls quote. God, Karen. You're so stupid!

 

[cubby1223]

Very true. I hate how society likes to lump us into different racial groups. Some of us have like 4 or more different racial genes in our blood. So should they take some DNA test to break down the percentage of their racial make up and then choose a racial category? Or just lump them in a racial category based on how they look?

It's not only society, but government is a big driver today. You cannot have a government benefits program targeting to benefit minorities, if you cannot identify who the minorities are.

We are just about to begin black history month. There has to be a definition of who's history is and is not being honored throughout the month.

We still have a very, very long way to go before race & skin color is no longer categorized.

 

[Linux23]

I would think a person's name would be the correct way to refer to someone, regardless of skin color.

Yes.

"Hey White Doug, Black Doug want you to text him later on, mmmmkay."

 

[Spungo]

Yes.

"Hey White Doug, Black Doug want you to text him later on, mmmmkay."

I've seen this before. Black Steve and white Steve. It was weird because "black" Steve was actually East Indian.

Very true. I hate how society likes to lump us into different racial groups. Some of us have like 4 or more different racial genes in our blood. So should they take some DNA test to break down the percentage of their racial make up and then choose a racial category? Or just lump them in a racial category based on how they look?

I say I'm whichever group is the one in question. Some of my family is Jewish, some is Christian, some came from Ukraine, some came from UK. My real personality matches that of a Ukranian Jewish stereotype.

 

[Remobz]

I've seen this before. Black Steve and white Steve. It was weird because "black" Steve was actually East Indian.


I say I'm whichever group is the one in question. Some of my family is Jewish, some is Christian, some came from Ukraine, some came from UK. My real personality matches that of a Ukranian Jewish stereotype.

Someone gave me another good example. Check out the actor Lou Diamond Philips and his ethnic background.

"His father was an American of Scots-Irish and one-quarter Cherokee descent, and his mother, a native of Candelaria, Zambales, is of Filipino Spanish descent."

So we have White, Native American, Filipino and Spanish.

Based on how he looks what racial group would society want to lump him in?

If you saw him and had no clue who he was what would you think? There goes the Asian guy? There goes a Filipino guy? Mexican? Native American?

Suppose Mr. Lou Diamond identifies with White (considering his Dad is Scots Irish) then would society accept that? People who do not know him would always want to lump him into some racial group based on how he looks.

 

[cubby1223]

Marco: Well, Debbie thinks this is all about her biological clock.
Stormy: She stopped screaming enough to tell you that?
Marco: No no no no, the other Debbie. Debbie the teacher.
Stormy: Oh, you mean... black Debbie.
Sparks: Whoa whoa whoa, why is she... black Debbie?
Stormy: Not in a bad way, it's just to tell them apart because she's... black.
Sparks: Well, why don't you call her Debbie, and call the other one... white Debbie.
Stormy: White Debbie? That's stupid! I know she's white.
Marco: Then why do you call the other Debbie "black Debbie?" You know she's black!
Stormy: Hey, first off, I really don't think we should be talking about this in front of Dr. Quinn.
Quinn: Listen man, you're missing the point. What if everybody went around calling you "white Stormy?"
Stormy: You mean there's a black Stormy?
Quinn: ... No.

 

[moonbogg]

I've heard them referred to as "non variables" since they are always the same color, even if sunburned.

 

[Caravaggio]

Let me get this straight please.
...

So what the heck is a "safe" word to use you think?

Let's invert the problem. White folks should be classified as "people of restricted melanin"
The term "person of colour" could refer to anyone with a phenotypic expression of melanin. Perhaps graded on some scientific scale of reflected albedo to a light of some agreed power, measured in lumens. The scale might range from 1-10 , where 10 would equal, what my late grandfather used to refer to as " black as yer hat" (low albedo), and 1 would be equivalent to his notion "a bit dusky" (higher reflection/albedo).

This scientific approach would at least have the merit of allowing some degree of personal matching which would mean that the hopelessly right-on term "black" and the awfully coy term 'coloured' to be dispensed with.

Frans Fanon ( Black skin, white Masks) has written at length about the exquisite sensitivity of women from the 'West Indies' to the status gradation of their own skins. There, pale brown was 'better' than dark brown. But this is not universally true. Jet black skin can have high status in central Africa and Sri Lanka, where paler skins can be seen as ambiguously "mixed ethnic" which in various forms is not always seen as desirable.
Or we could just ask people whether they wanted to be known by the reflected light from their skins or the quality of their "character", as M.L. King suggested.

If we can ever measure the latter, that's the way forward, IMHO.

 

[werepossum]

Me>"Excuse me officer, I saw the women who was kidnapped"

Officer>"Can you describe the woman"

Me>"she was a woman in her 20s"

Officer>"um, anything else"

Me>"Nope, because skin color does not matter"

lol

"I have one black child and one white child. But I don't know which is which, because I don't see race." /Joy, 'My name is Earl'

I was a bit surprised about the furore over Benedict Cumberbatch's comments. The only reason I could think of was that in pre-civil-rights-movement America there were those signs for "colored" at the back of the bus or on drinking fountains, and if I'm correct, I can understand the sentiment.

In the UK I've heard of more reason to not call someone "black", I don't think I've heard of any regarding "coloured".

It's always seemed odd to me that "colored people" is offensive but "people of color" is PC. Oh Holy Preposition, we thank thee for delivering us from racism and offense.

Let's invert the problem. White folks should be classified as "people of restricted melanin"
The term "person of colour" could refer to anyone with a phenotypic expression of melanin. Perhaps graded on some scientific scale of reflected albedo to a light of some agreed power, measured in lumens. The scale might range from 1-10 , where 10 would equal, what my late grandfather used to refer to as " black as yer hat" (low albedo), and 1 would be equivalent to his notion "a bit dusky" (higher reflection/albedo).

This scientific approach would at least have the merit of allowing some degree of personal matching which would mean that the hopelessly right-on term "black" and the awfully coy term 'coloured' to be dispensed with.

Frans Fanon ( Black skin, white Masks) has written at length about the exquisite sensitivity of women from the 'West Indies' to the status gradation of their own skins. There, pale brown was 'better' than dark brown. But this is not universally true. Jet black skin can have high status in central Africa and Sri Lanka, where paler skins can be seen as ambiguously "mixed ethnic" which in various forms is not always seen as desirable.
Or we could just ask people whether they wanted to be known by the reflected light from their skins or the quality of their "character", as M.L. King suggested.

If we can ever measure the latter, that's the way forward, IMHO.

I like that idea, but why not extend it to everyone? Make those damned near luminous redheads a #1 and the darkest Zulus a #10. Or if that's offensive, reverse it, I care not. Then if you must describe someone, it's easy.

 

[mammador]

black. Afro-American is PC bullshit.

i am black, i may not be literally, but so what? whites are literally white, but they accept that term.

as for coloured, well as a british person, he should know better......not many use this term here.

 

[werepossum]

black. Afro-American is PC bullshit.

i am black, i may not be literally, but so what? whites are literally white, but they accept that term.

as for coloured, well as a british person, he should know better......not many use this term here.

Yeah, 'cause it beats pinky or peach.

 

[moonbogg]

Yeah, 'cause it beats pinky or peach.

lol. I am actually a cream color, but you won't hear us pasty bastards saying that shit to each other. "Whats up cream bitch?"