Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 17 replies, 18 voices, and was last updated 22 years, 11 months ago by
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The reason why white people are ‘left out’ when speaking of people of color is because… they aren’t people of color. That’s the whole point. Referring to, say, everyone BUT white people offends you for some reason? I think it’s more offensive that terms like ‘people of color’ have to be used in the first place. If everyone was treated equally we wouldn’t need such phrases, but because people are STILL judged, often times, on the color of their skin, there will be times when we refer to these people as a cohesive unit because they often have the same kinds of prejudices. ‘People with darker skin’ basically says the same thing as ‘people of color’… ‘People from [whatever] country’ isn’t general enough to refer to all dark[er] complected people, and neither is referring to a specific nationality or origin. I don’t think this phrase has anything to do with shunning whites as cultureless, lesser people with no personality. I’m not sure where you would get those inferences from.
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Name : Danielle27248, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 25, City : Forked River, State : NJ, Country : United States, Occupation : Systems Analyst, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Why do some people use the phrase ‘people of color’? I find it extremely offensive, and that’s coming from someone who is very rarely offended by anything. Â Â Â Â Â The prase says to me, and probably to a great number of others, that ‘white people’ do not have culture, do not have personality, or even are not good enough, so to speak; as if ‘white people’ are left out, and all other races are just grouped into one category like they have everything in common. Â Â Â Â Â My skin is light, and, in fact, it lighter than most ‘white’ people’s. It has color to it – it’s a light, peachy hue. If I were ‘white,’ I think I would either have a serious health problem or would be dead. Blood-wise, I am not all ‘white,’ and frankly, people with light skin from a certain area or of a certain ethnicity are as different as night and day. Can’t people use more serious/understandable phrases like ‘people with darker skin’ or ‘people from [whatever] country’ or ‘people of [whatever] nationalities’ or ‘people from [whatever] part of the world’?
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Name : Lisa, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Age : 19, City : Raytown, State : MO, Country : United States, Occupation : college student,It seems that every so often, collective black culture decides that the present name for them is derogatory, and someone comes up with a new one. ‘Colored’ was the only respectful term you could use in the 40’s, but now is off-limits in casual conversation. From your message, it sounds like ‘people of color’ is looking at the end of its run as well. I wonder what the next term will be?
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Name : Carlton-b19252, City : Atlanta, State : GA, Country : United States,Hi Lisa. Terms like ‘people of color’ seem to get on people’s nerves more than I would have thought. I myself am ambivalent about those kinds of terms. I just call myself black. I call a person from Mexico a Mexican. I call an American with native Mexican parents a Chicano. I call Indigenous people Native Indians or Native Americans. I call Chinese, Japanese, East Indians, Vietnamese, Laotians, and Cambodians by those names if I happen to know where specifically they are from, and Asians if I don’t. However, I realize that it’s not really up to me to decide what’s appropriate for them to be called. Some of the more ignorant nomenclature, mostly created by Europeans, is also offensive, and many people decide to say what they wish to be called. ‘People Of Color’ speaks to the political coalition that some feel should exist between ‘people with darker skin’, as there IS a commonality amongst most of us. That commonality is that Europeans have screwed us over at one time or another, and that we continue to be marginalized in a Eurocentric world. You mention that you think this term sets white people apart as some nondescript monolithic group. The fact is, Europeans did that themselves. People’s individual ethnicities, especially in the U.S., became subsumed under the belief that being white was much more important than whatever other nationality one might profess, particularly in reference to anyone who was not white. You’re white or you’re not, forcing everyone else into otherness. I wonder if you’re as offended by that. I hope so. __________________________
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Name : Jennifer-R31040, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Humanist, Age : 29, City : Saint Paul, State : MN, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College,One of the big problems in this country is that everyone is too sensitive about the terms people use to describe different races or ethnic groups. Everything offends somebody. We have Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, Hispanics, Hispanic-Americans, Chicanos, Latinos – and everyone of these terms makes somebody mad. We also have Negros, Blacks, African-Americans – and all of these offends somebody. The list goes on and on. And these terms come in and out of favor. ‘People of color’ has lately been used as a generic term that didn’t offend anybody. But apparently now that offends someone too. The result – people avoid the real issues that need to be addressed with respect to race and ethnicity, which are much more important than what we call people, because they don’t know what names to use that wont offend someone.
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Name : Lucy-H, Gender : F, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Age : 25, City : San Jose, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Hi. I wanted to respond to the question about why people use the phrase ‘people of color.’ [PARAGRAPH] I use the phrase, as a white person, to distinguish between people who receive the same privileges I do due to a common skin color or ethnic heritage and those who do not. [PARAGRAPH] I agree with you that white people don’t really have white skin. The word ‘white’ has become a signifier, a metaphor, for something that I, and others like me, have. Despite the diversity between white people, we share privileges like: being able to go in any store without others suspecting that we won’t be able to pay or that we’ll steal; being in organizations where we don’t have to fear that our skin color or ethnic heritage will be a barrier to our success, etc. [PARAGRAPH] On the other hand, a group of people do not share these privileges. I call them ‘people of color’ because they have either a different skin color and/or ethnic origin. While people of color have skin tones lighter than my own, again, it’s not the exact hue that is at issue. Instead, it’s the racial / ethnic origin that determines how people are treated. [PARAGRAPH] I don’t use some of the suggestions that you offered, such as ‘people with darker skin’ or ‘people from [whatever] country’ because (1) the skin isn’t always darker (2) the people aren’t always from the same country (3) it’s confusing to try to identify the origin and skin color of each person I’m talking about in a conversation (it would take too long!) (4) the important thing is that there are things that people of color share that I do not and that things I share with white folks that people of color do not. [PARAGRAPH] BTW – I don’t think that white people have no culture or heritage. I think it often seems that way because we’re all here together and it’s hard to see when we’re all together. When I go to a non-white community in DC or to a different country, they I become *very* aware of my culture and heritage. It’s really interesting!
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Name : M.T., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 27, City : Washington, State : DC, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,The terminology that society uses to describe people of color has evolved. My parents have first hand experience with being referred to as ‘colored’ (which is offensive) to ‘minorities’ (which soon will not be the case in terms of numbers). I believe the term is used in an effort to be ‘politically correct’ and ‘sensitive’.
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Name : Veda, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Christian, Age : 31, City : Chicago, State : IL, Country : United States, Occupation : Therapist, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,It’s easy to say. It’s easier on the tongue than ‘people of darker pigmentation’ or ‘people of increased levels of melanin.’ I remember when I was training in martial arts and they referred to everyone who wasn’t a white belt as ‘color belts.’ Also, whites are still the majority in this country, and most, if not all, minority groups have issues and causes that are different from that of the former, and many of these issues transcend different minority distinctions yet don’t apply to most white folks, if at all. As for whites not having color: I’ve always wondered how such color distinctions have come about for so many people. Not even the darkest African is the color of a raven, and technically I’m brown, but in reality I’m more pinkish oliveish tannish light brownish. But don’t let it get to you. It’s only a vernacular distinction between minorities (who together are still the minority) and the majority.
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Name : Dan27176, Gender : M, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Religion : Pentecostal, Age : 21, City : Los Angeles, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,I’m white too, so please take my ‘interpretation’ with a grain of salt. When discussing the experiences of different minority groups, it is hard to generalize. Each group has a different underlying historical/sociological structure that affects how they have done and how they perceive and are perceived in the picture of our nation’s community. For example, when discussing Afro-Americans and the Japanese, the similarities seem little, really only a shared heritage of suffering under majority oppression (which, hate to break it to you, is white people). How they came over is different, the institutional discrimination is different, the inner-group bonds/culture are different. Everything is different. But as minorities, as people who do not fit into what we would call ‘Caucasion’ or ‘white,’ they have a shared experience of discrimination. Whether it be feeling different in a predominantly white suburban school, or not being served, or being pulled over by the police more frequently, it is a common experience based on the color of their skin, or more specifically, a set of features that lead people to make sometimes faulty assumptions. And this common experience happens to ‘people of color.’ In the reverse, it’s not about being ‘white’ per se. It’s about being part of the majority group that has historically (and currently) been in power and (like so many groups in power) oppressive. Understanding institutionalized discrimination vs. the consistent and very real COVERT discrimination that people of all color undergo has helped transform my blanket bleeding heart (easily offended) liberalism into a greater sensitivity. And if it’s hard to accept that as a white person you are consistently treated differently (usually better)in this society, well, I’m sorry.
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Name : Lisa, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : los Angeles, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,I am sorry you are extremely offended by the term ‘people of color.’ Unfortunately, the reason we refer to ourselves as people of color has nothing to do with your reasons for being offended. The term ‘people of color’ is simply a preference. Some prefer black, some prefer African American (note: there are no hyphens). We are not saying you have no culture. We are simply calling ourselves what we prefer to be called. If you want to be called ‘people from America,’ that’s fine. That’s your preference. There’s no need to get extremely offended simply because of one’s preference. You have read too much into the term.
This is not the first time I have responded to your comments. The last time I responded, I remember you saying ‘from what I’ve observed.’ What have you experienced? I get the impression you have little or no experiences with black people. Get to know us, and you’ll see that many of the things you say and ask are based on observation, not experience.
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Name : J.W., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Methodist, Age : 25, City : Springfield, State : OH, Country : United States, Occupation : Customer Support Administrator, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I do not know why some people feel compelled to use such terminology, but I beleive it is through some misguided attempt at being politically correct. You are not the first person to notice how ridiculous this is. To paraphrase George Carlin, ‘People of color sounds like something you see when you’re on mushrooms. What are we supposed to call fat people? People of size?’
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Name : Michell20539, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Catholic, Age : 33, City : Dayton, State : OH, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,The issue of racial ‘terms’ came up in an EEO class I attended recently. The term ‘people of color’ drew laughs from the predominantly black group of young people(18-23). One young lady said she wasn’t in a ‘coloring book’ and found the term ridiculous. But when other students asked what terms were acceptable for blacks, the answers varied. Some preferred ‘black man/woman, black American, negro, African-American,’ etc. Still other students who were dark-skinned Pacific Islanders, Panamanians or children of bi-racial marriages considered the issue to be a need for a self-imposed label. One Nigerian student said to identify by color instead of geographic location was self-defeating. The subject seemed to be very much a personal issue for each person. I don’t see how we can just say that one or two terms apply to everyone of what we ‘perceive’ to be of one culture. Must we tie our identity to anything except how we treat each others and ourselves? I’ll take being remembered as a humanitarian over a Caucasian any day.
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Name : Alma, Gender : Female, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Methodist, City : Kempner, State : TX, Country : United States, Occupation : contract employee, Education level : 4 Years of College,okay, well it all started back in the days of the civil rights movements and in slvery days. there were signs put up by whites that stated ‘colored only’ and ‘whites only’, i mean it is not a phrase that was brought about by blacks to try to put whites down. before you or anyone else tries to ask why we as a people (blacks) do something, take a look at where it came from, and how it originated. just because it is something negative towards one race of people, doesn’t mean that another race should be held accountable for it. there is not always an explination for everything and people must realize that. so i am not giving you the answer you want, i am just stating facts and my opinion. use it anyway you like, if you chose to use it at all.
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Name : Essence, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 18, City : Goleta, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : High School Diploma,In reality, black folk are NOT colored; they have one color, generally. It’s white people who are colored. Their skin is various shades of pink, tan, white and brown. As they age, their liver spots show. Their genitalia are definitely a different color than the rest of their body. Their eyes are blue, green, brown and all shades in between. So the real colored people of the world are the ‘Caucs.’
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Name : Bob F., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 67, City : Tallahassee, State : FL, Country : United States, Occupation : retired, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,The term ‘people of color’ doesn’t have much, if anything, to do with culture, personality or anything, other than it sounds a heck of a lot better than ‘minority,’ which we are not.
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Name : Samm28280, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : New Age/Metaphysical, Age : 35, City : Boston, State : MA, Country : United States, Occupation : Administrative Asst., Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,
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