A couple of things i hear people say.....

[glockfan]

A couple of things that I noticed in other threads:

Why are white people called "whites" and black people called "African Americans" ? why can't they just be called black? At a friend of mine's school, it is totally unacceptable, to call black people black, but it is fine to call white people white. The argument is always "their people came from Africa", in tha case I demand to be called "Irish-American." Also Someone made the comment about shooting down hate crime bills. They should be shot down. Hate Crime Bills are stupid. You are putting a higher price on the lives or well being of a group. If you kill someone, then you should get the same penalty no matter white, black, gay, straight, etc.

[FearMeAll]

I know exactly why. Assigning people to groups is what the Democratic Party as well as most if the far left love to do because it is politically correct. It is an attack on individualism as it seeks to assign all of the world's problems to groups. I am tired of hearing the old argument about how wrong the white man is for keeping most of the "african americans" or "minorities" in poverty or projects. Hell, it's a possibility for everyone at least in the US to be successful in some degree, all they have to start doing is use that scary idealogy of individual responsibility instead of blaming all the problems on groups and class warfare.

[CherTon]

I have always wondered were the word african american came from.

Then the word irish american.

If your ancestors where born in a different country came to a different country.Then I believe automatically you are either American,English or the nationality where you were born not give people these fancy titles.

I don't think "white is used much anymore the word is caucasian.

I'm yet to look up the meaning.

[glockfan]

I don't think "white is used much anymore the word is caucasian.

I have never heard in passing conversation or on any board i read anyone referred to as Caucasion. it is always "white"

[FearMeAll]

I don't think "white is used much anymore the word is caucasian.

I have never heard in passing conversation or on any board i read anyone referred to as Caucasion. it is always "white"

I don't really hear Jesse Jackson refer to the white man as caucasion. :p

[Fotix]

Why are white people called "whites" and black people called "African Americans" ? why can't they just be called black?

Beats me. I use white & caucasian intechangeably while speaking or posting most of the time... sometimes anglo too. They're just words. Same thing with African-American or black. If one has a problem with how someone chooses to label themself, the thing to do would be to take it up with them. If you want to be called Irish-American, then call yourself that. More power to 'ya :)

Also Someone made the comment about shooting down hate crime bills. They should be shot down. Hate Crime Bills are stupid. You are putting a higher price on the lives or well being of a group. If you kill someone, then you should get the same penalty no matter white, black, gay, straight, etc.

Hate crime legislation is just there for additional penalties if the murder was committed because of prejudice; it's also there to punish abuse by neo-nazis and skinheads or people attacking mentally handicap people. It's also there for churches if they are burned down just because of someone(s)' pure hatred. It varies from state to state. It was also put into place because of the lasting psychological effects a hate crime has versus other crimes where the motives are different. Lynchmob was the case with Matt Shepard who was killed just because he was homosexual.

[glockfan]

It is not an issue of one labeling oneself. It is society's pathetic need to be PC. My Friend's school is another example. FOrbidded to refer to a black person as black but as african american. But calling a caucasian white is ok. pathetic. Sadly enough, i do see vaild points in your hate crime statements. Now I must cut a finger off for punishment. ;)

[kjordan2001]

Blacks are called African Americans these days because blacks complained about it. White people don't usually complain about being called white. But it seems more and more blacks get offended at being called black.

[Fotix]

Blacks are called African Americans these days because blacks complained about it.  White people don't usually complain about being called white.  But it seems more and more blacks get offended at being called black.

I dunno. I have a very small group of black friends who don't care one way or the other... It doesn't surprise me that there are some complainers out there. I imagine if the population make-up of the U.S. was different, the black majority of the U.S. would simply call themselves Americans and maybe the "whites" would call themselves Anglo-Americans or Italian-Americans or what have you. It's a sort of envy because of status, perhaps.

Can any "Europeans" or other non-U.S. chime in? Is it all really silly? :p

[Ryne]

I'm black, and live in canada. I'm not called african-canadian or whatever someone wants to make up. I don't mind if you call me black, brown, orange, as long as you do not disrespect me because of my race. Really, I don't see a point in all the labelling; it can extend the life of hatred towards others.

Anyway, don't mind my statements, I'm just starting up on Neowin again :)

[FearMeAll]

I really do hope hate crime legislation doesn't go very far..it opens the door to all sorts of intrusions that can and most likely will make America more like a police state. Also someone would have to do to win a case is tag "hate crime" on the end of it and win regardless of what the defendant has to offer. You see how many people get off of crimes too because they throw race into the mix..like OJ Simpson..he had the case won as soon as it got turned from a murder trial to a racist issue. Hate Crime Laws end up screwing over normal people..it has good intentions, very idealisitic, but again would flounder in the real world where dishonest people would take horrible advantage of it.

[FearMeAll]

Really, I don't see a point in all the labelling; it can extend the life of hatred towards others.

Exactly, labeling people in groups like this only helps further divide society and only brings racism to a new light. Yeah, it's just a harmless label by itself, but the way those terms are asserted almost every day seems to reinforce this notion of dissention with people of different color.

[Joel]

IMO, If you are using a term to describe your ethnicity, use the right one.

I am white, or caucasian. That is my race. If I had been born in Africa or China, I would be African or Chinese. Not my race, but my nationality. Too many people think that their nationality is a race. People of the Jewish faith and people of Italian origin are two examples I can think of where I have experienced this attitude personally where I live. You can be Jewish AND African, and most Italians are caucasian.

Terms to describe one's ethnicity accurately apparently are not accepted.

Black people are negroid.

White people are caucasian.

Asian people are mongoloid.

Indian people (East Indian, any other kind is just a name given by uneducated white people) have a name unknown to me right now.

These are not very PC names and so they are not used very much. But they are the only accurate ones.

[FearMeAll]

True silly_walk, very true. If any of those ethnic terms were used someone would be sued for millions, except for saying caucasion.

Still, the political correct terms ARE used to describe race even though they are used incorrectly.

[glockfan]

It is a shame that in america, we can't get over the fact that while it shoved down our throats that we are all the same, we AREN'T. Instead of trying to hide our differences, open honest talk would be all that is needed.

[FearMeAll]

It is a shame that in america, we can't get over the fact that while it shoved down our throats that we are all the same, we AREN'T. Instead of trying to hide our differences, open honest talk would be all that is needed.

I'm afraid open and honest talk just won't happen in my lifetime on a large scale. Instead, we are pretty much forced to walk on eggshells when talking in educational circles as well as media and political especially.

hate crime bills would only make these divides even worse....

[glockfan]

I'm afraid open and honest talk just won't happen in my lifetime on a large scale. Instead, we are pretty much forced to walk on eggshells when talking in educational circles as well as media and political especially.

hate crime bills would only make these divides even worse....

Agreed :ninja:

[Zero_the_Kamikaze_Squirrel]

Silly_Walk I am pretty sure that the three you labeled where the only 3 "original" races. That said, there has been so much interracial mating that I doubt there is a single pure negroid, mongloid, or caucasiod(sp?) alive. I refuse to use the term African American unless referring to a citizen of the U.S. who was born in Africa but migrated. If you want to be known by your nationality, that's fine, but if you were born in America then you are American, I don't care what colour your skin is or what race you are. I'm not calling anyone an African American if you weren't born (and probably have never lived) there. (On a humorous note, it was great to see how during the last Olympics, some commentators refered to the athletes from places such as Jamaica and Africa as African Americans. Talk about stupid.) Also, there are a great number of people with dark brown skin who were never African. I simply refuse to group people by skin tone, so in general I have no use for such terms anyway. The colour of one's skin is only important when physically describing a person, and there is not a person alive with "black" skin. Dark brown, yes, black, no. The term "black" and "african american" (as most people use it) only serve to seperate people into groups. Anyone that uses or accepts such terms is a fool and deserves whatever negative treatment they get.

Hate crime laws just reinforce barriers that we have set up between people. If you commit a violent crime, it's still hate. People don't go around shooting people or destroying other people's property because they LIKE those people. Raise the stakes for all violent crimes, not just crimes committed against certain artificially created groups. Hate crime laws imply that one person's like is more important than another's due to their skin colour, ethnicity, religion, or physical condition. Sorry friends, but that IS RACISM. People try to fight this argument by saying it's not about the victim having more rights, it's about the attacker's motivation. Well, sorry, but that is total BS. No one kills someone they don't hate (unless it is in self-defense). So that argument just doesn't hold up. So the other option then, the truth, is that hate crime laws are racists.

[Zero_the_Kamikaze_Squirrel]

Just to clarify, I am not saying that all people are the SAME. I am saying that all people are EQUAL (yes there is a difference). Every single person is a completely unique individual. In that sense, they are equal in their inviduality.

[glockfan]

I refuse to use the term African American unless referring to a citizen of the U.S. who was born in Africa but migrated.

If they are a US citizen born anywhere aren't they just american? So If i am an american citizen born in Ireland, you will call me a Irish-American?

[Joel]

Silly_Walk I am pretty sure that the three you labeled where the only 3 "original" races. -snipped-

I'm confused, but I think I agree with you.

[username]

does it really freaking matter, who cares

[aem4162]

...So If i am an american citizen born in Ireland, you will call me a Irish-American?

I dunno. You would have dual Irish and American citizenship because you were born on Irish soil to American parents. I think that still goes - my best friend was born in England when her family was stationed there at an RAF base. She had British-American citizenship but eventually dropped the British citizenship.

I personally think that if you come here and become a citizen, you are dual - Italian-American, Japanese-American...whatever. When your children are born here, they are American. They can refer to themselves as American with whatever ancestry if they have.

I hate the African-American label. There is no country called Africa. Africa is a CONTINENT made up of many countries.

I will from now on refer to myself as an German-English-Scottish-Irish-French American until we get over this stupid pc crap even though my ancestors immigrated to America between 1740 and about 1880 or 1890. It was so easy when I was just an American.

[Zero_the_Kamikaze_Squirrel]

If you are born on American soil, you're an American. If you were born in another country but immigrated to America you are a "German, Irish, Egyptian, etc. American".

True there is no country called Africa but South Africa is a country ;)

The term African American is really quite rediculous. I mean, if you don't even know the country or (in the case that your ancestors came to America from a place that was not organized into a nation at the time) the tribe/village your ancestors are from how can you take any pride in your heritage, much less enough to label yourself.

[kombolcha]

and don't get your ethnicity and race mixed up... ;) and did you know that egytians and ethiopians are caucasian? its true!

i was born in Ethiopia, but i live in the united states .... does that make me an Ethiopian-American or African American and i also have 25% italian in me... ETHIOPIAN-ITALIAN-AMERICAN :blink: i saw this on some legal document once.

The term African American is really quite rediculous

well.. people are comfortable with saying african american instead of congo-american or zambian-american. this could work for the immigrants which have new african blood... but most black/african-american people i know.. (their famalies have been living in the U.S. for more than 3 - 4 generations) do not really know their true backrounds because they were enslaved and most have lost their names because they took on the names of their "master"