Political Crossfire Forums

Tono · Joined: 23 Jan 2005 Posts: 11733 Location: Mounted

Can someone post a list of acceptable labels which may be used to seperate Americans based on ethnicity and/or religion?

Mahalo.

The Newb · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 2665

japanese-american
chinese-american
korean-american
african-american
ect.ect.

now if you want to be "politically correct" these labels are appropriate. i just prefer to call them americans if they are such, they became americans, and should be labeled as such

mr.snruB · Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 7136 Location: Ontario, Canada

I don't use labels like that. Most of the time they're incorrect and idiotic. African American and Native American comes to mind

The Newb · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 2665

mr.snruB wrote: I don't use labels like that. Most of the time they're incorrect and idiotic.

that was my point

bigstick61 · Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 6:59 pm Post subject:

I met a guy who was South African and white and black people used to get mad at him when he said he was an African-American. He used to reply, "I was born and raised in Africa. Have you even BEEN to Africa?" These labels, while PC, are stupid in my opinion. You are either American, or you are not. Ethnicities are not nationality based per se.

Somebloke · Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 2475 Location: London

I work with white and black or asian or whatever. If people dislike the label, I change it. It's a matter of simplicity for me, and if you don't like it, well I don't care enough not to change it.

Mind you, anyone who tries to get me to call them a 'real Australian' is asking for trouble.

Prof_2k7 · Joined: 19 Oct 2006 Posts: 253 Location: Virginia

The only one I hear fairly regularly is "African-American." My Asian friends either call themselves American or whatever their original nationality (Indian, Chinese, etc) happens to be.

I find this particularly odd as the connection modern American blacks have to Africa is tenuous at best. They are infinitely more "American" than a current German immigrant or a Japanese transplant. I personally think labels applied to people of dark(er) skin pigmant, etc is blatently racist. Heck, if I were black, I'd rather be called African-American than "negro"... but if MLK's dream ever materializes, I'd simply want to be called an American.

Marzelvane · Joined: 19 Oct 2006 Posts: 93

if you are an American citizen then you are called an American, i don't care if you're black, white, purple, whatever.

Now, if somebody wanted to inquire about race and nationality then maybe you could call a black person a black-american. or you could call an asian a yellow-american. :-P

LostSoul3412 · Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 7787

Tono wrote: Can someone post a list of acceptable labels which may be used to seperate Americans based on ethnicity and/or religion?

American.

Tono wrote: Mahalo.

No thanks, I'm allergic.

bigstick61 · Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:17 pm Post subject:

When I'm referring to race, I usually use terms like oriental, asian, middle-eastern, negro, white/caucasian, hispanic, etc.

Lumina · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 16182

Prof_2k7 wrote: The only one I hear fairly regularly is "African-American." My Asian friends either call themselves American or whatever their original nationality (Indian, Chinese, etc) happens to be.

I find this particularly odd as the connection modern American blacks have to Africa is tenuous at best. They are infinitely more "American" than a current German immigrant or a Japanese transplant. I personally think labels applied to people of dark(er) skin pigmant, etc is blatently racist. Heck, if I were black, I'd rather be called African-American than "negro"... but if MLK's dream ever materializes, I'd simply want to be called an American.

Conservative econ. prof and commentator Walter Williams wrote a great piece a couple of years back--I'm looking for it now--on labeling and how he once was "colored," and then he was "Negro," and he even got used to "black." And that's how he self-describes now--because he got to a certain age and sensibility and decided "African-American" was really just too much work, LOL.

Prof_2k7 · Joined: 19 Oct 2006 Posts: 253 Location: Virginia

Lumina wrote: Prof_2k7 wrote: The only one I hear fairly regularly is "African-American." My Asian friends either call themselves American or whatever their original nationality (Indian, Chinese, etc) happens to be.

I find this particularly odd as the connection modern American blacks have to Africa is tenuous at best. They are infinitely more "American" than a current German immigrant or a Japanese transplant. I personally think labels applied to people of dark(er) skin pigmant, etc is blatently racist. Heck, if I were black, I'd rather be called African-American than "negro"... but if MLK's dream ever materializes, I'd simply want to be called an American.

Conservative econ. prof and commentator Walter Williams wrote a great piece a couple of years back--I'm looking for it now--on labeling and how he once was "colored," and then he was "Negro," and he even got used to "black." And that's how he self-describes now--because he got to a certain age and sensibility and decided "African-American" was really just too much work, LOL.

lol, no doubt. I just counted and noticed that its 7 syllables to use that to label oneself. What a pain in the butt that would be!

sLiPpY · Joined: 24 Nov 2004 Posts: 9661

We're all Homo Sapiens. That's about the extent of it. :wink:

mr.snruB · Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 7136 Location: Ontario, Canada

bigstick61 wrote: When I'm referring to race, I usually use terms like oriental, asian, middle-eastern, negro, white/caucasian, hispanic, etc.

:lol: I'm sure that goes over well

jawsome · Joined: 17 Jan 2004 Posts: 13406 Location: Berkeley

I call myself Low Saxon-Flemish-American.

Centrist · Joined: 08 Mar 2004 Posts: 3997

I call myself a mutt, even though I'm mostly English/Scottish.

VinceDee · Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:52 pm Post subject:

This was also discussed in this recent topic:

http://www.politicalcrossfire.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=70292

As soon as people start automatically knowing that they are supposed to call me Guamanian-American, then I'll start referring to others as hyphenated-Americans.

Vince

Lumina · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 16182

Prof_2k7 wrote: Lumina wrote: Prof_2k7 wrote: The only one I hear fairly regularly is "African-American." My Asian friends either call themselves American or whatever their original nationality (Indian, Chinese, etc) happens to be.

I find this particularly odd as the connection modern American blacks have to Africa is tenuous at best. They are infinitely more "American" than a current German immigrant or a Japanese transplant. I personally think labels applied to people of dark(er) skin pigmant, etc is blatently racist. Heck, if I were black, I'd rather be called African-American than "negro"... but if MLK's dream ever materializes, I'd simply want to be called an American.

Conservative econ. prof and commentator Walter Williams wrote a great piece a couple of years back--I'm looking for it now--on labeling and how he once was "colored," and then he was "Negro," and he even got used to "black." And that's how he self-describes now--because he got to a certain age and sensibility and decided "African-American" was really just too much work, LOL.

lol, no doubt. I just counted and noticed that its 7 syllables to use that to label oneself. What a pain in the butt that would be!

Not to mention the hyphen!

FL Conservative · Joined: 28 Jul 2004 Posts: 82 Location: Pensacola, FL

mr.snruB wrote: I don't use labels like that. Most of the time they're incorrect and idiotic. African American and Native American comes to mind

you may not wan't any labels on people but the minorities do...

Tono · Joined: 23 Jan 2005 Posts: 11733 Location: Mounted

FL Conservative wrote: you may not wan't any labels on people but the minorities do...

I don't know of any.