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I wonder why this organization doesn't seem as concerned about nomenclature as some who get their panits in a wad?
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.
Actually, at 61 you are closer to the middle of the Baby Boomer generation. Someone who is 54 or 55 is on the younger end of the Boomer generation, which officially encompasses the years 1946-1984.
Not 1984. I think you meant 1964.
So we tried to correct my Asian mother in law who refers to her people as Oriental — but she’s in her 90s and it’s hard to break habits. Plus I feel pretty stupid being a white chick telling an Asian how to refer to herself so I dropped it.
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Originally Posted by wasel
Not 1984. I think you meant 1964.
So we tried to correct my Asian mother in law who refers to her people as Oriental — but she’s in her 90s and it’s hard to break habits. Plus I feel pretty stupid being a white chick telling an Asian how to refer to herself so I dropped it.
Exactly. If she's Asian herself, and calls them Oriental, it's hard to find fault.
I don't get why "Oriental" is offensive, actually. It wasn't meant to be.
(Remembers an episode of King of the Hill, where a Laotian family moved into the neighborhood. In conversation, after hearing he was Laotian, one of the neighbors said uh huh, but are you Japanese, or Chinese?)
Oriental does mean from the orient as in to describe a specific geographical location or to describe a manufactured thing or artifact or jewel or other item that has its origin in the orient. But oriental is not a race and it's not acceptable as a noun, nor to describe a person or race of people. However, as we older baby boomers all know, it did get used as a reference to people or race at one time, right up until about 50 years ago..
Ah, I see. Thank you! I had seen the word “oriental” during my genealogy research & it did throw me waaay off base because I found a reference to “Ashkenazi Jews” but they also used the term “Oriental Jews” & it did confuse me (a lot).
Being offended over words is a waste of energy. The words are not the problem. Its your reaction to the words, because of the ideas YOU have formed about the words.
I think that's one thing that people resent, is all this fake outrage over Political Correctness and all these "speech codes" designed to coddle everyone.
So we tried to correct my Asian mother in law who refers to her people as Oriental — but she’s in her 90s and it’s hard to break habits. Plus I feel pretty stupid being awhite chick telling an Asian how to refer to herself so I dropped it.
Rachel, is that you? LOL. Anyone get my reference? Hint: YouTube couple (Jun) with cats. Check them out.
I definitely did mean to type 1964. Those blasted numbers, not on my favorite QWERTY rows, so I hunt and peck up there. Sheesh. Big boo-boo. Thanks for catching it.
Whoo hoo, you haven't been in the schools lately. The terminology can change very year.
Yes, I have. And no, it doesn't.
I worked in the public school system for a couple of decades, until a few years ago. Still have many family and friends involved very closely with schools. Nice try, though.
When I was a kid, I remember that black people were called "Negroes" or "colored people", and then I remember reading that "black" was the preferred term, so that's what I always used. "Afro-American" was around for a while but never came into common use, and then "African-American" came into play later on.
Then "people of color" came into fashion, and I found it amusing that it was acceptable but "colored people" was not. It's just a rearrangement of the same words, but then again, "colored" was often used with the connotation of meaning "less than".
Language is interesting and changes constantly. If someone isn't paying attention, they could very well be unwittingly offensive.
In the end, it's easier just to say "people".
Isnt it just MQ...... Someone in high places sits there with not much to do and deems a certain word wrong and decides to change it forever, sitting there smug in the knowledge theyve changed the world.... when another word was doing no harm.....I think coloured was a nicer term than black, and not offensive , but who am I to say...
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Anyone get my reference? Hint: YouTube couple (Jun) with cats. Check them out.
