Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
There were no "native" Americans. Those who came over the Bering Strait migrated here just as the Europeans did. Those who mated with the Spaniards afterwards created the Mestizo mixed race.
Then by your logic, the only indigenous humans in the world live in Africa, everyone else is a migrant, even those that live in Europe today
What I had asked before, and what I am asking now is a question of semantics. I'm an American who lives in Malaysia. In Malaysia, it is very common to hear Malaysians refer to Native Americans as "Red Indians." When I first heard it I was shocked because I had never heard that term before and it reminded me a bit of the Washington Redskins debate. But then I thought, "why am I the one getting uncomfortable hearing this term...I'm not even Native American." The Malaysians I know aren't using it to be offensive. They're using to differentiate American Indians from Indians from India.
So my question to my Native American/American Indian/First Nations friends is: Do you consider the term "Red Indian" offensive?
**I'd like to ask everyone responding NOT to turn this into a debate about "political correctness" or as an excuse to air your racist views.***
I am part American Indian, but that's not the ethnicity that I normally identify with. In other countries, I hear red Indian used too, but it's not used in a way meant as an insult, so why would it be offensive? Many try to find insult where none is intended. Most American Indians prefer Indian over the term Native American, btw.
I am part American Indian, but that's not the ethnicity that I normally identify with. In other countries, I hear red Indian used too, but it's not used in a way meant as an insult, so why would it be offensive? Many try to find insult where none is intended. Most American Indians prefer Indian over the term Native American, btw.
I would think using the 'american' as a descriptive should be offensive to that 'american' Indian. But how else would one separate that Indian from an 'eastern' Indian (from India)? And when does 'native' become an operable term?
If I were to offend an Indian by calling him 'american' then I would apologize and ask what he would prefer as that descriptive and use that term, for that Indian. But I would not make that change universally. Too bad.
The English language is far too wide spread and fluid. Some one, some where is going to be offended by terms for which there is no absolute criteria. As in blacks, or are the African-American (oops, that offensive american thing, again), or n/words. In this forum alone you can't use the term I . N . J. U . N, for Indian.
Where are the limits? Who establishes the criteria?
Even liberals are offended by the use of 'Obama' when supplanted as the name of health care. It may be time to grow some thick skin rather than 'we' become text books mimics.
Status:
"It Can't Rain All The Time"
(set 28 days ago)
Location: North Pacific
15,754 posts, read 7,592,007 times
Reputation: 2576
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheHurricaneKid
That logic is correct, yes.
Not from what I have read on Ancient Civilizations and migrations of those civilizations. One article written up on research findings said not all came out of Africa like we once thought. Another article disclosed that Columbus was not the first to discover America but like the 3rd or 4th.
I've spent some time reading the science mags and journals and publications by anthropologists and even though I find them fascinating, unfortunately I don't keep the articles book marked for just an occasion such as this.
All I can say at this point is, you may want to rethink that logic.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
