Visible miniority BS

[Fryk]

I've got a better umbrella term.

Person.

Rapscallion

Yeah, but that just puts you on equal footing with Mrs Swann from MadTV when trying to describe someone.

"He look... like a man."

[HYHYBT]

The only umbrella term I can think of at the moment is "bumbershoot."

[Rapscallion]

I've got a better umbrella term.

Person.

Rapscallion

[Wingates_Hellsing]

I propose a new umbrella terms:

Westerner-Americans for anyone from Europe.

Not-Westerner-Americans for everyone else.

My logic is undeniable

[Fryk]

Hehe, call a typical egyptian an african-american, and see how people look at you. It's fun, I've done it.

[RootedPhoenix]

...........except you could just say that he had lighter skin or darker skin. Talk about shades or undertones. Even if you said someone was Black, that encompasses a range of shades. And then what will you do if someone happens to have a mixed racial background? You can't just say "he's of mixed ethnicity", as that doesn't offer any conclusive information. If you were, however, to say that he had tan skin with olive undertones, or pale skin with red undertones, you've got a better description, I think.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

You could just call people... people...
I like how one of my classmates who is mixed race put it when I asked what he would technically classify himself as, white, black or mixed, and he said "I would classify myself as Robert." touche.

All very funny until it's time to describe them. Seriously, while skin color shouldn't be a factor in whether or not someone is a good worker or good person, it's still a vital part of their appearance and their ethnicity is a vital part of who they are.

"So what did this guy look like?"

"6 maybe 6-2 with short black hair and all blue clothes"

"Anything else?"

"He looked like a Robert, maybe a Rob"

"..."

[smileyeagle1021]

The only times I have ever been given harsh looks for referring to someone as black, it's always been from someone who's WHITE.

Although I also find it kind of silly that black people are referred to as "black". I have never EVER met a someone whose skin color was actually black. Although perhaps it was at night, and I just didn't notice them...

I have also never met a "white" person who was actually white. Even an albino's skin is kind of pinkish.

We need more color-accurate terms!

You could just call people... people...
I like how one of my classmates who is mixed race put it when I asked what he would technically classify himself as, white, black or mixed, and he said "I would classify myself as Robert." touche.

[Boozy]

I don't think I've ever used the term "African-American". It would seldom make sense, since I live in Canada.

Like KnitShoni, I don't like it because it implies a person born in the continent of Africa who emigrated to the U.S. 9 times out of 10 that's not what the speaker means.

It's absurd to call a sixth or seventh generation American an "African-American". They're about as African as I am Scottish, which is to say, not at all.

[Fryk]

The only times I have ever been given harsh looks for referring to someone as black, it's always been from someone who's WHITE.

Although I also find it kind of silly that black people are referred to as "black". I have never EVER met a someone whose skin color was actually black. Although perhaps it was at night, and I just didn't notice them...

I have also never met a "white" person who was actually white. Even an albino's skin is kind of pinkish.

We need more color-accurate terms!

[KnitShoni]

One of these days (hopefully VERY soon), companies will realize the quotas do "visible" minorities not one damned bit of good. Why? Because those of us who bust ass to earn what we have are assumed to have gotten it ONLY because of quotas. I'm sorry. I didn't put in years of work, practice, sweat, getting my ass beat for grades below a B, for some guy to give me a job just because I was born Black and/or female.

[KnitShoni]

Oh I know, 7/10 times I catch shit for saying 'black' instead of 'African-American' it's some stick-up-the-ass hippy-type liberal flapping their jaw Doesn't help that public schools (or at least mine) insisted we don't use the term 'black' despite everything.

You know what I've noticed? A lot of Black people who insist on being called African-American only insist on it from other races.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

As far as that, not all of us use African-American to describe ourselves. A lot of us refuse to because we feel the term better describes people who were born in Africa, then became citizens here, or have immediate ancestors (parents/grandparents) who have done so. That, and the fact that there are so many non-Black Africans in the world, means it CAN'T accurately be used to describe all Black people in the US.

Oh I know, 7/10 times I catch shit for saying 'black' instead of 'African-American' it's some stick-up-the-ass hippy-type liberal flapping their jaw Doesn't help that public schools (or at least mine) insisted we don't use the term 'black' despite everything.

[Gravekeeper]

Damn, kiwi. Didn't you move to BC? Where the heck are you applying that's pulling this stuff on you?

Hell, I can name two temp companies off the top of my head that almost exclusively send us Brits, Aussies and Zealanders whenever we need extra staff ( Which is fairly regularly depending on whats going on ). They liven the place up. -.-

[KnitShoni]

Seriously though:
It's not overly surprising to me that there are those who think 'black' when they hear African-American. Especially since it's become the PC way to refer to blacks regardless of their heritage. Doesn't make it any less retarded that they reacted the way they did.

As far as that, not all of us use African-American to describe ourselves. A lot of us refuse to because we feel the term better describes people who were born in Africa, then became citizens here, or have immediate ancestors (parents/grandparents) who have done so. That, and the fact that there are so many non-Black Africans in the world, means it CAN'T accurately be used to describe all Black people in the US.