h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Again, if they want to call themselves African-American then let them, who are you to say 'no, you cannot call yourselves that, this is really a better descriptive term for you.' The link to Africa may seem whimsical or flimsy to you, but it is a reality for them. If some see the word 'black' as racist, they probably have reason to see it such (maybe not good reasons to you or me, but important reasons to them). If someone told me that they found such-and-such a word offensive then I probably would not go around calling them it, even if it was the most descriptive term - unless I did not like that person, in which case too bad on them

For the examples given - if your colleague called himself Danish, then who am I to argue? If he calls himself Korean, again who am I to argue? You decide what is important in your own life, you decide who you are and what you are called.

Even though you see yourself as Danish and working in Ireland, a lot of Daily Mail readers in Britain (and probably whatever the equivilent is in Ireland) will see you as Johnny Foreigner, in to steal their jobs, money and women. Doesn't mean that you now have to call yourself JFian and report to a police station each day. Even though these people think it is a better decriptive term for you and you should have to report there each day. You decide what your designation is.

The final bit is the Nigereans (if that is their country of origin) be they immigrants, students or workers. Until informed otherwise I would see them as Nigerean. If they interbreed with the local populace then the F1 offspring I would probably call Irish-Nigerean until informed otherwise. Maybe that is just my genetics background, though

On another note African-American is a fairly good descriptive term, if you see it as a sort of shortening of American with African Ancestors. Well, that is enough yabbling from me for now work calls Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

>>Then just Black would seem better.<<

If they're not african they certainly cant be "black" either. Ever seen a black person? I never have and I've lived in Africa all my life. Met a really dark blue-brown person before from west africa . . . but never met a black person.

My point is that this refference to people as "african" when they've not had anything to do with africa in 5 generations or "black" when really their skin is some shade of brown amounts to about the same thing. Calling things what they really are would sound rediculous, which maybe exposes how rediculous trying to categorise things by colour or ancient history is.

Can you imagine? " The deep chocolate brown person over there who's great-great grandfather was the grandson of an African slave wants to share chocolate cake with the peachy-cream coloured woman with orange hair whose great-great grandfather was born somewhere in Ireland." In essence a guy wants to share a piece of cake with a woman. Is all the ret really relevant anyway? (unless its to support our prejudices).

I have to do something for a class called "current events" so if theres anything so interesting that itll capture highschoolers, im all ears! thanx!
cheers
ford

*meekly*
OK Atom Boy. I just got annoyed that one comment was blown so completely out of proportion that it 'became' a political-racist-anti-other-people statement.


Current events? That interests teenagers? Something a little easier, Ford. Like relocating the Rockies.

Did you know that India is building a security fence across Kashmir? Isn't that disputed territory?

ya thats true....
so tell me about the fence! that might intrest them!... it intresed me... so....
cheers
ford

try googling it. I only know that it hasn't hit the international court yet. Maybe you could reccomend it. That would make some news for you. (Esp. if you're in it. )

Beyers Naude died yesterday in SA. He was an anti-aparteid activist and by all accounts an exceptional man. He's one of the few people that proved (here) that not all people with light skins and european geneology are evil and insensitive.

Keep passing open windows
Kosh

huh? whoezat?
cheers
ford

Maybe Xanatic is of Boer decent?

I agree with Xanatic's comment. The original post had thinly disguised racist undertones.

Imagine a European posting something similar on the death of somebody like Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela died yesterday in SA. He was an anti-apartheid activist and by all accounts an exceptional man. He's one of the few people that proved (here being Europe) that not all people with dark skins and African genealogy are evil and insensitive.

All I have changed is the name and a couple of words. Imagine the uproar that would cause! Quite right as wel because it is not accurate or true, anymore than the Koshana's post is accurate or true.

Donald

Wow, when people have so many buttons its hard not to push some of them, some of the time. Ok, so people of european geneological backgrounds held multiple tribes of people in virtual slavery for 400 years on the southern tip of africa. Fact. Not predudice or bigotry. Just the truth of it. And even those who weren't nescessarily "evil" allowed it - nay - even encouraged it. Ok.
So the general perception - with some heavy weight behind it - of the native african - was that those of european geneology were insensitive and if not evil, then allowed a lot of really dispicable stuff to go on without saying a word - which really is the same thing I think.
So during the Apardheid years, Beyers Naude provided a visable counter to the perception, which was a great thing for african people whose only exposure to lighter skinned africans was through public servants and policemen and woman who would arrest them for being in the wrong places or for not carrying a "pass" book.

Just by the way though - the reverse, as bizaare as it sounds is also true. For many Afrikaans-born and bred racists - Nelson Mandela does stand as an icon that disproves their shared perception that not all people of native african backgrounds are evil (or more acurately - stupid). I have no doubt that when (and we hope its not soon) but when Nelson Mandela passes on, some Afrikaaner somewhere will grudgingly admit that Madiba stood as a counter to the perception that all native africans are stupid and natural-born criminals.

People like Beyers and Nelson created the chinks in the armour of historical prejudices, then its up to the next generation to tear the rest down.

You may not like the way the world is, it doesn't change the facts - or absolve anyone of the resonsibilities we all bear for "the sins of our fathers".

KPOW!
Kosh

"The original post had thinly disguised racist undertones."

Don't talk nonsense! It was the complete opposite of a racist post!

The original post implied that all people with light skins and of European descent are evil and insenitive as the norm and that Beyers Naude is the exception.

That is probably not what Kishana meant to say, but that is how it comes over.

Donald

Not if you read it correctly it doesn't. It is quite clear that what is meant is that he was exceptional for what he achieved and in no way implies that he was the exception to a rule that all "whites" are evil. But rather that he was one of the few that started South Africa's people on what is still a long and difficult path of dispelling the ingrained myths of both sides.

Thats the problem with the English language. It is so precise that precision is required to get your meaning over without misunderstanding.

A better wording might have been:

He's one of the few people that dispelled the perception (here) that not all people with light skins and European genealogy are evil and insensitive.


Donald

*Koshana thinks maybe Donald has issues and is reading a reflection of those issues into her post.* Hmmmm.

Sorry if I inadvertantly pushed buttons there Donald, but I think my wording was sufficient to express what I meant.

and Keep passing open windows.


Kosh

Although I didn't react to the posting the way Donald did I can see the point he is making. Also he didn't yikes the post but chose to explain why he disliked the post here which deserves respect.

I can see the point he is making as well. But it is a groundless point. His own Nelson Mandela example proves just how groundless his own point is.
And if you genuinely believe a post is inappropriate you should yikes it.