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20 Mar 11 - 06:10 PM (#3117792) Subject: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: Naemanson I was filling out a job application to be a teacher next year. When I got to the space for ethnic origin I refused to call myself "white." Here is Guam white is a minority. I am vastly out numbered by people whose ethnic origins are Chinese, Korean, the Philippines, Japan, the Caroline Islands, Yap, Chuuk, Palau, Pohnpei, and more. White, as a race and as a color, is outnumbered. I thought about it. They use African-American for black people. Hispanics used to be call Spanish-Americans. There are Filipino-Americans. Indians are Native-Americans. So I've decided to try something new. European-American! It fits, it's fair, and I like the sound of it. European-American doesn't sound as elitist as "white" and it is more accurate. Let's give it a try. From now on I ask those who have to fill out forms and anything else that refers to your ethnic origins to use this term. When speaking with friends and acquaintances about ethnicity please use European-American to replace the former word White. Now, here's how this works. New words are invented and once they've been in use for several years the people who write and update dictionaries begin to notice them. If a word appears to be fairly common then it gets included and becomes an official word. So, we've got our work cut out for us. Let's get rid of the last color distinction and join the rest of the human race as their equals, not as the snobby ex-enslaver and colonizer. |
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20 Mar 11 - 06:25 PM (#3117798) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: Doug Chadwick Hispanics used to be call Spanish-Americans. As Spain is in Europe, Hispanics could also claim to be European-American. Which designation would you suggest they use? DC |
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20 Mar 11 - 06:30 PM (#3117800) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: pdq Albania is also in Europe and most of its people are followers of Islam. |
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20 Mar 11 - 07:01 PM (#3117811) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: Ebbie Pdq, the subject is ethnicity, not religion. :) |
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20 Mar 11 - 10:38 PM (#3117926) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: Naemanson The Spanish already lay claim to Hispanic. I don't care which one they use but I believe the majority of people of Spanish ancestry would continue using Hispanic. Besides, I'm not all that sure that Spanish, from Spain, call themselves Hispanic. I think they call themselves... Spanish. |
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21 Mar 11 - 04:56 PM (#3118520) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: Q (Frank Staplin) Similarly a black born in England could call himself a European American- |
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21 Mar 11 - 05:06 PM (#3118528) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: jeffp I knew a white guy born in Zimbabwe who could call himself African-American. |
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21 Mar 11 - 06:06 PM (#3118556) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: artbrooks Well, white is a color, and just about nobody who is a member of the so-called "white race" is actually that color. Come to think of it, the same is true of black. I generally respond to these questionnaires with "other" or "decline to say"...if pressed, I say, "human". Anyone who thinks that he/she is a pure anything is seriously deluded. |
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21 Mar 11 - 06:24 PM (#3118576) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: GUEST,mark-s(on the road) We need some kind of standard which measures how much pigmentation is in the skin to determine just what race you are. Oops - wait a minute - There was such in South Africa in the past and it was called the Race Classification Board. Helped enforce apartheit. Never mind. |
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21 Mar 11 - 07:20 PM (#3118607) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: gnu If I ever get to the space for ethnic origin I will leave it blank. If I am forced to fill it in, "Fuck off" would be tempting. |
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21 Mar 11 - 07:27 PM (#3118614) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: Richard Bridge Pink-skinned? |
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21 Mar 11 - 08:03 PM (#3118639) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: freda underhill This is a timely thread, as 21 March is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination! I haven't been required ever in Australia to record my race. |
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21 Mar 11 - 08:12 PM (#3118647) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: Q (Frank Staplin) Dolicocephalic, brachycephalic and acephalic- Recently saw an article stating dolicocephalic cats are more beautiful than brachycephalic. Should they be segregated? |
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21 Mar 11 - 08:53 PM (#3118665) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: Bee-dubya-ell The form Naemanson was filling out didn't ask for "race". It specifically asked for "ethnic origin". They don't necessarily mean the same thing. I think it's ironic that a modern-day island culture would even care about ethnicity since intermarriages tend to wipe out most ethnic distinctions within a few generations anyway. If a white person rears a child on an island like Guam, the chances of that child marrying another white person are many times less than they'd be in a larger culture like the mainland US. |
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21 Mar 11 - 09:00 PM (#3118673) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: Leadfingers I am (To A Certain Extent) content to insert 'White' if I HAVE to , but think I am a bit more Pink than white , though I CAN go a little bit Light Brown IF we ever get enough Sun ! I DO like your European American Brett !! |
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21 Mar 11 - 09:01 PM (#3118674) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: gnu I googled that Q. I knew not of these definitions of such physical characteristics. And now that I do, I don't really care anymore than I did before about same. Nonetheless, I am glad I got out of bed today as I now know more than I did yesterday. Not a whole lot more but, nonetheless, more. |
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22 Mar 11 - 07:49 PM (#3119401) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: Naemanson I never considered my personal color to be white. When I was very young I was pink(ish). Now I am multiple shades of beige. Any way you look at it I am not white. I have never been anywhere that makes more of race and national origin than Guam. It seems to be important to everyone but me. They sell bumper stickers that proclaim their ethnic origin and what mix of ethnicities they are. Wakana (my wife) is Japanese and proud of that. She claims she can tell Koreans and Chinese just by looking at them. Usually the first question anyone asks when talking about someone who is mentioned in the paper and TV is what their ethnic origin is. I don't think there are any negative comments involved but it is a point of interest. You never here "Oh he's Chinese, what do you expect?" It's just not done. And here in the middle of this is poor li'l ol' me. I had all of that educated out of me at some point over the last 50 or so years. Now I am in a place where it is important, or so they say. All I can do is stick to my guns and ignore race and ethnicity and judge everyone on their personalities. |
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22 Mar 11 - 09:15 PM (#3119450) Subject: RE: BS: European-American: More egalitarian From: maple_leaf_boy Leadfingers can go to light-brown. Don't I wish I could. I'm pale and fair-skinned. I don't tan. I burn if I get a lot of sun. It makes me look funny if I'm wearing a moustache and goatee at the time. But, that's normally my winter face. |