Racial Slurs!

[SeiOhtori]

Today in my US history class my teacher and the rest of the class was discussing about the "N" word and also other racial slurs. And told us that Dog the Bounty Hunter used the "N" word while talking over the phone to his son about his girlfriend who is black. And his son recorded the conversation and it got published in a magazine. And now he's getting critisized for using that word when alot of other people say it too. His show might be cancelled too.

People today, especially kids, use this term everyday either if it's offensive or not meant to be offensive. But the word IS meant to be negative because of it's History. Also, my teacher thinks that people shouldn't use the word at all because of that, and i think that too. And alot of people who think "it's no big deal," usually don't know the history behind it.

Should the "n" word be banned in the US? Should other racial slurs be banned too? Should Dog's show be cancelled?

Also, one of my classmates asked "why isn't there a racial slur for koreans?" I never thought about it before, but i never heard a racial slur for koreans before o_O is there one?

[Ercho]

Haha, you must be young, huh? It's been a while since I've heard asian racial slurs (gook, chink, jap) said aloud. I guess I do see them on the internet sometimes, though. Ugh, racists.

[diadori]

a kid said that to another kid last year in my class and he got like, suspended i think.

i know that "white trash" is kinda a racial slur. i didn't think it was when i first heard it but then when you find out the history... it is. because in like, the 1800s, white people were supposed to be at the top of society. and if you were poor and white, then you were just the trash of society. and people threw rocks at you!

[mallorymaloney]

So, how come nigger is such a bad word for black people? And how come blacks use the word freely, whenever they want, but as soon as some white folks utter it, their show gets cancelled? =/

How come nigger is the worst word of all? People use 'chink', 'jap', 'jew', 'paki', 'wop', etcetera, and no one freaks out as much.

I don't understand why 'the N word' is so special.

They're all just words, and flinching when someone says one of those words only makes them more powerful.

I don't use them as insults, ((I WILL say/type the word to discuss it, however, as I'm doing right now ... Why should I be afraid?)) but if other people do, I remain completely calm and straight faced. Why let mere words have power over you? And why THAT word in paticular? ((Yesyes, I know the history of it.)) I just don't understand why that single word is considered so awful.

And let me guess, the kid who said nigger, and got suspended, was white? Because I'm pretty much betting a million bucks he wasn't black.

We all need to get over ourselves and stop letting little words be built up into such awful things.

[felinius]

Originally Posted by SeiOhtori

Should the "n" word be banned in the US? Should other racial slurs be banned too? Should Dog's show be cancelled?

Also, one of my classmates asked "why isn't there a racial slur for koreans?" I never thought about it before, but i never heard a racial slur for koreans before o_O is there one?

We can't start banning words in the USA, unless you want to start banning other words also. What would be a punishment if you said a banned word? 30 flogging? It's silly.

Koreans are gooks or chinks. Gooks is a really... odd slur, cos I believe 'gook' just means ethnicity or country. Han-guuk/gook = Korean, Mi-guuk/gook = American.

We do freak out if someone calls us a slur though. Most of us can tell the difference when we're joking around with one another and when someone's trying to make an attack on us, but even if it offends us we tell each other. It's the feelings behind it, mostly, that make us become defensive. There are things that people should just avoid.

[katzluva]

I've taken 4 classes on the history of african americans, and I do believe I know the answer!

Black people use the "n" word for two reasons:
1) lack of understanding history, plain ignorance or..
2) to reduce the offensiveness

Cause, well, it used to be this big insult from white to blacks. So what can they do about it? Use it against them. The logic is simple: if we used the "n" word frequently among ourselves, it disarms it. If thrown about so often in everyday speech, it is no longer a threat to us anymore. It is not nearly as offensive since we employ it ourselves. Does that make sense?

So dont think it as a bad thing. If anything, it is more beneficial than to not.

[Ercho]

Originally Posted by mallorymaloney

How come nigger is the worst word of all? People use 'chink', 'jap', 'jew', 'paki', 'wop', etcetera, and no one freaks out as much.

I seriously bristle at hearing Asian racial slurs. It's because of the connotation of ignorance and hate that comes with the insults. Yes, they're just words, but what they convey is very real and very hurtful. So I take just as much offense at someone calling me a chink as I would if someone described me or chinese people in general in a derogatory way.

[katzluva]

Originally Posted by mallorymaloney

So, how come nigger is such a bad word for black people? And how come blacks use the word freely, whenever they want, but as soon as some white folks utter it, their show gets cancelled? =/

It was a awful term to use (back in the days) cause there was so much violence associated with it. In early times, they'd call black people a "nigger" shortly before they'd inflict horrible crimes to them, or the like. For one instance, a black woman was accused of "seducing" a white man into having sex with her. They'd call her a "nigger", tie the black pregnant woman upside down onto a tree, club her repeatedly, stab a knife through her stomach and thereby dropping the undeveloped infant onto the ground while she and the baby was still ALIVE. And then set her on fire until she is burnt to death.

No other race in American history has suffered nearly as much as the African Americans had. Therefore, the word "nigger" is strongly affiliated with the pain and anguish Blacks has endured for hundreds of years.

However , when the term is used within members of the same ethnicity in present times, it is more correct to say that it is the same as calling each other "brother."

[pinkhaireddreamboy]

Originally Posted by mallorymaloney

So, how come nigger is such a bad word for black people? And how come blacks use the word freely, whenever they want, but as soon as some white folks utter it, their show gets cancelled? =/

How come nigger is the worst word of all? People use 'chink', 'jap', 'jew', 'paki', 'wop', etcetera, and no one freaks out as much.

Jew is a racial slur??

"nigger" is off-limits for white Americans IMO. I'm not sure how I feel about blacks using it though...

[blah blah cookie cutter]

Originally Posted by Ercho

Haha, you must be young, huh? It's been a while since I've heard asian racial slurs (gook, chink, jap) said aloud. I guess I do see them on the internet sometimes, though. Ugh, racists.

I'm going to add "Nip" to that too.

[Ercho]

I just realized you're from Hawaii, too. Yeah, because we (asians) are the majority there, nobody would call us racial slurs, really. Before I came up to the mainland for school, though, my mom warned me I might hear them (not that I didn't know they existed before, I'd just never heard them actually spoken).

[quephuong]

I don't think anyone should say them...I get really annoyed when people say them online. Ha, cowards. Especially on Youtube.

Koreans get grouped in with other Asians and since a lot of people assume we're Chinese, "chink".

[quephuong]

Originally Posted by katzluva

I've taken 4 classes on the history of african americans, and I do believe I know the answer!

Black people use the "n" word for two reasons:
1) lack of understanding history, plain ignorance or..
2) to reduce the offensiveness

Cause, well, it used to be this big insult from white to blacks. So what can they do about it? Use it against them. The logic is simple: if we used the "n" word frequently among ourselves, it disarms it. If thrown about so often in everyday speech, it is no longer a threat to us anymore. It is not nearly as offensive since we employ it ourselves. Does that make sense?

So dont think it as a bad thing. If anything, it is more beneficial than to not.

Eh, I don't call anyone racial slurs and I think it's rather hypocriticical when you say/do something and if someone else says/does the same thing you get offended. I don't see why a word can belong to a certain ethnicity group, like it's some club or something.

[Ercho]

Originally Posted by quephuong

I don't think anyone should say them...I get really annoyed when people say them online. Ha, cowards. Especially on Youtube.

Ugh, yes, Youtube racists are so annoying.

[elepop]

If nigger is such abad word, why do Black people still use it to eachother? I think that word coming from another race might sound offensive in some way. But some Black people still use it to talk to their friends, but it's okay... It's confusing. I guess it's the way you say it. I don't think it should be "banned". If so, a lot of other words should too. I don't like any of those words either. I agree that when I see them in YouTube, it makes me mad. There's a lot of ignorant and close-minded people out there...

Once, the top video for at least a week was a Japanese video in YouTube. You should have seen all the racist remarks... URGH.

[ZombieDragRacing]

I think it could be of ignorance or just that everyone else says it so it's okay right?
My japanese friends call theirselves Jap. They don't see the offensiveness in it, but I think it's just rude.
I also hate it when non japanese call themselves gaijin or when japanese call people gaijin, it's the eqivilence to the N word for me..
I have black friends who don't like anyone one to say the Nword, but they are more educated with their history.

[felinius]

^ Gaijin is just meaning foreigner.

[ZombieDragRacing]

Did you just not read my whole post?
Yes, it means foreigner, but what it stands for...

EDIT://Excuse me, I'm sorry,I wrote the explanation on this post
http://forum.asiajam.com/general-cul...ereotypes.html

[felinius]

Originally Posted by ZombieDragRacing

Did you just not read my whole post?
Yes, it means foreigner, but what it stands for...

EDIT://Excuse me, I'm sorry,I wrote the explanation on this post
http://forum.asiajam.com/general-cul...ereotypes.html

No need to be rude. The fact of the matter it's different than other words as it's not usually a slur. Calling someone a foreigner is FAR different from calling someone out specifically on their ethnicity or race. So some kind of people may be foreign to that person -- what does it make to you?
Especially if someone comes from a homogeneous society, many people will seem like a foreigner to them.

[Ercho]

Originally Posted by ZombieDragRacing

Did you just not read my whole post?
Yes, it means foreigner, but what it stands for...

EDIT://Excuse me, I'm sorry,I wrote the explanation on this post
http://forum.asiajam.com/general-cul...ereotypes.html

If I'm in Japan, and someone calls you a 外人, I honestly have no problem with it. I've always thought of it as a "person from outside" rather than outsider, I guess. I agree that calling someone a foreigner in their own country, though, is ridiculous.

What makes Japan so cool that everyone else is "outside"? Well, that whole 外　/内 thing, I would think. I don't think it's a "specialness" issue, just more of a cultural idea that's pretty widespread. But, idk, being from Japan, you'd know better than I, hm?