The 'C' word vs. the 'N' word...please read

I'm late on this thread, but I'll chime in anyway.

AnotherBrother - I think 'Chinaman' is on the same level as 'colored'.

If you wouldn't mind me calling you a 'colored boy', then you shouldn't worry about saying 'Chinaman'.

Being half-Asian myself, I think I would definitely be extremely offended if somebody other than my close friends called me a Chinaman, etc.

Among close friends, anything goes I think because it's a give a take thing.

 

Here's the litmus test, it's not how you feel about it.

Personalizing the issue is the wrong to go about this, for instance I don't believe in the death penalty but if someone committed a capital crime against a member of my family I would want to have that person killed, but that doesn't make it necessarily a good policy for the government.

If you had Asian/black children, how would you feel if a some of their Asian/black peers called them C or N? I have a lot of trouble believing yall would tolerate that *free speech*. That is a more likely problem than adults intimidating adults.

 

well think again,

AB, while i sense no hostility from you, but those words are very insensitive / insulting terms.

The "C" word is akin "cotton-pick'n N's...."; there is lots of history behind this. it was a insulting term used by the Irish RailRoad workers to insult the Chinese RR workers, as being inferior and that can't be trusted.

The "G" word, in and of itself, is meaningful, but it was a derogatory / insulting term invented by American GIs from the VietNam era. it is a demeaning word used to insult Viet Namese.

be careful with such insensitive insulting terms.

 

not really, read my response to AB.

The Irish Railroad workers, in the mid 1800s in CA and Western states, were fearful of losing their jobs to the newly arrived Chinese workers. They used the C term to insult the Chinese, as being inferior and not trusted.

This resentment towards the Chinese resulted in the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, thanks to the political connection of the Irish Americans. Under this act, there was no legal immigration from China; the Chinese workers (those w wives and Chidren) can't apply for their family members to join them in America. This Act was not repealed under the early1950s

cheers,

 

Just want to add in my 2 cents.

While political correctness can sometimes go overboard, I personally feel it's still best to be PC when it comes to race. Race is a pretty touchy subject, and there really is no harm in being extra cautious. Even with my friends, I don't think I've ever used any racial term that might offend them. It just seems to be the proper thing to do for me.

Of course, the fact that I'm an American Born Chinese has something to do with this. I had to grow up listening to racial slurs spoken about me. So I can understand how it feels to be on the receiving end of a racial statement. I would never want others to feel the same way.

It's quite easy to just stick to the common PC terms when it comes to race. Why care to use the "C" word when Chinese would work, and would be perfectly safe?

 

AB- from your first post in the thread, seems to me like this is a competition to judge who are the biggest Victims in this county, and it's real important to you that you and black people are regarded as the champions.

It's kind of funny reading these posts trying to actually guage how offensive these words are compared to one another. The posters are actually doing a pretty good job of it, but in the end it's kind of moot because each individual interprets these words differently. The fact that so many people didn't even know that chinaman is offensive is out of innocence, ignorant of the history of that word. I remember when I was in high school and I had to ask my enlish teacher what a "wop" is because it was in one of our books. Hell, I forgot what it is now again. This is a good sign, IMO.

This is not to say that words don't matter, or that they aren't part of a much larger and important problem of widespread racism- they are.

But AB, they way you start the thread, seems you really cling to your victim status. Getting really angry that some other racist word is could be considered as "bad" or "worse" or "equal" to the 'n' word and now we have an entire thread to discuss the different 'levels' of offensiveness. It's silly. Step out of the Victimhood Championships, people. We all need to be sensitive to each other.

 

The word "Chinaman" is closer to the word "negro". The words themselves aren't bad, but the history is bad. "Negro" was used during segregation and slavery and "chinaman" during imperilism and the building of the railroads which chinese people were pretty much slaves.

The other "C" word which rhymes with "kink" is closer the "N" in offensiveness.

In either case, if you don't want to risk offending somebody, don't say "either" during conversations.

 

Pardon me for quoting my own post from the "Is Chinaman Racist" thread but I think my sentiments better apply in this one (plus I'm lazy)

As far as using racial terms or stereotypes in humor I also think that should be accepted also because humor is one of the ways our society engages in self-examination and challenges taboos. I agree if we can't laugh at ourselves what can we laugh at?

OTOH as a free society if you use racial terms and stereotypes for humor its perfectly acceptable to criticize or even boycott that comedian.

IMO this is an area with no hard and fast rules and its a matter for all of us to sort out. Yes, its valid to argue that minorities are over sensitive about these things but at the same time the history needs to be known why minorities are sensitive in the first place.

Merely chalking these things up to ignorance does nothing to improve society or advance racial relations. We can and should address these issues openly rather than letting them pass.

 

As an Asian American myself, I'm an Equal Opportunity Offender. I use all the racial slurs and don't care who I offend. You're ALL NUTS! (Please insert Sarcasm here!) Just kidding Y'all!

Can't we all just get along!