USC Professor suspended for saying Chinese word that starts with N

What is your evidence that he didn't use it on purpose or with racist intent? It's obvious he used the word on purpose, it's debatable if it was racist intent but odds are he chose it precisely because it sounded like the n-word. It was definitely a dumbass thing to do, same with trolls that use the word *****rdly. They know exactly what they're doing. Apparently this was the only spoken word on Earth he could use that sounded like an English word with a different meaning.

Second, it's quite common for people of the same ethnic or racial group to use disparaging slurs against each other but be offended by it when used by someone outside of the group. That's not a black thing.

 

damn ur ignorant,

 

I is ignant. ur raigt.

 

One of the most used words in the mandarin language that is must-know for anyone who wants to deal with chinese businessmen was "chosen precisely because it sounded like the n-word".

wHy tHe ChiNEsE dO nOT ChANGe thEIR LaNGUagE to FiT EngLisH ?

 

We're not in China and this is not the only word in any other language that could mean something else in English but this bobo chooses not only to use it, but to use it like he's a part of NWA while we've been having daily protests and riots over race. He could have used any number of examples but naturally this was the one. Context matters or something. Get over yourselves.

 

stop polluting this thread w ur utter ignorance

 

So your evidence is what again? Nothing.

 

You ask for evidence that there was no racist intent, then claim that odds are he chose it with racist intent without providing evidence either. Does the prof have a history of racist actions that you are aware of? If not, shouldn't we give him the benefit of the doubt?

If you have not, pls watch the actual video of the prof that @Invisible Fan posted, and the video I posted (from 2011) - he was using an accurate illustration to make a point about language use. I guess he could have used another filler word from another language like あの from Japanese to make the same point, but given that he has lived and taught in China it's not surprising that he chose to use an example he was familiar with. Context is important, and he provided the context in which he was using it...

 

My evidence is the experience of being an American and having those experiences often with my family and friends. Having people in a position of power abusing those positions to make light of, make fun of, and denigrate those who are their subordinates and then claiming ignorance. Anyone with an ounce of common sense understands the history and power of that word in the United States. Oddly, you don't know this man personally any more than I do but you want to extend that courtesy to him. Why is that?

I don't think his experience in China overrides his experience as an American, you're simply trying to use a much tighter context than the much broader influential context that exists. If the professor absolutely had to use that word as an illustration he certainly could have given much longer lead up and explanation rather than going NWA right in the middle of class. We can all use accurate illustrations in an insulting manner, it happens all the time.

 

anyone w common sense knows that the Chinese conversational filler, Nai Ga, doesn't sound like the N word.
not the Mandarin dialect nor Cantonese

he is teaching a MBA class. his experience in China enhances his teaching to future business leaders many of whom,
in all likelihood, will interact w their counterparts overseas, including the Chinese

a whole bunch of words put together that, taken as a whole, say nothing.

kinda like the Chinese conversational filler, 那个

 

Because I can't read his mind. Because there are also lots of people in positions of power that don't feel the need to make fun of or denigrate their subordinates. Nothing odd about not jumping to accusations. It didn't look like he was trying to be sly or say it as a joke. I would react differently if it came out that students had asked him to stop in the past because they were hurt by it, but he still did it to troll.

 

Suspension is correct. Dismissal if he would've used the hard R.

 

confirmation bias, the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories.

you hear what you want to hear.
in his lecture the professor provided an eg of the Chinese conversational filler "nai ga" and the snowflakes heard "nig ga"

​

ps, the professor has been teaching this communication class to MBA students---including Afro Americans---for ~20 yrs


fwiw,

the Chinese have been using this conversational filler for over 2,000 yr, some 1,500 yrs before that derogatory term came to use in America​

 

So we should CENSOR the chinese language or lower the quality of the lesson because the two words sound similar?

In case you aren't aware China is a economic superpower and as a business managment class tips to deal with their businessmen who are notorious difficult and often dealings with them lead to cultural misunderstandings, SHOULD be one of the priorities.

The context has been clear. Business managment with chinese speakers.

 

He's gonna sue the school and win a settlement. Or at least CNN and the like. New grift: troll sensitive media outlets prone to libel/defamation and cash in.

 

This cannot be the actual clip that got him fired. Is it?
This is horrifying.
I teach college on Zoom and speak Chinese too.

By the way: only American students will get you fired.
I teach tons of Chinese and Muslims: no sweat!

American classrooms are substantially more conservative/censored than they were 15 years ago. I censor content that I used to teach, just because it is too "challenging" to snowflake world.

 

I had missed that video. If that's really the incident that got him suspended, that's pretty bad. It's not even ambiguous in any way, it's pretty clear what he was conveying.

had an incident with a student last spring involving a lecture I had given with no problems whatsoever for over twenty years.

 

On top of which--and no one ever mentioned this in all the Zoom training--I can't see my students! You don't know who's out there.
There are some students in my class whom I have never seen or heard. They could be sitting there with their parents, taking notes on PC violations, for all I know.
God help anyone who is idiotic enough to record and post his Zoom lectures.

(See, I record and post all my international classes, but I don't record the American classes.)

 

it's required where we are to record all lectures and class meetings

and actually, the recording of the lecture from the spring is what will save me if that student decides to press the issue further this fall