Race Issues

[Anonymous]

As a spin-off from another thread...
Do you forbid your child to mention race?
I grew up in Washington with both races in my neighborhood and in my private (Catholic) school (about half and half). No one was offended if you included race as an identifing feature of a person. It was whatever it was, as in tall or short. What makes it so not PC to mention a person's race or ethnic heritage? What are people afraid of? Just wondering.

[maynie]

Washington state? Or DC? There were only two races where you grew up?

I don't think people are offended by the mention of race, they were wondering what the point was? Why did the lady need to be identified? Yes, it can be used the same as tall or short, but just as the ladies height wasn't mentioned, cause it wasn't important, to some folks, neither was her race.
Besides, most of the time when people are telling a story like that, they mention race because they want to help you get the picture, so to speak. Sometimes it is very telling, as far as the person relaying the story goes.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's necessary to forbid your child from mentioning race, if it comes up.

In my opinion, people don't like to be reduced to their physical characteristics. That goes for skin color, build, hair color. I may be ghostly white with a big butt, but I don't necessarily want your kids calling me that.

[Anonymous]

It depends. Why is race often included as "just a description" in an anecdote when it's a minority you are describing, but not a white person? Would you ever see the following?

While at Walmart today I noticed a group of Caucasian teenagers talking loudly and making a racket. They scared my children.

So why is it okay to "just describe" the group as Latino, or black, or Asian?

[maynie]

Anonymous wrote:It depends. Why is race often included as "just a description" in an anecdote when it's a minority you are describing, but not a white person? Would you ever see the following?

While at Walmart today I noticed a group of Caucasian teenagers talking loudly and making a racket. They scared my children.

So why is it okay to "just describe" the group as Latino, or black, or Asian?

This is a GREAT point that I completely forgot to mention. When I was a lot younger I noticed in most of the books I read, the only time race was mentioned is if they were anything but white. Back then it kind of ticked me off, but now I just accept it as that's just the way it is.

[Anonymous]

Children naturally notice race, especially if what they notice is different from them. I don't think there is anything wrong with talking about it, so long as it's not derogatory. My son (who is white, or rather, peach) often comes home from school telling me he wished he was brown because his friends are brown. I see nothing wrong with that at all.

[Anonymous]

maynie wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends. Why is race often included as "just a description" in an anecdote when it's a minority you are describing, but not a white person? Would you ever see the following?

While at Walmart today I noticed a group of Caucasian teenagers talking loudly and making a racket. They scared my children.

So why is it okay to "just describe" the group as Latino, or black, or Asian?

This is a GREAT point that I completely forgot to mention. When I was a lot younger I noticed in most of the books I read, the only time race was mentioned is if they were anything but white. Back then it kind of ticked me off, but now I just accept it as that's just the way it is.

OP here. I grew up in Washington, DC. The books that you read as a child, I would guess, were written by caucasians. That's why races other than their own were mentioned. If you listen to people other than caucasian, and they speak of people who belong to a race other than their own, you will hear about it. At least I did. It's human nature to notice aspects that are different than what you are most used to. If you came from a culture where hardly anyone had "fair" skin or blond hair, then that is what you will most often mention when providing an observation. I don't come from a place where it's taboo to mention a person's skin tone, or ethnic heritage, or spiritual inclination, for that matter. And when you saw, or heard my name, you knew that at least ethnically, I came from a different planet.

[Anonymous]

I think it's fine to mention race if it is a neutral descriptive feature being referred to. For example, DC's class has one African-American girl and several AA boys. If I was telling a story about the day and wanted to identify the girl to my husband who knows no one's name, it would make sense to say, "And then X said--you know, the African-American girl--" C'mon, like it or not, that is the best way of getting him to know who it is than making up some PC description like, "You know, the one with the pretty smile." I would say the exact same thing for other children--i.e., I would say "the short blond one," "the one in the wheelchair," "the very tall girl (there is one girl who is extremely tall)." This is shorthand for identifying people, and as long as the characteristic is not a negative one but a neutral one (i.e., I wouldn't say, "you know, the chubby one"), then I see no problem with it.

Signed, someone who would have no problem being called "the pale, auburn-haired, blue-eyed one"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's fine to mention race if it is a neutral descriptive feature being referred to. For example, DC's class has one African-American girl and several AA boys. If I was telling a story about the day and wanted to identify the girl to my husband who knows no one's name, it would make sense to say, "And then X said--you know, the African-American girl--" C'mon, like it or not, that is the best way of getting him to know who it is than making up some PC description like, "You know, the one with the pretty smile." I would say the exact same thing for other children--i.e., I would say "the short blond one," "the one in the wheelchair," "the very tall girl (there is one girl who is extremely tall)." This is shorthand for identifying people, and as long as the characteristic is not a negative one but a neutral one (i.e., I wouldn't say, "you know, the chubby one"), then I see no problem with it.

Signed, someone who would have no problem being called "the pale, auburn-haired, blue-eyed one"

Your example is an unloaded descriptor of race.

In the post that OP is referring to, the poster shared that while she was in Giant an older African-American woman was ranting at her in line in front of other shoppers and her little boy after learning that he has two moms. I read her race descriptor as a stereotype of older, religious, AA women who believe gays and lesbians are sinners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's fine to mention race if it is a neutral descriptive feature being referred to. For example, DC's class has one African-American girl and several AA boys. If I was telling a story about the day and wanted to identify the girl to my husband who knows no one's name, it would make sense to say, "And then X said--you know, the African-American girl--" C'mon, like it or not, that is the best way of getting him to know who it is than making up some PC description like, "You know, the one with the pretty smile." I would say the exact same thing for other children--i.e., I would say "the short blond one," "the one in the wheelchair," "the very tall girl (there is one girl who is extremely tall)." This is shorthand for identifying people, and as long as the characteristic is not a negative one but a neutral one (i.e., I wouldn't say, "you know, the chubby one"), then I see no problem with it.

Signed, someone who would have no problem being called "the pale, auburn-haired, blue-eyed one"

Your example is an unloaded descriptor of race.

In the post that OP is referring to, the poster shared that while she was in Giant an older African-American woman was ranting at her in line in front of other shoppers and her little boy after learning that he has two moms. I read her race descriptor as a stereotype of older, religious, AA women who believe gays and lesbians are sinners.

I'm the PP. Okay, no problem--I hadn't read the other thread so I was just responding to the question of this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's fine to mention race if it is a neutral descriptive feature being referred to. For example, DC's class has one African-American girl and several AA boys. If I was telling a story about the day and wanted to identify the girl to my husband who knows no one's name, it would make sense to say, "And then X said--you know, the African-American girl--" C'mon, like it or not, that is the best way of getting him to know who it is than making up some PC description like, "You know, the one with the pretty smile." I would say the exact same thing for other children--i.e., I would say "the short blond one," "the one in the wheelchair," "the very tall girl (there is one girl who is extremely tall)." This is shorthand for identifying people, and as long as the characteristic is not a negative one but a neutral one (i.e., I wouldn't say, "you know, the chubby one"), then I see no problem with it.

Signed, someone who would have no problem being called "the pale, auburn-haired, blue-eyed one"

Your example is an unloaded descriptor of race.

In the post that OP is referring to, the poster shared that while she was in Giant an older African-American woman was ranting at her in line in front of other shoppers and her little boy after learning that he has two moms. I read her race descriptor as a stereotype of older, religious, AA women who believe gays and lesbians are sinners.

I think your stereotype is mistaken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's fine to mention race if it is a neutral descriptive feature being referred to. For example, DC's class has one African-American girl and several AA boys. If I was telling a story about the day and wanted to identify the girl to my husband who knows no one's name, it would make sense to say, "And then X said--you know, the African-American girl--" C'mon, like it or not, that is the best way of getting him to know who it is than making up some PC description like, "You know, the one with the pretty smile." I would say the exact same thing for other children--i.e., I would say "the short blond one," "the one in the wheelchair," "the very tall girl (there is one girl who is extremely tall)." This is shorthand for identifying people, and as long as the characteristic is not a negative one but a neutral one (i.e., I wouldn't say, "you know, the chubby one"), then I see no problem with it.

Signed, someone who would have no problem being called "the pale, auburn-haired, blue-eyed one"

Your example is an unloaded descriptor of race.

In the post that OP is referring to, the poster shared that while she was in Giant an older African-American woman was ranting at her in line in front of other shoppers and her little boy after learning that he has two moms. I read her race descriptor as a stereotype of older, religious, AA women who believe gays and lesbians are sinners.

I think your stereotype is mistaken.

I said that's how I read it.

[Anonymous]

She said older African American woman. Are all the old people going to get offended? How about women? Perhaps she was just being descriptive, mentioning her age, color and gender. So what? I don't think it's wrong to be descriptive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's fine to mention race if it is a neutral descriptive feature being referred to. For example, DC's class has one African-American girl and several AA boys. If I was telling a story about the day and wanted to identify the girl to my husband who knows no one's name, it would make sense to say, "And then X said--you know, the African-American girl--" C'mon, like it or not, that is the best way of getting him to know who it is than making up some PC description like, "You know, the one with the pretty smile." I would say the exact same thing for other children--i.e., I would say "the short blond one," "the one in the wheelchair," "the very tall girl (there is one girl who is extremely tall)." This is shorthand for identifying people, and as long as the characteristic is not a negative one but a neutral one (i.e., I wouldn't say, "you know, the chubby one"), then I see no problem with it.

Signed, someone who would have no problem being called "the pale, auburn-haired, blue-eyed one"

Your example is an unloaded descriptor of race.

In the post that OP is referring to, the poster shared that while she was in Giant an older African-American woman was ranting at her in line in front of other shoppers and her little boy after learning that he has two moms. I read her race descriptor as a stereotype of older, religious, AA women who believe gays and lesbians are sinners.

I think your stereotype is mistaken.

I said that's how I read it.

That's how I read it, too. I'm pretty sure that had that woman been white, the op wouldn't have stated it.

[Anonymous]

People take note -mention- details that are different then themselves, or what they're used to. So you're allowed to say tall/short, skinny/fat, glasses, or not, red, blond, dark haired. Just about everything but skin-tone? When you start telling children, everything except skin is ok to mention, you are starting the problem.