I’m Yellow. What Are You?
Do you get offended when people refer to you based on your skin color?
AHAHAHAHAHA. I
For example:
“Those white people don’t know what yeet hay means.”
I never hear Asians being referred to as the “yellow people” though. In fact, all Asian ethnicities are sometimes referred to as “orientals” or just plain old “Chinese.” I don’t get offended because I am oriental and I am Chinese but I’d be annoyed if I was Korean and someone just called me Chinese. It’d be like me calling all “white” people Scottish.
What about South-Asian Indians who are referred to as “brown people?” Aren’t they Asian as well? I rarely hear them being referred to as “Asian” especially living and being around so many East-Asians. Why do we call ourselves Asians but not them?
Just so I don’t leave the “red people” out; growing up in Saskatchewan, I’ve been taught since Kindergarten to call them “First Nations” instead of Natives or Indians as a sign of respect because one of my best friends back then was one. She didn’t have red skin though. First Nations history use to fascinate me and I remember wanting to be one because I thought that living in a tipi, hunting buffalo and eating pemmican would be so awesome despite the fact that none of those things really happen anymore.
I’m guilty of sometimes calling “white” and “black” people based on their skin color if I was referring to the entire race. I wouldn’t be offended (even if you call me a YELLOW) but since race is such a touchy subject, I’ve been trying to stop the habit. Even when I blog, I try to say African-Americans when referring to “black people” … but that sounds awkward because not all Africans are Americans and vice versa. But would I be offending them if I just say black people? Should I just say Africans? Or people from Africa?
Edit – here’s another thought since there’s been so much discussion about the “black” issue. I believe in evolution and that we all originated from Africa (or the land that was…) so that means we’re all Africans. Just a funny thought. Kidding. 
But anyway, I wish race wasn’t such a controversial subject because we all originated from the same place whether you believe in evolution or creation and we live on the same planet anyway.
KATY:
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My vocabulary depends on who I’m with…when I’m with my friends or people that are close to me I’m less politically correct and use “white” or “black” or “Indian” but when I’m with people I don’t know or people whom I know are a bit more uptight about these things, I use the politically correct term. I personally don’t feel that “white” or “black” or “yellow” carries any negative connotation, but I know others do.
My favorite use of racism is when drunk guys try to hit on me….One guy said, “You know, I just love Chinese girls, I think they’re so exotic…”
My reply was, “Well shit, I better thank God I’m Vietnamese!”
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That can be so awkward. I would be classified as white, but I’m Native American (Canadian?)too, I just don’t look it haha.
I will say “black people” but I try and avoid it because of the stigma which is really hard to overcome…
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But what’s wrong with referring to someone based on their skin color?
You shouldn’t feel any ounce of guilt if you use “black” or “white” because it isn’t disrespectful, unless used in a disrespectful way.
If anything, I encourage everyone to use “black” for black people often, because it’s retarded if someone refers a black guy an “African American” when he’s actually Puerto Rican or something.
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Katy
September 17th, 2009 |
I don’t have a problem with it but I know other people do.
I never actually feel awkward using the term “black” but I do with “white.” I use it with my friends but it doesn’t seem like the right term to use in a formal environment if you had to refer to a whole culture.
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I’m totally olive. I know I’m ‘white’, but it doesn’t sound right to me! When I think white, I think of freckles & sunburns, which I don’t get. The husband (who *is* Korean, and most commonly confused for Japanese) is darker than me in the winter, but if I’m getting enough sun, we’re the same shade. It’s not at all about skin color itself as much as culture. Even Donny uses Asian racial slurs while driving! The first time he did it I about pissed myself laughing, but it’s sort of like the difference between using the N-word and not – has more to do with individuals and their personalities than their actual race.
I am always saying I have yellow fever and how much I want little yellow babies. I think that when words become taboo and you can’t make fun of certain things, THAT is what creates problems. Being open-minded means you should be able to make fun of everything equally. There is no word for white person that is considered politically incorrect, and that alone actually makes the white race feel superior, which is fucked. Let’s use whatever words we want! Walking on eggshells around people just because of their race is a form of discrimination IMO.
The only thing that ever makes me want to spit in someone’s face is when people shit talk interracial couples. I got it *all the time* when I dated a black guy for a few months. I think all mixed-race couples are hot though!
Like Donny, my dad was also adopted. While my dad is a dark-skinned white person like me (haha), my grandparents were black. My grandma used to get pissed when people referred to her as African-American, saying, “I’ve never even been to Africa!”
I am definitely grateful I’ve grown up around different races and adoptions. It definitely makes me roll my eyes at any kind of race issues. I take issues with certain sub-cultures, for sure, but it isn’t a skin color issue. We need to come up with some names to make that distinction, and I bet words like the N-word would disappear quickly on their own.
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Katy
September 18th, 2009 |
Walking on eggshells around people just because of their race is a form of discrimination.
Totally agree with you on that but only if everyone else did too then race wouldn’t be such a big issue. Only in a perfect world…
I actually don’t see too many interracial couples around so when I do, I do get surprised. I don’t talk shit or have anything against them though… only because I don’t encounter too many. Mixed kids are hot anyway!
Go make those yellow babies, J. They’re gonna turn out hot!
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Amy
September 18th, 2009 |
you don’t see too many interracial couples? Maybe b/c I love basically in Washington DC and there is SO much diversity. I’m kinda surprised but since you’re all for it – its good
My cousins are mixed! (some are white/asian, hispanic/asian) and my niece is actually 1/4 black, 1/4 white, and 1/4 vietnamese.
My boyfriend is actually white as well. I suppose its just the area kinda?
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Katy
September 18th, 2009 |
Well I know there are actually a lot in Vancouver because it’s really diverse here too but I rarely see them. Perhaps I just need to go out more.
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yeah, I used to try to be PC all the time but now I realize that it’s actually much more PC to just call them black or white! lol like one of your fellow canadians, for example: fefe dobson’s ‘jamaican-canadian’, not african american! calling her an african american isn’t just stupid, it’s geographically wrong, lmao.
also, there used to be a girl in my class and when my teacher was talkibng about african-american history, she got all offended that he didn’t call the group ‘black people’. she goes ‘i’m a strong black woman! why do people always try to be pc?! i’m proud!’ lol
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Katy
September 18th, 2009 |
i’m a strong black woman! why do people always try to be pc?! i’m proud!
*thumbs up
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Maybe I’m just weird, but I’m flatter when people call me brown. Being half Polynesian and half white, I have naturally tan skin. I often refer to myself as being brown and when asking my husband, he’s married to a brown girl. I almost feel a sense of pride in being referred to as brown. I love my Hawaiian heritage and I’m happy when someone associates my skin color with grass skirts, coconuts, and surfing. I love grass skirts, coconuts, and surfing! I have no problem living up to those stereotypes!
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i’m chinese and don’t really mind all those names we get called really. Everybody refers to the other by skin colour so it’s just pretty normal to me i guess. I have friends who are black and prefer to be called that and are rather offended being called African American/Canadian as they are Jamaican, and it is hard to determine one’s heritage simply based on looks, skin colours simply the easier way to go. I don’t really get why we’re yellow or why first nations are red, but it doesn’t matter to me being called yellow lol
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Katy
September 18th, 2009 |
I think First Nations are red because of their undertone. I don’t know if it’s true or not though but when I was little and saw paintings of them, they always seem a little reddish-brown to me. Or maybe red just looked better on the Medicine Wheel than brown.
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I would have to agree with Tiff… I don’t think it’s entirely offensive to say white or black people since you can’t really get the specifics. I know someone who is filipino but gets super mad when people refer to him as asian, but that’s rarely the case…
It’s probably just better to refer to people by their names if you know it
lol @ the green skin.. you’d make a nice ogre
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Katy
September 18th, 2009 |
It’s only offensive to some people… but probably not to most of us. I use to know some Filipinos who get mad too when referred to as “Asian.” What’s wrong with being Asian?!
Damn, I need to calibrate my monitor. It was suppose to be yellow.
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I agree with Tiff as well — I don’t think it’s that big of a deal as long as the person isn’t using it as an insult. From example, a lot of people have a hung up on Japanese using the word “gaijin” (outsider) rather than the more politically correct “gaikokujin” (foreigner), but I personally have never cared. It’s just more common colloquially and people mean no harm — it’s just a word anyhow. There has been maybe 2-3 instances we’re people have used it as an insult towards me, but it was less the word choice as the attitude that pissed me off.
By the way, you so look like you would be one of the “sexy alien races” on an old star track episode in the top right picture (laugh).
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i used to get annoyed being called chinese when i’m viet, but now i find it amusing when someone thinks i’m chinese or malaysian chinese or japanese. i don’t think there is anything wrong with calling people “white or black”. i think it depends on the context.
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I don’t like being called Red or Yellow, but because of my understones I get called that.
African American only refers to those from the Americas.
I think when it comes to those that are those born in Africa, like let’s say Egyptians and many of them don’t want to be referred to as African.
People have to realize that your Nationality may be one thing, but your race/ethnicity does not necessarily mean that’s what you are. Like Jamaicans aren’t necessarily all “Black” but that’s the common misconception that they are.
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I think “black” and “white” has been accept as a general term. Although I did have an acquaintance get huffy with me during a discussion about race because I kept saying “white” instead of “Caucasian”. I didn’t get it but hey, everyone has their reasons.
I’ve always understood the term “yellow” as referring to an Asian term to be pretty derogatory and not really descriptive. And sometimes I’ll say, “brown” when referring to any race other than white as a lighthearted term. Like, when I went to a Morman wedding reception I quipped, “I think we’re the only brown people here.”
But racial terms is tricky territory, I guess
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At first I was like, who’s red people?! I never knew that. If people ask if I’m Viet, Korean, or whatever else; I’m okay with it. But I’ll get offended if they start of by saying “oh you’re pretty, are you Viet(or insert race here)?” O.o Aren’t we all allowed to be attractive? And that’s when I’m like.. uh.. no asshole!! Lol :suspicious:
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UGH I took a class on interracial dynamics for the entirety of my freshman year in college. It just depends on what’s socially accepted. It’s a really touchy subject, and there are never distinct lines on how to classify people. It’s a social phenomenon, really.
And you look good in brown.
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I’m “white”, although born in Europe raised in Canada. I hate the whole race factor, because I dislike calling people by their skin colours – I’ve never called Asians yellow, but I do call them Asian (usually because I don’t want to call a Vietnamese person a Chinese person…) and NOT oriental. I dislike calling dark-skinned people black or brown, but here’s the thing, Americans call themselves African-Americans, in Canada, they’re from all over. From Trinidad, from Cuba, I have met one brown-skinned person from Africa. So I do find it rather frustrating, so I usually just don’t say anything at all.
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I’m Caucasian though I’m the only one in my family with olive coloured skin (thanks to the sun) the rest of my family is pasty white. Because of my skin colour I’ve been asked what my background was.. Lets just say I was shocked..
Personally I don’t care what colour you are or your background is. If I like you for you that’s what should matter.
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FYI Not all Black people come from Africa. So even then, African-Americans or Africans still isn’t politically correct to use. “Black” is much more accepted.
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im supposed to be a yellow as im a chinese…but, i got so tanned people think that im a native :S
T_T sei mou
normally i refer da white as guai lou haha
and da black as hak yan
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I think stressing over what to call different cultures & people is bullshit. I’m half finnish and half italian, so basically I’m half super-white northern europe scandinavian, and half ‘brown’ and latina. No one ever calls me either of these things, though, and I think that if anyone came up to me and asked me what colour I’d like to be referred as, I’d feel extremely awkward and probably even slightly offended. Thing is, I don’t usually refer to people by their skin colour – they’re people, they’re all people, and I don’t really believe in ‘races’, just different cultures. If I’m describing someone, I probably go for ‘black’ for black peoplecause I don’t see anything offensive in it, ‘white’ for white people, ‘asian’ for asians of all kind (although iranians & such I usually say ‘lähi-itä’, and I’m not sure of the translation, but basically it means people who live in the east, but the close east) and ‘indians’ for indians.
Stressing over these things is stupid, ’cause there’s really no point in trying to point out cultural differences in every possible way.
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Katy
September 17th, 2009 |
I’d like to refer to people as black, white, brown or Asian too when I’m around my friends but when I’m around people like co-workers and clients, I’m more likely to use the PC term if I had to… it doesn’t sound like a work place word because I never hear it at work or in a formal environment.
Too bad people are so stingy about race though. Me? I don’t give a shit… I’m proud to be “yellow” so they can make fun of Asians all they want. :devil:
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I guess that I haven’t really ever given this much thought. I suppose I wouldn’t be offended if someone referred to me as “black” because after all, it’s America’s way of defining a group of people to lessen confusion (I suppose). I think that as long as it isn’t derogatory or racist, I don’t really mind being referred to as “black”. I most certainly don’t mind being referred to as African-American because after all, I have African ancestry.
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I don’t like how people are being referred to with their color. I mean you are right, not all people who are “black” are Africans, or African Americans because some may be even African British or something.
But we really sometimes can’t help it because how else do we refer to people we don’t know culturally and their ethnicity then? We do shorten it to “yellow” people. I just don’t like if it is being used for insults and degradation.
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From my understanding, “black” is a politically correct term to refer to people who’s ancestry reins from Africa since that seems to be the term used by scholars and in textbooks. You’re right that not all blacks are African American because one would have to be, well, American. Some black people will get offended if you refer to them as African because many of their ancestors where removed from Africa involuntarily and a lot of times they don’t know where in Africa they are from. You can refer to an immigrant from Africa or maybe their children as “African” because in those cases they usually know about their culture and can identify themselves as Kenyan, Nigerian, mixture, or whatever.
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