The “N” and Other Words and Labels.
It’s amazing and depressing at the same time to think that mere words we choose can be degrading, cause pain and incite violence.
Consider some things that come to mind. THE “N’ WORD!! At what point did that become the “N” word become NOT right for someone who isn’t black to call someone who IS black, but okay if both persons are black. I don’t get it. We’re not all just Americans anymore, I guess. We’re African-Americans, or Asian-Americans, or Mexican-Americans. We can be black without appearing to be black, we’re Oriental because our eyes our slanted and not because we came from or have ever even been to Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam or any other far eastern nation. Many of us came here from another country but more of us were born and raised in the U.S.A. Chicano? Ooops! I mean Hispanic….I mean Mexican-American? If you’re originally from Mexico and living in the U.S. legally, you’re Hispanic and a Mexican-American. However, if you sneaked across the border and don’t have a green card, I guess that means you’re still Hispanic, but now you’re a Mexican, disguised as an American. If you speak Spanish, you might be Mexican-American unless you’re from Costa Rica, which would make you a Costa Rican- American. Now if you emigrated from India, and became an American citizen, you’re now an Indian-American. But if you’re actually part or full-blooded Indian, then you’re native-American, but not Indian-American. You never hear fair-skinned people referred to as Caucasian-Americans, do you? What difference does it REALLY make in your life whether or not your “roots” are here or in another country? Is it just a pipe dream to believe that it is possible for different people of different “color”, from different backgrounds, practicing no religion or different religions can still live in harmony? Borrowing a line from an old Beatle song, I say “Let it be…..”.
November 23rd, 2005 at 12:12 pm
Oh! Dang! This is good man. Just hit the right spot. Boo Yah~!