Do you consider this to be racist or ignorant?

Question

well I joined this diveristy club at school, which turned out to be great.

we were all sharing stories and ideas when this white (sorry, not trying to be racist) gurl said " well I noticed that white people and coloured people......" she was making a point in how racism affects everyone differently, she made a good point but I did not like the term "coloured" it makes the rest of us nonwhites "different" from the whites. anyone know were I'm coming from? and would it be racist or ignorant? thanks.

Answer 1

i dont think its either.  she is just using a term thats outdated.  colored at one time the politically correct term.  it was a term that we chose for ourselves not one that was given to us.  so when someone uses it i dont get offended.

Answer 2

I agree with you. Race shouldn't be separated by white and color(or of color). There are a lot more races than that. But I'm not sure if she's actually racist, maybe she just doesn't understand that the term colored is very old(and offensive to some people) and hasn't been used since there was segregation and there were white and colored sections, I don't know her so I can't really say. I'd say wait until she says something hateful before saying she's racist.

Answer 3

Ignorant. Just kindly share with her that "colored" is a rather outdated term. She'll understand. After all, she's in the "diversity club".lol :)

Answer 4

Doesn't "black" make us just as different from whites as "coloured?"

Labels are confusing enough without you finding some okay and some not okay.

Why not have them drop the label altogether?  

Answer 5

im white but white people is really the colored people because when are angry are red

when are feeling bad aare yellow

when are jealous are green

when sad are very very white

etc.

Answer 6

I know where you are coming from and I'm not trying to disagree but I think that if she meant it to be racist or ignorant than it would be different but I don't think that she meant it the way you think.

Some people just don't know what to say but I wouldnt worry about it unless that it truly what she meant by it.

Answer 7

You just did the same by labeling people " Whites". There are white people from all over with all different ethnic backgrounds you know .Are you racist or just ignorant?

Answer 8

It's racist brought about by ignorance actually !  I'm Canadian and I notice that Mr.Obama who is is a candidate for the presidency of the United States is referred to as a "Black American" and not just as an "American" and I wonder what that says to the rest of the world actually ! We are open and multinational in Canada so we didn't have a chance to "learn" racism in our kitchens when we were growing up ! That young lady learned the term "coloured" from her parents !

I was born in Canada as were my parents but my Great Grand Parents were from Scotland...does that make me a "Tarten Canadian " ! *LOL*

Don't worry about your shade ...it means nothing what is important is whats in you heart and how you treat your fellow man ! *S* Hope that helps !

Answer 9

I guess you won't be supporting the National Association for the Advancement of COLORED People. (NAACP)

Nor will you be supporting the ***** College Fund.

It's just a word,, once it was the polite term, then fashion changed.

Martin Luther King Jr. used the words "*****" and "Colored"

Answer 10

um prob just forgot.

she prob got used to using this term cuz some ppl dont like to be labelled as asian when theyyre japanese , indian etc

n some ppl might not wanna be called black but african american instead.. etc

Answer 11

She didn't mean any harm

Answer 12

Ignorant, definitely. She really didn't mean anything by it, she is just not intellectual enough to say it tactfully.  She should have just said "Well, I noticed that all ethnicities..." and finished her question.

Answer 13

Both. No one uses that term anymore, unless they are racist and ignorant.  

Answer 14

dont take it into too much consideration. tell her you dont like it though.

Maybe she should choose her nationality instead of the whole color thing, huh? idk. haha