Re: Racial Classification & credit line

Quoting Benct Philip Jonsson <bpj@...>:

> At 22:39 1.1.2004, Andreas Johansson wrote:
>
> >As I've repeatedly stated, my usage makes little sense. But I cannot be
> >bothered to change it, especially since I'd then have to refer to Negroid
> >people either as "negroes", which is sure to attract accusations of racism,
> >with attendant pointless arguments, or as "Negroid", which is a)
> problematic
> >sytlistically in m[an]y situations, and b) likely to be more-or-less
> consciously
> >misheard as "negro", and used as pretext for a racism charge.
>
> My aunt -- born in Pomerania, now living in Sweden for 40+ years -- still
> uses "Neger" in both German and Swedish, which gives me the creeps.
> Personally I tend to make a distinction between 'black' = African,
> and 'dark-skinned' (_mörkhyad_), which also includes Tamils etc. but
> not Middle-easterners.
Much like my usage, then.

> BTW I have a big problem with the current
> use of 'Asian', since that word to me should include Middle-easterners
> and Bharatiyas.
Agreed.

> I also feel that 'African', 'European' etc. simply
> should indicate on what continent one was born, not what color one's
> skin has, which to me is a very superficial concern.
I basically agree here too, but the terms can also be useful to indicate
ancestral origin.

                                                             Andreas

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