Blacks: What do you want me to call you?

[Defiant47]

This has always driven me insane. I want to be polite, but I usually also want to be precise. When trying to identify a black person in a group of (mostly) white people, it helps a lot to say something like "a black person in the lobby wanted to order a map". Obviously this would only apply when little other knowledge is known about the person... otherwise you could clearly call them by name or something.

So what can I call you?

Regarding the poll options, "no identifier" means that I would give up precision in my description and just say something like "a person".

In the interests of our <insert your poll option> persons on the board and the likelihood that they may not want to be identified as such (due to racism or just anonymity), I haven't made it public.

 

[hossam]

why the hell isnt . .. .. .. .. .. . included? thats what i want to be called!!!

 

[emzie]

I'm a coloured man.

 

[Kerozine]

You know, the exact same question could be asked for the opposite circumstances (e.g. White/Asian/etc.)

 

[Defiant47]

You know, the exact same question could be asked for the opposite circumstances..

But the racial name-calling can be more sensitive on their side given the history. However, you are correct.

 

[luiz]

I see you're from Canada. Would you call a black canadian an "African-American"? Of course Canada is part of the american continent, but still.

 

[Defiant47]

I see you're from Canada. Would you call a black canadian an "African-American"? Of course Canada is part of the american continent, but still.

I see "African-American" as a not-necessarily-accurate-or-sensical substitute for any other term in the name of political correctness. Even if it doesn't make sense, it may be acceptable to use it simply because it makes everyone happier.

 

[Trajan12]

Bryan.

XCL

 

[kulade]

If only !!!ChocolateUSA still posted...

 

[Kerozine]

I see you're from Canada. Would you call a black canadian an "African-American"? Of course Canada is part of the american continent, but still.

I just call persons-with-darker-skin-tones-seemingly-of-African-descent a black person..

"African American" however, would be unacceptable IMHO.

 

[Kennigit]

I voted no identifier hastily. I probably would want to be called "black".

 

[puglover]

I've always thought the "African-American" word was a little stupid. I'm white, black people are black. After all, not all Africans are black, and race is a mostly-artifical construct anyway.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Black, I suppose.

Not all Africans are black (Arabs, Berbers, Ethiopians, Malagasy, Pygmies, Khoisan)

 

[Lay_Lay]

Colored
So I have an excuse for what is about to happen to you.

 

[Stormrage]

Everyone is of some color.. Colored is a stupid way to call someone, even if it wasn`t considered offensive.

In Croatia, black people (the few) have no problem with being called black.

 

[Matrix]

You can even say (the Dutch word for) "negro" in the Netherlands, although there are some that oppose to that. But those are usually white people trying to be politically hypercorrect.

But then again, racism isn't really an issue here. We have some social/economical problems with immigrants from Marocco and the Antilles (high crime rate), but race doesn't play a role in that, and even then they're not black anyway. In the USA I'd probably call them Afro-American, to be on the safe side.

 

[luiz]

In Brazil nowadays black people prefer to be called "negros" (portuguese: negros) than "blacks" (portuguese: pretos). Seriously. Though the official census term is still "preto", or black, it is increasingly considered an offensive word.

 

[Newbunkle]

Sir.

Just kidding, I'm not black. But if I was that would be my answer.

 

[Shekwan]

Darkies?

 

[Evil Bunny]

Call us the N word, or if you really feel like being polite, call us "coloured"