Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

IronLionZion

(45,256 posts)
Mon May 23, 2016, 07:38 AM May 2016

‘Negro,’ ‘Oriental’ and ‘Indian’ to Be Scrubbed From All Federal Laws

President Obama signed bill H.R.4238 “modernizing terms relating to minorities” into law on Friday.



As the country begins to reconcile its sometimes inglorious past, as with Confederate statues and heroes being swept into the dustbin of history, President Barack Obama signed a bill taking racially offensive words such as “negro” and “Oriental” out of all Federal laws, reports Mediate.

Sponsored by Congresswoman Grace Meng and co-sponsored by all 51 members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, bill H.R.4238 will strike words such as “Negro, American Indian, Eskimo, Oriental, or Aleut or a Spanish speaking individual of Spanish descent” and replace them with “Asian American, Native Hawaiian, a Pacific Islander, African American, Hispanic, Puerto Rican, Native American, or an Alaska Native.”

There has been a lot of controversy lately about how “ethnic” groups in the U.S. are referred to, especially with racially-charged words such as “r--skins,” the “n-word” and “Oriental,” and so this bill is just one more way that people of color can and will define themselves with words they find acceptable.

Rep. Meng, who is Chinese-American and from Queens, N.Y., said that she is especially happy that the word Oriental is going the way of the covered wagon.

“Many Americans may not be aware that the word ‘Oriental’ is derogatory,” says Meng. “But it is an insulting term that needed to be removed from the books, and I am extremely pleased that my legislation to do that is now the law of the land.”


http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2016/05/_negro_oriental_and_indian_to_be_scrubbed_from_all_federal_laws.html?wpisrc=mostpopular

15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
‘Negro,’ ‘Oriental’ and ‘Indian’ to Be Scrubbed From All Federal Laws (Original Post) IronLionZion May 2016 OP
Now if we could stop sending them to jail fasttense May 2016 #1
+1000 heaven05 May 2016 #3
What's insulting is pretending that removing the words will change any hearts. But jtuck004 May 2016 #2
Interesting TacoD May 2016 #4
Not sure where you read that Spacedog1973 May 2016 #6
Here is what I read about the term "negro": TacoD May 2016 #8
Thanks for the link Spacedog1973 May 2016 #15
Will the Bureau of Indian Affairs be renamed? (nt) TacoD May 2016 #5
I hope so. Iggo May 2016 #7
Obviously AgingAmerican May 2016 #13
As a minority POC, this is a very important step towards progress IronLionZion May 2016 #9
Clueless old white guy question.... catnhatnh May 2016 #10
Items can be Oriental, not people IronLionZion May 2016 #12
Thank you catnhatnh May 2016 #14
If only this law could affect certain sports teams d_legendary1 May 2016 #11
 

fasttense

(17,301 posts)
1. Now if we could stop sending them to jail
Mon May 23, 2016, 07:55 AM
May 2016

And provide them with economic opportunity, then this symbolism might mean something.

 

heaven05

(18,124 posts)
3. +1000
Mon May 23, 2016, 09:47 AM
May 2016
simple but truthfully revealing of the emptiness of this legislation. Get rid of welfare reform of 1995, prisons for profit, NAFTA, Telecommunications ACT, Patriot Act and then maybe there will be progress against injustice and for the majority of people WHO DON'T get a chance to attend college or universities, bring manufacturing back to our country. Toothless bullshit. People are still going to use these terms and worse to describe an 'other', racially, culturally and in describing sexual orientation. Trump has assured that to keep happening and in greater numbers than ever. America without is military strength would be a paper tiger. There is no compelling justification for racism, sexism and any other 'ism' that negatively impacts those that are not white, male and heterosexual. Yet 'land of the free, home of the brave' shows the world constantly examples of gross ignorance and unreasoning hate based on non membership in the "club" George Carlin continually alluded to in his 'act'.

60+ years of the n-word, b-word, c-word, f-word. Murders of unarmed minorities in the streets and jails that turn the badge carrying murderers into rich murderers. Murders and hate against people whose orientation, sexually, is their decision AND RIGHT. MYSOGYNY running rampant and gun nuts shooting innocent people everywhere in this country, even churches.

America great again?
 

jtuck004

(15,882 posts)
2. What's insulting is pretending that removing the words will change any hearts. But
Mon May 23, 2016, 09:38 AM
May 2016

I guess people are so used the low bar they don't even think about it.

TacoD

(581 posts)
4. Interesting
Mon May 23, 2016, 09:51 AM
May 2016

I thought I had read that many older African-Americans in some regions identified as "Negro" and that many Native Americans prefer "Indian."

Spacedog1973

(221 posts)
6. Not sure where you read that
Mon May 23, 2016, 10:06 AM
May 2016

Or why it would be important enough to comment that 'many' older AAs and 'many' native American's prefer 'Indian' and 'Negro' to be called by. I Would be interested in reading from a link you have where it states that.

I think most knowledgeable individuals know indistinctly if nothing else, that calling AA's 'Negroes' is going to cause problems. What is always a continual source of surprise is the depth of ignorance of people whose only difference is the color of their skin, yet many people know almost nothing of how to respectfully converse with them, despite their being in the US since practically the birth of the nation. If anything, its an embarrassment that this has to be an issue that involves the President, rather than one that could come about through a level of natural cultural evolution.

TacoD

(581 posts)
8. Here is what I read about the term "negro":
Mon May 23, 2016, 10:15 AM
May 2016
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/negro-designation-stays-on-census-form/

In an interview, Mr. Groves explained that a research study found many older African-Americans who still referred to themselves as Negroes. In the 2000 census, he said, about 50,000 additional people wrote in the word Negro in a line that asked people how they wished to be identified. Half of those, he said, were 45 years old or younger.

“This was a surprise,” Mr. Groves said. “No one expected this.”

So the Census Bureau decided to keep Negro as an option in the race category in the 2010 census, in an effort to account for everyone.

“The motivation was to be as inclusive as possible,” Mr. Groves said. “For some people, that word is offensive. That word evokes memories that are not pleasant. And I apologize to those who are offended on behalf of my colleagues.”


That was in 2010. In 2013 the census bureau decided to drop the word after all. I'm sure that overall there are many more people offended by the word than there are who identify by it.

Spacedog1973

(221 posts)
15. Thanks for the link
Mon May 23, 2016, 11:36 AM
May 2016

I note that

In an interview, Mr. Groves explained that a research study found many older African-Americans who still referred to themselves as Negroes. In the 2000 census, he said, about 50,000 additional people wrote in the word Negro in a line that asked people how they wished to be identified. Half of those, he said, were 45 years old or younger.
is the quote from the article that seemed to justify his comments.

However, it provides little context as to how many more 50,000 people constituted from the original 2000 census as referred to in the article. Is that a massive increase? A moderate increase? A small increase? A census is usually involving millions. A 50,000 increase is noise in regard to numbers that massive.

The information is also absent of what the majority of AA expressed of their preference. That would be what you would base any conclusion upon, not whether there has been an small increase (for example) of gay men being ok with being called 'queens' and basing how you converse with gay men on that, rather than how gay men feel about that word to describe them as a group as a whole.

In addition, it doesn't refer to the nuance of the phrase; i.e in what context it is used for example; in forms asking of ethnicity/ identity, in comparison with how the same people might feel comfortable in being addressing vocally. Are they ok with ticking the 'negro' box on an official form, but not ok with the neighbour's white son, referring to their children as 'the negro children next door'.

Going back to my original point, if Harry Reid, in this example, really was that ignorant of how the majority of people feel about the word negro and its historical context, then as a representative of the public, some of whom will be AA, his reasoning is woeful.

Iggo

(47,487 posts)
7. I hope so.
Mon May 23, 2016, 10:09 AM
May 2016

It would definitely piss off the people who I find it most entertaining to piss off.

IronLionZion

(45,256 posts)
9. As a minority POC, this is a very important step towards progress
Mon May 23, 2016, 10:23 AM
May 2016

because countless state/local laws and court cases and journalistic publications and reference materials will go with the language used in federal laws.

There was a time when they had to define the word "caucasian" because Indian (India, not Native American) people applied for US citizenship on the basis that Indians are caucasian by classical definitions. A lot of language in laws was written to benefit the people in power at the time and to spite other people. Why else would they have laws that reference ethnicity?

Language is very important. The words we use often shape the thoughts we think and believe and the ideas we teach in school and see in our media and so on. Language guides conversation. I'm glad this is happening.

This law was sponsored by people of color. And a good thing I noticed is that there are 51 members of the Asian Pacific caucus. There was a time in this country when there were 0 Asian-Americans in congress.

catnhatnh

(8,976 posts)
10. Clueless old white guy question....
Mon May 23, 2016, 10:42 AM
May 2016

...I had not heard the term "oriental" was derogatory. Can anyone give me a brief explanation?

IronLionZion

(45,256 posts)
12. Items can be Oriental, not people
Mon May 23, 2016, 11:01 AM
May 2016

People can be Asian.


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112465167

The term has a long history of racism and stereotypes which is why many Asian people find it offensive.

catnhatnh

(8,976 posts)
14. Thank you
Mon May 23, 2016, 11:13 AM
May 2016

Your post is exactly on point and yet the guy interviewed never actually said why it was derogatory, only that is was an older descriptor and overly broad. He described it as having negative connotations yet never gave a why this was so or gave an example of using the term as a slur. I can pretty easily delete it from my personal usage since I use it exclusively as a descriptor of a ramen flavor,. Thanks again for trying to help.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»‘Negro,’ ‘Oriental’ and ‘...