# Is "colored" racist when describing a person's race? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347 "2010-02-10T00:02:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/21 "2010-02-10T14:43:13Z")
I’m kind of sable with a hint of caramel. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/22 "2010-02-10T14:58:49Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’m kind of sable with a hint of caramel. I had to look up sable. What, you think all girls know all the colors? But if that is the case, I am coffee with lots of cream. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/23 "2010-02-10T15:01:35Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I had to look up sable. What, you think all girls know all the colors? You think they make curtains in 543 shades of beige for _men_? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/24 "2010-02-10T15:13:57Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > You think they make curtains in 543 shades of beige for _men_? Do they? I generally make my own curtains. 🙂 That’s why I said “all” girls. I’m aware some girls do know all the colors. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/25 "2010-02-10T15:41:51Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I had to look up sable. What, you think all girls know all the colors? But if that is the case, I am coffee with lots of cream. Vanilla soy-milk here. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/26 "2010-02-10T17:18:11Z")
Yeesh. NO WORD is intrinsically racist because no word has any intrinsic meaning whatsoever and whithersoever. Every single bit of its meaning is contextual. Words are utterances that have the meaning that listeners and speakers collectively attribute to them. Take that away and you just have sounds. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/27 "2010-02-10T18:21:03Z")
I am white like mozzarella, or milk. I wish I was coloured caramel though… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/28 "2010-02-10T22:40:35Z")
My wife, a Japanese-American, looks Asian, and grew up hearing the term"Oriental" to describe her. The Asians I know feel pretty much the same way about “Oriental” as the blacks I know feel about “colored.” It’s outdated, quaint and vaguely demeaning. If someone who had grown up hearing the term used it, it would not necessarily be offensive, but if someone younger used the term deliberately, they would definitely look for a reason for the choice of words. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/29 "2010-02-11T00:38:47Z")
It’s still the term of choice for Southeast Asians in the UK. There’s no real reason why it should be offensive; it simply means “of the Orient” - ie., the East. _Asian_ is used exclusively in Britain to refer to people from the Indian subcontinent. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/30 "2010-02-11T00:43:21Z")
[quote=“1920s Style “Death Ray”, post:15, topic:528347”] That is a type of racism. I consider racism to be making negative assumptions about someone based on their race rather than their own actions. [/QUOTE] Nah racist can be negative or positive. I can say the french make great lovers, that is racist as I am painting a whole race with a stereotype. Racism is different. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/31 "2010-02-11T00:45:38Z")
The French are not a race. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/32 "2010-02-11T00:51:23Z")
Definitely archaic. But not derogatory. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/33 "2010-02-11T00:57:08Z")
Officer Swanhauser: Was the suspect colored? Fred Sanford: Yeah, white. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/34 "2010-02-11T14:51:23Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > The French are not a race. Sacrebleu! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/35 "2010-02-11T14:55:26Z")
I don’t know if anyone under 80 would use the word these days. I voted yes because I think in general those that would use it are more likely to be racist than not. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/36 "2010-02-11T15:09:28Z")
So then, is Lou Reed racist? ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/37 "2010-02-11T15:18:10Z")
Everytime I hear the word colored I’m reminded of a movie where a girl screamed, “I’m not colored, God made me this way.” So I guess if you are dyed blue you are indeed colored. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/38 "2010-02-11T15:21:54Z")
As others have said, I don’t see it as racist, but it’s old-fashioned. Still, whenever someone uses the term – usually someone in the over-70 crowd – there seems to be a collective gasp. The intent and context of its use don’t seem malicious, but it’s often received by listeners as if it was something just short of the n-word. Same thing with “oriental”. If you’re an African-American, and you overheard a 75-year old white person use the term “colored” in the context of something like “You can get good barbecue in the colored neighborhoods” or “My granddaughter is dating a nice colored boy”, would you be offended? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347/39 "2010-02-11T18:09:38Z")
No, just horribly out of date, like Negro. “_Coloured_”, OTOH, is just an ethnic descriptor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-colored-racist-when-describing-a-persons-race/528347.md?page=1)