As a so called “colored” person, i find this term somewhat offensive due to the fact that it suggests that white is the “standard race”, because everyone that’s not white is “colored”.
I would think this term would be considered offensive for that reason, but i’ve heard it used more often than i would think appropriate.
So my question is, is the term “colored” considered offensive and if not, shouldn’t it be?
FTR caucasian, but I think it is offensive and would never say it to any non-caucasian.
I’m assuming you do not live in the USA?
In the black neighborhood near here, the blacks refer to themselves as nigger all the time. They just object to anyone else using the word.
So basically the term ‘colored’ is considered offensive in the US, right?
Oh, and the reason i’m specifically complaining about the term “colored” is because it lumps every race other than white together, but since it wasn’t a word originally meant as an insult, some people might not find it offensive because they overlook what the word suggests. But the word “nigger” was always offensive (well, not amongst black people though…).
I think it was just originally a word meaning “black”, as in Niger and Nigeria, and Montenegro.
So then what’s the big deal about others who label other people as “colored”? FTR i think it very inappropriate and consider that to be a sure-fire sign that those engaged in such abject and hostile usage of such derogatory terminology to be morons and such. i also think the same about anybody who employs the term white-boy or white-trash. Childish beyond measure.
There is alot of racism in the world today, and especially here in America, where everyone tends to sweep social problems under the carpet. Best to pick some new words to describe your fellow man.
OK, i see where the confusion is.
The term “colored” actually has 2 meanings; One is referring specifically to black people, the other is referring to everyone that’s not white. I’m talking about the latter meaning.
Actually, more often people say “people of color” when they mean what i’m referring to… I should’ve ask “is the term “people of color” considered offensive?”… Dammit.
Hey, I witnessed Oprah saying she’s a “colored woman (or girl)” on her show the other day. If she can say it (one of the wealthiest women in the world) then I think it’s okay.
I am just a pasty “white” chick so what do I know?
Just becauase Oprah called herself a colored woman, does not mean it is ok. What rich people say, does not become gospel.
Oprah speaks for herself, and is not speaking for others of her race.
The term colored is outdated, and archaic. And today it is considered an offensive term.
When you get down to it, we are all colored, be it black, brown, white, red or yellow.
It became offensive when during the Jim Crow era, signs for restrooms, drinking fountains, etc, were labeled with signs “For whites only” or “Colored only”.
It may also be that I personally don’t like the term.
In my experience, the word ‘colored’ isn’t used in the US much except by the elderly and those who have ‘poetic license’ to do so (Oprah, for example, who used a cute little accent while making the statement). I have to remind an elderly aunt that we don’t use the term ‘colored’ any longer; she replies that she can’t keep up with the changes. I think the term went from ‘colored’ to ‘Negro’ to ‘black’ during the 50s and 60s, and she hasn’t caught up in the past decades.
I believe that in South Africa and sometimes in the UK ‘coloured’ is used for any non-caucasian, including Indians, Pakistanis, etc.
People in the US sometimes refer to others as ‘people of color,’ and this can mean anyone who is non-caucasian, including Hispanics.
It’s simplest to call people what they want to be called and I can’t imagine many wanting to be called ‘colored.’
In the United States, the term “colored” is considered offensive if used by a white person (like me). I have no idea if black people use it amongst themselves.
Who knows? Which terms cause offense is a matter of fashion, not logic. “Colored” used to be a perfectly acceptable term, part of the name of the NAACP,
an association that defends the rights of American blacks. Now, it’s offensive. There’s no logic to it, it’s just fashion.
Some older black folks do. I’ve never heard anyone under the age of 60 use it except in a sardonic manner.
Untrue. It’s not fashion by any stretch. Really, calling it fashion makes it sound so trivial. I’d imagine that there’s a lot of bad memory associated with the word ‘colored’ due to the way it was used.
You can always call a black person black. At worst, they’ll correct you African-American or somesuch. I don’t think that calling someone what they want to be called is too hard.
“Is the term “colored” considered offensive?”
If so, then Crayola is going to be in a lot of trouble.
I agree, That’s what I do.
My anecdotal experience: Most black people I know find “African American” to be pretentious and too formal.
“White trash” I can see, but why “white boy?”
A big ole “me too” when it comes to “colored” being offensive.
As for “people of color”, that term was used quite a bit in the last decade by politically correct people. I’ve heard it used a little less frequently lately. Still very correct as far as I know.
I’ll admit that it’s not logical for “colored” to be wrong while “people of color” is right. And I agree with your reasons for not liking that term. But, as Koffing said, I think terms can become offensive when they’re used offensively, and it’'s not always about logic.
Blah, i’m going to hijack my own thread.
What i’m really complaining is about is what the term “people of color” suggests. It suggests that white is the standard race.
I saw this poster at school that was a drawing of a caveman looking at a reflection of himself. The reflection showed his future, and it was a white modern man. The ironic part is that the poster was made by a black kid.
I guess this is inevitable because white people are basically ruling the world right now (though hard to admit, i think everyone knows that this is true).
I find this whole color coding thing quite confusing. “Coloured” meant something entirely differently in Apartheid South Afrika than “colored” did in segrationist USA. Both are incorrect gross oversimplifications. Everybody is of course some color, and most are multi-colored. In Asia, people are not “yellow”. I have known people from Asia who are far more “white” than European and American “whites”. In America, natives are not “red”. If I get too much sun I am far more red, and if just a bit of sun I become a lovely shade of pink. I have also known some Asian people with far darker brown skin than many people who are considered “black”. People are far too complicated to be lumped into color coded categories. And by attempting to lump everybody of a particular skin tone into a category we do a gross disservice to the individuals of that group.
I’m not an expert of South Africa, but I belive that the “Coloured” people of South Africa on the whole accept that term. And I know of no alternative term they use…
I don’t have this at hand online, but I once saw some United States EEOC government statitics that identified the “people of color” population as being “Black/African-American”, “Hispanic/Latino”, “Asian American/Pacific Islander”, “Native American/Alaskan Native”, and any mixture of “White” with these groups.
Later, the same literature explained, quite correctly, that a “Hispanic can be of any race” - further breaking down the category into “white Hispanic”, " black Hispanic", and so on…
So by implication, a white Hispanic would be a “white person of color”.
…so Anglo-Americans would be “colorless”?
I pick on “Hispanic/Latino” since that is the most obvious example of how “race” and ethnicity get confused. Also I am a originally Brazilian so I have a hard time explaining to people how I can be “South American” and not “Hispanic” (falo portugues! nao sei espanol…), or “white” (I’m certainly not dark being half German half Portuguese) and yet possibly a “minority” (it depends on who I ask). But there are other examples I am sure.
Unless the government requires us to put some unexposed skin next to a strip with a numbered series of fleshtones, and uses that to document and classify us… I don’t see why we should use terms like “colored” or “people of color”
in formal or educated usage.
I don’t find the term “coloured” offensive when used humorously, but I think it is a bit silly otherwise. What does it really mean? Would people of Mediterranean descent be classified as “coloured”? What about normally-pale people who get a nice tan?
In Pakistan it is considered sexy to have “coloured eyes” - “coloured” in this case means light-coloured (any colour except brown).
Just shows how silly the term is.
Being a ‘person of colour’, I wouldn’t take offense to being called ‘coloured’… depending on who says it. I find that older people, in their 70’s, refer to me as coloured. How do I know? I worked at a Gap a couple of years back (never again) for the Holiday season, and when they would ask ‘Did anyone help you?’ They always refered to me as ‘the nice coloured girl’.
Being called coloured by someone in this time would make me wonder where they are from only because the term doesn’t seem to be in use in North America.