Why must we label people and use the word race or color to describe another human being?

Question

Why can't we just be American or Asian Or Hispanic Or Arabic etc.? It seems pointless to call me Black since my skin is vanillla colored and senseless to call me African American since Africa is a continent with many different cultures in every country. That labeling is prejudice and shows how racists our country is since most applications for anything we do will have you name your race/color. It is crazy to see us in the 21st century and still act like ancient Dutch and Boors. We are people first and by gender second. Not a box of crayola.

Answer 1

Why can't we just be people?There are some differences but we are more alike than different.Labeling by nationality is cool,but we all are human.Racism is fear,fear of something you don't understand.Fear is learned.

Answer 2

It has been my experience that people feel compelled to label others to "find their place." For instance, my personality type is INTP, which makes up about 3% or so of the population. However, I have been labeled as this type of person and certain things about me are dismissed and attributed to my being INTP.

A few years ago I was misdiagnosed as bi polar and that was a nightmare. That label followed me for a very long time and certain personality characteristics, such as my self confidence, were attributed to my nonexistent bi polar disorder (some babble by a moron who psychoanalyzed me on a website and had no clue what they were talking about).

I agree, labels are not productive, whether they define a race or color, a personality type, a gender or a handicap. When we start labling people we stop seeing THEM and see only the label.

To me, that is very dangerous ground.

Answer 3

Not to mention that you've probably never even been to Africa, right? I think it's more for a 'visual' description of a person. An American who's roots come from Africa would have slightly different physical features than one who's roots come from say Jamaica or from Asia or Europe for that matter. Saying a person is "African-American" gives the listener a visual discription of the individual without having to give details. Otherwise, the terms would be pointless....we're all Homosapiens!

Answer 4

The craziness here is to object to colour or race being used to describe someone!!!!

The politically correct have turned the terms into non PC and racist but they are not. To outlaw the use of the word black, as in the offence of 'blackmail' , saying it would insult a black was always crazy. It did nothing to protect black people but made the word and consequently the colour stand for something bad!!!

DO NOT BE AFRAID OF YOUR COLOUR!!!! Get out there and be proud of it. We are all human beings and no matter what colour, race or creed we may be we should all be treated equally and with respect.

Answer 5

i agree but can see why some people are still racist , most stereotypes are true to a certain extent. For example it would be hard for me to see the good in the black race( which of course there is ) if I lived where a lot of black people commited crimes . I think we can both admit when i say gang we think of "gettos" with black people for the most part . It is just the way it is and probably will never change

Answer 6

In some ways I agree & some ways I do not.

I have no time for racists of any kind & I have seen them in ALL groups. I would like to believe they are a statistical minority.

We are all just people & should treat all other people with dignity & respect.

But America is a land of immigrants. We have people whose ancestors came from every corner of the world.
I have no problem with somebody calling me "white" or "Caucasian" or "person of Irish descent" as long as those things weren't said out of hate. But of course I am much more than any of those things.

I do agree with you we all need to move beyond race or ethnicity being such a big deal. Thank you for your question.

Answer 7

Ghetto's have been abode to various the black inhabitants in the day the place segregation and different injustices have been nevertheless taking place. it is maximum possibly why the inhabitants thinks as blacks as ghetto. The meaning probable replaced from 'those African human beings from the ghetto' to 'ghetto African human beings'. i think of it is between the comparable lines of sick (ailment -> dazzling), undesirable (crammed with awe-> terrible), prude (polite, nicely mannered -> rude) we start to affiliate words with one yet another, the human language is amazingly versatile, it differences as generations circulate on. (we don't use thou or arts anymore, as an occasion.) you need to use ghetto now, to describe something you will like. 'Dude, my vehicle is so ghetto' or some thing like that. It implies some thing it relatively is administered down or patched up horribly, it does not inevitably notice to African human beings or Jews.

Answer 8

Good question~ most people don't fall into the label of Asian, Hispanic etc. because we are a mixture of everything.

Answer 9

You're damn right it's predjudice, but too many people get too many things for allowing themselves to be stereotyped. It's hard to cry for an end to race discrimination when you know your skin color may get you a better mortgage rate or job. I applaud your thinking, but unfortunately not enough people feel that way.

Answer 10

ots not out of racist, but rather to get a census of who and how many do or apply for certain things. many can say asian, but many are not like korean, japan, etc. there are many native americans that are black, italian, esimo, etc. now its mostly for security reasons, not only homeland security, but if someone steals your wallet you have the knowledge of knowing its not you and the credit companies can protect you by knowing more about you.

Answer 11

Labels are for ignorant people. It some how makes them feel better or more secure in themselves, if everyone is put in a box. I think this country is big on labels.....People have to be put in a category, why is that?....I think it is silly and wrong...I agree with you...