Can you tell me why it is offensive to call a black person "coloured"?

Question

I grew up inSouth Africa where "Coloured" is a distinctive race group - the descendents of the white people and the indigenous Hottentots. While Black people are the Black tribes, the Xhosas, the Zulus etc etc. It's never occurred to me that calling anyone "Coloured" is offensive - stupid, but not offensive. I hate calling people "White", "Black", "Jew" or anything like that, anyway. I do't like labels. I'm not white - I'm sort of pinky caramel. But some people seem to find it deeply offensive and I'd like an explanation of why.

I do accept it. By the same token, I could object to being called "white" but I can't be bothered to take offence.

Right - so it's derogatory in America, is that it? As an opposite of being "white"?
I call myself an African, don't refer to myself as White, white, Caucasian etc. I think it shouldn't matter. I refuse to fill in tick boxes saying what race I am.
I think if you're going to be offended, you should have a stronger reason than objecting to being labelled as being "non-white" .

Answer 1

This is not an answer this is a poem I received please enjoy ( I am a very pale milky colour by the way lol)

This was written by an African American in Texas and is so funny. What a great sense of humour and creativity!!!



When I born, I black,

When I grow up, I black,

When I go in sun, I black,

When I cold, I black,

When I scared, I black,

When I sick, I black,

And when I die, I still black.


You white folks....


When you born, you pink,

When you grow up, you white,

When you go in sun, you red,

When you cold, you blue,

When you scared, you yellow,

When you sick, you green,

When you bruised, you purple,

And when you die, you grey.


So who you callin' coloured folks???

Answer 2

To some it's a disparaging euphemism. It's like you have to avoid something and why would something need to be avoided if nothing is wrong? It derogates the person. Some consider the term to be out-moded. It's true that black is the absence of color, but no one is actually black. Nor is anyone actually white, not in the purest sense of the word. We are all somewhere between those two extremes. If you were one or the other you couldn't live becaue you would either get too much from the sun or not enough. It has to do with anscestors and where the lived. Some lived where there was not very much sun so they are lighter skinned to get the most from it. And others lived where there is an abundance of sun and needed to be able block it to a certain degree.

Answer 3

I think if an individiual or a group find a particular description offensive - even if you don't understand why - then it is good manners not to call them that.

I believe that the reason calling black or other non-white people 'coloured' is offensive is a mixture of the following:

- it used to be used a euphemism by white people who felt calling people black was itself offensive, because somehow being 'coloured' was less 'bad' than being black. This is in itself offensive because it is not bad to be black.
- it implies that there is a norm - 'white' - and then variants on that - 'coloured'.
- it's careless & lazy, some people use it to describe all non-white people as if there are just two categories of humanity.

Answer 4

Many times it has to do with the negative connotations that went with it during some oppressive time in history, when black people weren't seen as equals to white people. Like in America where during the civil rights movements, there were signs like "Whites only no Coloreds." Its almost just as offensive to call a black person the 'N' word.

Answer 5

it is offensive in america at least because it was used as a derrougatory term durring the "jim crow laws" years. i don't think it has anything to do with a reference to the color black - i call my black friends black and often use the term black and people don't get upset with me. in america (as i cannot speak for countries i do not live in) it is synonmous with terms like *******(mexican) & w.o.p. (without papers - italian).
the reason it spreads as an offensive term is because some people choose to take offense no matter who says it - not taking into consideration that the culture may be different. people are people, and that should be enough, but the politically correct terms have gotten hold of a lot of people and they take more offense or are more uncomfortable saying certain terms.
but colored in america is a bad term, it is meant to be hurtful.

Answer 6

For God's sake what does it matter. People are far too sensitive these days and usually when somebody calls a person coloured of a jew they don't mean any offense. Everybody needs to chill a bit!

Answer 7

I think the word coloured is so closely associated with a time where its use was NOTHING but negative reference. There was such a strong statement to be made during the Civil rights Movement where we gave ourselves and respected as "Black". It was a name WE gave to our race. Huey P. Newton, Angela Davis, etc.

Answer 8

i'm from zimbabwe, and when my family moved to the |UK many many moons ago, i used to be confused by the same question... then i realised that in the northern hemisphere, that calling someone black was offensive... so now your question has thrown me off completely.
whilst you may not like labels, by virtue that we have language invites labels... if someone mugs you, how do you describe them? a sort of creamy caramelly skin, with a sort or yellowish, brownish hair, with kinda yellowish brownish eyes,and shortish tallish.... whilst i've avoided labeling the person as white, dark blonde with light brown eyes and medium height, i have none the less labeled him by virtue of using any words at all.
i think people are over sensitive these days ... we all fit a description, so just accept that description... if you're offended that you are described as white/black/asian/chinese/arab/jewish/mediteranean etc then you obviously have issues with yourself, and putting those issues onto other people is bad manners and invites arguement for no valid reason or productive purpose, because how the hell you do expect to be described?
i'd also like to add, by having issues about your skin colour is both offensive and patronising to those who are like you... be proud of who you are for gods sake. being offended is like saying you're not proud to be who you are and would rather people didn't point it out to you.
i'm white, i'm embarressed by my race and its continuing arrogance, but i think there is much to be proud of too, as much as there are horrible white people, there are also very good white people too, i try my best to associate with the good... though, if you are offended by what i've said, then perhaps you think differently.

Answer 9

It's an old fashioned expression which was used before black people reclaimed their sense of identity and started calling themselves black. My husband is half asian and if he gets called coloured he laughs and asks which colour he is supposed to be, blue? green? orange?

All you need to know is that people of colour do not like the expression and for that reason, it's best avoided.

P.S. To call someone a Jew is also verging on the offensive - better to say he/she is a Jewish person.

Answer 10

pinky carmel sounds fun. i usually just call myself other and don't bother calling anyone else anything because there really isn't much point in the whole thing anyway. if people want to get offended they are allowed to do that and you can't stop them from getting offended no matter what their reason is. people aren't reasonable. i don't think they ever have been and i doubt they ever will be. it would be nice to think the greeks were all about logic but its doubtful. try living in the united states. nobody can even tell you why they voted for that thing we have to call a president but they defend him even though he hasn't done anything in 6 yrs except poop his adult diapers.