Do you refer to people by color?

Question

Do you call someone by the color of their skin: black or white for example or do you try to refer to them by their ethnic background or do you just call them friends and ignore color?
I've been color blind all my life when it comes to my friends but I'm told I'm unusual in doing that.
I got called "whitey" yesterday by somebody at work and he was not happy I thought it was funny and ridiculous to call me that. I laughed. What else can ya do lol.

Answer 1

Good question. No, I don't call people by "colour". They're people first.

But I don't get it how we're supposed to call black coloured people African American when some of them have been Americans or from Caribean for numerous generations. Many have never been to the continent of Africa and their parents and grandparents haven't been either.

A lot of Asian Americans have never been to Asia -- or their parents or grandparents either.

Whites get called whites, not European Americans or Hungarian - Icelandic - French - Samoan Americans.... the whole ethnic thing gets old fast.

Everybody's got 2 parents. Say your mom is British and your dad is Bulgarian. Your mom's mom is Swedish, your mom's dad is half Colombian and half British. Your dad's mom is Danish and your dad's dad is 1/4 Russian, 1/4 Bulgarian, 1/2 Irish...... if you think multi-ethnic backgrounds like "Irish - Bulgarian - Russian - Danish - British - Colombian - Swedish - American" is insane look at the background of somebody like Keanu Reeves.

Maybe we can all get off the differences bandwagon and focus on similarities for a change.

We're all ONE race. It's called THE HUMAN RACE.

Answer 2

If I was tryin to point someone out in public, I would probably tell my boyfrined or whoever I was talking to "hey, look at that black girl over there" but I am not use to being around black people because I live in a town of all white people. See like I just said, I called the people in my town white people. I dont usually say african american or caucasian. Anyway, I dont call my friends, white people. I call them friends because being white is just traditional in my town, nobody is black.

Answer 3

I never refer to people by their skin colour. I, too, have been colour blind when it comes to my friends. That's the last thing I see when I'm with them, if I even see it at all. Sounds to me that guy has a problem with it. I think I would've been a little shocked and hurt at first, but probably laughed it off.

Answer 4

Only if you need to drscribe their looks to say police, or doctors, emergency that kind of thing. I can talk candidly about race, culture, ethnicity. I'm very secure in that. I think sometimes if you just throw it out there if the subject comes up it breaks the ice if you are confident & unruffled. PS I like your attitude about the whitey thing....are they nuts to think that some people just don't care about poop like that?

Answer 5

I have been called plenty of names and it NEVER hurts ME! It makes me SAD to realize that America has some really STUPID people that I share citizenship with! I have never, in my life, referred to a person by color, unless it was for a description needed by law enforcement - and then it was by ancestry only!

Answer 6

Well I grew up in a very mixed race area. In my high school there was really no "majority". My family always had friends of very color and nationality and we never referred to them by their race or especially their color. Who actually has "white" or "black" anyway.

Answer 7

Well no, but if there is someone that is like in a crowd I might say something like see that Hispanic guy standing by the wall i will totally say that, it's easier, and I think people should be proud to be be their race, unless it is bad things that people say.... I don't like to say it out load, I mean I won't shout "Yea, that hispanic dude, right there!"
Of course I will whisper it, duh! But I don't do that a lot, my friend's do it all the time, it's just a way to better recognize someone!

Answer 8

Actually, my friends and I are quite a mix. There is one black girl, one mexican transvestite, a bunch of white girls and a few mexican girls.
As nicknames we are "black girl", "white girl", "joto" (**** in spanish), "guera" (white girl in spanish), etc.........

I think you get the idea. Anyway, it's actually what we call each other and none of us have any problems with it. It's all in fun.

Now if it's meant to be mean or saying it to someone you don't know, that's different. Then it's just not right.

Answer 9

I call them friend. Peoples backgrounds don't mean a thing to me. My husband and I are 2 different races and it has no effect on anyone we know.

Answer 10

as I do not choose by color, sexuality, sex and etc... I think some people can be more diverse in all race and walks of life. (I have been called a queer from many different races and people, really does not bother me but shows there are discrimination)