Asians, Africans, and some Europeans get referred in the west, as 'third world citizens'. Does that offend u?

Question

I am from Asia and I get reffered to as belonging to a 'third world' country at work. I find that offensive and would rather be reffered to as an asian.

I think its derogatory to refer to someone as belonging to 'third world' in a social or work setting. What is the need for that terminology?

Some have assumed America. I don't know how it is there and if the same applies there. But I live in UK and I am originally from India. I also noticed colleagues from european nations like bulgaria, poland etc get referred as from the 'thrid world'.

Answer 1

I am a white European,
and I believe that we have only got ONE WORLD
for all people to share........

I truly dislike the term "third world"
It is often interpreted as "third class", not nice.

Answer 2

You don't get it and are misunderstanding the term.

Asians and Europeans - this doesn't happen to them at all.

"Third world citizens" is not the term. Third World Countries is what I think you mean. Some people come from Third World Countries....(from Wikipedia) The terms First World, Second World, and "Third World" can be used to divide the nations of Earth into three broad categories. "Third World" is a term first coined in 1952 by French demographer Alfred Sauvy on the model of Sieyès's declaration concerning the Third Estate during the French Revolution: "...because at the end this ignored, exploited, scorned Third World like the Third Estate, wants to become something too." The Third World later became a synonym of these nations that aligned themselves with neither the West nor with the Soviet Bloc during the Cold War. Thus, the Non-Aligned Movement was created after the 1955 Bandung Conference.

Today, however, the term is frequently used to denote nations with a low UN Human Development Index (HDI), independent of their political status (meaning that the PRC, Russia and Cuba, all of which were very strongly aligned during the Cold War, are often termed third world). However, there is no objective definition of Third World or "Third World country" and the use of the term remains common. The term Third World is also disliked as it may imply the false notion that those countries are not a part of the global economic system. Some in academia see it as being out-of-date, colonialist, othering and inaccurate; its use has continued, however. [1] Political theorist Hannah Arendt contends that, indeed, "The Third World is not a reality but an ideology."

In general, Third World countries are not as industrialized or technologically advanced as OECD countries, and therefore in academia, the current term in use is "developing nation". Terms such as Global South, developing countries, less economically developed countries (LEDC), least developed countries and the Majority World have become more popular in circles where the term "third world" is regarded to have derogatory or out-of-date connotations.

Answer 3

So all those who you point out and many others, "appear to come back right here and come to be American Citizens the RIGHT WAY". So you your self don't seem to be even certain. I desire you notice that it is not simply Mexicans or different Central Americans which might be unlawful. Many of the movies that I see, you may have STUPID young adults that have no idea what they're combating for, and you make a decision from that, that is the perspective from folks that seem like them? Also, now not each and every European got here right here legally, there have been relatively a couple of that ILLEGALY entered this nation from Mexico and Canada. The complete concern with the Cinco De Mayo fiasco is the outcome of dull children performing up and different idiots who act on impulses as an alternative than utilising that noggin of theres. What precisely do you desire to achieve by way of announcing " I am combined with Asian and White"?

Answer 4

Well, technically they're wrong. Asia is first and second-world. It sounds like your co-workers, and several of the people answering here, are just being idiots. They don't know enough about your country to say anything intelligent, so they resort to stupid.

There's a lot of criticism of this whole hierarchy anyway, and some people prefer to talk about global issues in terms of North and South or more individually about specific countries and regions.

My suggestions for strategy on how to cope with it are two-fold. Get to know your co-workers so that they see you as a person and hopefully stop thinking of you as a person from such and such a country. The other is to just ignore them on this -- their statements say far more about them than it does about you.

Answer 5

There's a difference between "citizens of a thrid-world country" and "second-class citizens."
Certain countries are referred to as "Third World" countries because of low standard of living and high mortality rates. They may suffer from political turmoil and lack of resources. The citizens of these countries often do not enjoy the same health and human rights enjoyed by citizens of "First World" countries. (Oddly enough, there is no "Second World.") ***Westerners do NOT apply this term to all of Asia, Africa, and Europe, but only to select nations.***

A "second-class citizen" is someone who is treated as inferior within their own country. It is very unfair, and often caused by religious or social prejudices. This happens in both "Third World" and "First World" countries.

Answer 6

I suggest you telling the manager where you work that it is racist.
It is against the law to distinguish people from the countries they are from. You can sue them. They have to be respectful, no matter where you are from.
The Americans can not live by themselves, many people from Asia, Africa and those European countries(I guess you mean Eastern Europe) invest huge amount of money, or work as skilled workers( For example I know exactly that many scientists in US are from China, India, Vietnam. they work as professors at universities/college, scientists(for example in Boeing,Seattle),
Koffie Anan( UN General Secretary) is from Ghana,Africa.
You see, a lot of immigrants make huge contribution to US. Unfortunately, a lot of UNEDUCATED Americans don't know this fact.
It is not only the Americans who make this country powerful
Besides,The US also sells their products to the aforementioned countries, for example movies, weapons, all the junk foods. this means that they can not live by themselves

Answer 7

To me the Third World is Africa, South America, parts of Asian (Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand), Middle-East, India.

To me the First World is USA, Japan, West Europe (everything west of Austria's most right border), South Korea.

Answer 8

Ummm they do??? I thought only those from third world countries would be referred to as third world citizens. Am I wrong here?

See Nottashygirl's answer--she's got it right!

Answer 9

yes. even though i am not one it would make people feel like their not worthy enough just because they were born in one of those places while someone else born somewhere else is called better because they were born somewhere else.

Answer 10

although i am white i dont believe it should offend anyone because this world is still segregated and it has been that way for a long time now and you should be used to it.