Are Sports Mascots racist by nature?ie: redskins, braves, indians?

Question

you sure got a lot of thumbs down Paul, it sort of proves my point, racism is alive and well here, Squaw ! Geez If shed utter that at any gathering she'd be carried out as our women dont take kindly to that one!

why do all the people with little blood and littel knowlegde of their people proclaim I'm 1/8 or so and claim to speak for us skins? Surrveies by the American Congress of American Indians show that 85% of our people are offended of course thats tribal members in real tribes

Answer 1

ABsolutely, the NCAA finally forced the U. of I. to get rid of IlliniWek, you would be up on charges if you had teams like the cleavland whities or the New Jersey Negores, San Francisco Chinamen, would not be tolerated. Our people were not doing the tommahawk chop, now hooping it up dooing satge shows , we have a culture, mascots do not honor but make sterotypical fun of people.

Mamasquirel 1/16 is very little , but squaw means a prositute and that is very derogatory, dont go to a powwow and use it , you'll be in deep trouble but then shes likely a wanabee ndn princess who watches too many hollywod movies

Answer 2

No. If you look at the genesis of naming sports teams after American indians (we are all native Americans if you were born in this country) it was a positive act and honored the bravery and courage of native Americans. Now I will agree that the term "redskins" could be offensive but Braves, Chiefs, Indians etc. is not demeaning. The world has become way too hyper sensitive these days. If we follow this trend Norte Dame would have to change its nickname from the Fighting Irish to something else because as silly as it sounds someone might say this is slandering the Irish as drunks and fighters.

Answer 3

ANY & EVERY name you could possibly choose is or will be offensive to someone , somewhere , for some reason that is important to them personally!

Where does it end? I predicted 10 years in advance of it happening that the Bullets basketball team would eventually be called upon to change their name as Bullets has violent connotations & sends a negative message.

SHAZZAM....it became reality !! The irony is the team was renamed the Wizards, which was meant to be associated w magic. Why hasn't someone objected citing the term Wizard is associated w the KKK , & is especially sensitive & offensive when used by a team playing a game dominanted by men of color!! How ironic!!

But then oops....it's now offensive to refer to a black as a person of color or the archaic term of "colored" I don't use it, but then why is there still a group called the National Assoc for the Advancement of Colored People? Hmmmmm it's apparently only offensive when it's convenient!!

Answer 4

How is it racist to glorify an Indian? When these sports teams have their mascots, its to make the crowd roar in cheers for their team. That is the name of their team, ie: Indians, Redskins, Braves. I am 1/4 Cherokee Indian, and am not offended in the least. I think the mascots of these certain football, and baseball teams are doing the American Indians homage, and showing honor to us, not making fun of us. They keep the remembrance of the American Indian alive. Bless them.

Answer 5

For the record. IMHO They're nothing but mascots. It's a team name. Anyone who reads more into it than that are more interested in a moment of fame than they are about political correctness or racism. Are the Tigers, Bears, Yellowjackets, and a host of others derogatory terms?

Ask yourself why the names are chosen. It's for the characteristics the name implies. I know I wouldn't want to be playing for a team named the Green Bay Idiots, Los Angeles Dummies, or San Francisco Cowards.

The closest a team name you mentioned comes to being derogatory is the redskins.

Answer 6

No. I tend to think we choose mascots with admirable traits. However, in wanting to praise the Native American, we probably could do better than naming a team the Redskins. That's like admiring the Zulus for their fierce fighting and naming your team the Spear Chuckers.

Past that though, I personally don't have a problem naming a team after a tribe if it's truly about admiring their spirit and ability. Naming a team the Seminoles, Tribe, or even Zulu would not seem racist to me.

Answer 7

I always thought that naming a team after an ethnic group (Vikings, Celtics, Braves) was shown as a means of honoring that group for being feared warriors.

Only the overly-sensitive person thinks of it as being racist. As a 1/16th Indian woman, when I hear the word "Squaw", I think of love, family, preserverence. But about two years ago, I was told by full-blooded Indian woman that I should be thinking of drunken whores when I hear the word Squaw....who is the racist in that case?

Answer 8

Sports are a type of competition. Mascots are often chosen from natural or human conflicts. Since most boys played "Cowboys and Indians" growing up, it seems only natural someone would choose an Indian as a mascot, since one team's also chosen cowboys. Nothing racist about it, except for those who wish to make it so.

Answer 9

Some are, some aren't.

As said above, the Redskins (unless they start using peanuts as a mascot) is pretty much a slur. On the other hand, names like the Warriors or the Braves is more praise than anything.

Making a blanket statement about these names, like making blanket statements about pretty much anything, is simplistic. They have to be handled individually.

Answer 10

There are even community American supporters for the mascot. this is blown way out of share. I actual have community American ancestry and that i think of people have extra significant subjects that could desire to be addressed.

Answer 11

No it is politically correct people who like to draw attention to themselves by being "offended"
Are the Indians and blacks the ones complaining and getting offended. America needs to learn to laugh and take a joke.
I have three black jokes that I tell blacks and they laugh and say your alright. I wouldn't recommend anybody to do that but it works for me.
Although I do think when people use an ethnic name they should use it more to honor rather than a stereo type.