Is the phrase "minority" just another hidden racist slur?

Question

Minority means of no significance or importance. If you are not white, then this is the nick name you are given. I am personally offended by it, but I was curious of what everyone else thought. (I am not a racist, I am for the betterment of humanity.)

Answer 1

Not really.. It just means there's less of that certain group of people than others. Like, there are more white people than darker skinned people in certain places. This is a fact. Therefore the darker skinned people would be considered a minority. It doesn't mean anything, it just means there's less of your 'group'.

But also rereading that it also makes me kinda wish that we weren't seperated into groups like this and could just be all considered human, and nothign else.

Answer 2

Actually "minority" in the context you are using it means a group or groups that are less than 50% percent of a total population. In most of the United States and Europe, it is most commonly used to indicate non-white groups of people because they happen to be in the minority. However, in our society it could also be technically used to indicate men (less than 50% of our society are men), Catholics, the upper class, and other groupings of individuals who are not usually classified as such. In fact, in some larger cities in the U.S. there is no longer a majority (a group representing 51% of the population) and therefore everyone in those cities is in essence a minority. In addition, and in a global sense, white people are a minority on this planet, and without some serious increases in the Caucasian population, or some serious decreases in the Asian, African, or Latin American populations, will most likely remain so till the end of time.

I guess, my point is, like most words, context is everything. While some may use the word minority with a negative connotation when referencing specific groups of poeple, there are just as many who will simply use the word in describing what a group truly is: a minority of the whole within a given subset.

Don't be offended by the word, be offended by those who misuse it.

Answer 3

The word minority is not a racial slur. Minority just simply means not in the majority. You can be a minority in a political party (e.g. - the idiots that still think or ignorant president is doing a good job) - or a minority as a race (I know I would be in the minority in another country) - but it's not racist - it's a fact.

Oh - and George Bush is an idiot.

Answer 4

I am a minority at work. There are very few female management positions. I am a minority in the USA - there are not many women veterans over 45 years old. If you look hard enough, anyone can be a minority. I do not feel that a slur is attached to the word - it's just a way of saying "fewer".

Answer 5

I dont think it means of no significance. It is meant to indicate that there are fewer of one group of people than another. Minority isn't just a name given to "everyone else" by white people. I know as a white person I don't go around calling everyone that isn't white a minority. Its almost prejudice to assume that it is the standard. Minority isnt a slur...its not meant to offend.

Answer 6

Minority is not degrading. All it means is that some groups makes up less that 50% of a population. It's fact. Unfortunately there seems to be an emphasis on being normal or part of a large group (aka the majority) in American pop culture. If you choose to think that being a minority is a bad thing then that's your choice.

Answer 7

I'm not offended by the term, it's purely descriptive. Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc. are each, by themselves a minority of the whole population of this country. In South Africa, Dutch descendants are the minority of the population. Minority is used to describe the smaller part of population in order areas, as well. In Congress and in the Senate, minority is used to describe whichever party makes up less than 50 percent.

Also, if you read the Webster definition of the world; neither small and insignificant are listed as a definition.

Answer 8

Actually, your definition of minority is wrong. www.dictionary.com lists it as follows...
mi·nor·i·ty /mɪˈnɔrɪti, -ˈnɒr, -maɪ-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mi-nawr-i-tee, -nor, -mahy-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation noun, plural -ties, adjective
–noun 1. the smaller part or number; a number, part, or amount forming less than half of the whole.
2. a smaller party or group opposed to a majority, as in voting or other action.
3. a group differing, esp. in race, religion, or ethnic background, from the majority of a population: legislation aimed at providing equal rights for minorities.
4. a member of such a group.
5. the state or period of being under the legal age of full responsibility.
–adjective 6. of or pertaining to a minority.

Trust me, there are plenty of racist words that people call each other, and not all of them are from white people to other races. If you are offended by the word minority, go somewhere that you are not in a minority, somewhere you would fit in better. Simple, no?

Answer 9

No it's a statistical term referring to any group which represents a small proportion of any given population. a political party can be a minority. A group of people who speak one language (like French, for example) in a country where another language is the convention.
The word is used to describe sub groups and is often used to determine financial support and programs, etc.
Women used to be the minority sex, but now they represent 51 per cent of the population. So the term may apply for a while and then not be accurate, so it is dropped.

Answer 10

im not racist either i guess people grew to calling white people the minority to stop there being an up roar of different races...where as white people seem to take it...

im not racist, anything but that. but like if a white man insults a black man then its racism, but if its the other way there is no harm done

i dont think this is the right way to life....people should see everyone as equals.