Our BetterMost Community > The Polling Place

US 2010 Census: Do you consider the word "Negro" to be a racial slur?

(1/5) > >>

Kerry:

Robert Groves
US 2010 Census:
Do you consider the word Negro  to be a racial slur?
In TIME magazine this week (South Pacific April 5 edition), the US Census director answered 10 questions from TIME readers.

This question was submitted by Matthew Thacker of Bowling Green, Ohio:

"Why is the word Negro - considered by many to be a racial slur - used in the race section?"

Robert Groves responded:

"Before the 2000 Census,there were a set of studies that queried how people would self-classify racially. One of the discoveries was that there was an aging cohort of African Americans who [used] Negro.  For this reason, in the 2000 form, the word was used. The check box had the label Black, African American or Negro.  There were about 50,000 people who checked the box and also wrote in Negro.  We inferred that they felt pretty strongly about [using that word] to describe themselves. We analyzed that group, and to our surprise, half of them were under 45. That was a finding."

What's your view?

Sheriff Roland:
Even though I do not see the 'slur' part of the 'negro' word, the question is not whether I prefer some other options, as the answer list offers ...

So, simply said, I don't think it's a slur and no other options ought to have been offered. Yes or No - or no opinion.

There are limits to political correctness.

IMO

serious crayons:
I'm not the ideal judge, but I don't see it as a slur. I do see the term as dated, though. To say it without irony seems not so much racist as clueless, as if someone hasn't kept up with the race conversation since the early '60s.

An acquaintance recently used the term "mulatto" without irony, which I thought also sounded dated and clueless. I'd go with "biracial."

The best non-race analogy I can think of is, when I was married, if someone would refer to me as Mrs. (husband's first name) (husband's last name). When in fact I kept my maiden name, didn't go by Mrs., and would never use my husband's whole name as a substitute for my own. To say it that way is not exactly sexist but, Dude, where have you been?

Monika:
It´s not a word that I would use. Sounds old-fashioned and racist to me.

Kelda:
This sort of profiling is good thought I think. It allows for positive discrimation and for organisations/ local authorities to profile what their communities look like and therefore what type of service etc they need to offer.

I always tend to answer tha bit, I have nothing to hide.

That said, i don'ty like the word negro personally, as buffy said, it seems very old fashioned.

I chose Black because the african american thing always confuses me. What if you're not american? or are not from african heritage?

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page