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Help[Opinions] So if I were to follow your above statements
in reply to a message by queenv
(and not the general guidelines of the board) I have to now preface every response to a poster on this name opinions board with my identifying statisitics, ask them theirs (in case they are African-American), and if I am "allowed" to make a response to their post asking for opinions on names or if they would like my response?
Curious to know, but this topic is probably dead now anyway...
Curious to know, but this topic is probably dead now anyway...
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
LOL No. All I'd ask is that if you recognize an African-American name, you decline to comment. If you make an honest mistake because you didn't recognize a name as such, well, we all make mistakes. I'd just hope that if that happened and you'd made a negative comment and if all this whole can of worms were opened up again (but I'm not planning to open it), that you'd just say, "Oh I didn't recognize it as an African-American name" and leave it at that.
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Ok, thanks for replying.
Btw, I never made a negative comment in the original instance (as in the name was dumb etc.), all I said was that it would cause confusion.
Btw, I never made a negative comment in the original instance (as in the name was dumb etc.), all I said was that it would cause confusion.
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No, but if you had a poster make a list of names like Deshawn, Kaeshae, Princess, Arynthya, Caliyya, Kenetra, Sir, Marquis and Chiquita then I think it would be a good idea to maybe ASK if they are African-American before slamming those names. Or come at it like, "I don't think I can judge these names fairly because I am not apart of the naming culture from which they came- a naming culture that arose solely due to oppression."
That is the difference between judging say, a Japanese name, and an African-American name- Japanese names come from a long standing language of a people who built an empire and their culture and language persist today without oppression. The African-American naming culture is unique in that it came from using elements of English names to create new names that were not associated with the whites who oppressed them and owned them for hundreds of years and that are not associated with the dominant white culture that still oppresses.
ETA: If given a list, I think it would be fair to comment that Sir might cause some confusion for the kid because it is a commonly used title for any man, so maybe Deshawn or Marquis are preferable. I don't think it would be okay to call it "stupid" for being on the list considering it does fall into standard African-American naming cultural trends.
That is the difference between judging say, a Japanese name, and an African-American name- Japanese names come from a long standing language of a people who built an empire and their culture and language persist today without oppression. The African-American naming culture is unique in that it came from using elements of English names to create new names that were not associated with the whites who oppressed them and owned them for hundreds of years and that are not associated with the dominant white culture that still oppresses.
ETA: If given a list, I think it would be fair to comment that Sir might cause some confusion for the kid because it is a commonly used title for any man, so maybe Deshawn or Marquis are preferable. I don't think it would be okay to call it "stupid" for being on the list considering it does fall into standard African-American naming cultural trends.
This message was edited 7/18/2017, 3:17 PM
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Thank you for explaining the difference between why the judgement of a Japanese name and the judgement of an African-American name are different. I didn't think of it in that sense. It is different because Japanese oppression stems from their culture (like, Americans oppressed the Japanese because they were Japanese), whereas African-American culture stemmed from oppression. I think I may have changed sides on this a bit. Thanks to you and queenv for that.
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No worries :)
And while the Japanese were oppressed around WW2 with the internment camps here and things, they haven't been oppressed in nearly the same way as African-Americans have. African-American people have been oppressed and not treated as fully human or part of society for hundreds of years as slaves, then all the way through Jim Crow, and still are to a large degree now despite Civil Rights. Civil Rights only gave them LEGAL rights and brought some empowerment and ended legal segregation and that only happened in the 1960s- there are POC still alive today that had to drink from a certain fountain, attend a certain school, ride in one part of the bus, and who lived in servitude. Lynchings happened regularly in the South up until the 1950s and 60s.
This isn't an "old" problem. It still happens in more insidious ways. Planned and purposeful segregation still happens that circumvents the laws.
It's something we as white people need to recognize- however hard we work, a black person in the same position needs to work much harder. Most black people begin way way wayyyyy behind the starting block we are on due to centuries of oppression. We need to recognize our privilege and do what we can to remedy it. It doesn't take away from our personal accomplishments as we can't help to whom we were born...but either can they. I believe in equality and that means that I need to recognize that I have been "lucky" to be born white by chance and fight for others who were not.
And while the Japanese were oppressed around WW2 with the internment camps here and things, they haven't been oppressed in nearly the same way as African-Americans have. African-American people have been oppressed and not treated as fully human or part of society for hundreds of years as slaves, then all the way through Jim Crow, and still are to a large degree now despite Civil Rights. Civil Rights only gave them LEGAL rights and brought some empowerment and ended legal segregation and that only happened in the 1960s- there are POC still alive today that had to drink from a certain fountain, attend a certain school, ride in one part of the bus, and who lived in servitude. Lynchings happened regularly in the South up until the 1950s and 60s.
This isn't an "old" problem. It still happens in more insidious ways. Planned and purposeful segregation still happens that circumvents the laws.
It's something we as white people need to recognize- however hard we work, a black person in the same position needs to work much harder. Most black people begin way way wayyyyy behind the starting block we are on due to centuries of oppression. We need to recognize our privilege and do what we can to remedy it. It doesn't take away from our personal accomplishments as we can't help to whom we were born...but either can they. I believe in equality and that means that I need to recognize that I have been "lucky" to be born white by chance and fight for others who were not.
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Wow. This is very sad. I didn't realize how severe the oppression was.
I've known less than 10 African-Americans in my whole life. The majority demographic where I use to live was white. Most POC were Asian. The concept of white privilege is a relatively new concept for me, and I only learned about it because of the internet. I'm grateful I moved to Charlotte, so I can see a different racial dynamic and notice my white privilege more.
Thanks for sharing this information. It was interesting and eye-opening.
I've known less than 10 African-Americans in my whole life. The majority demographic where I use to live was white. Most POC were Asian. The concept of white privilege is a relatively new concept for me, and I only learned about it because of the internet. I'm grateful I moved to Charlotte, so I can see a different racial dynamic and notice my white privilege more.
Thanks for sharing this information. It was interesting and eye-opening.
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Which is what I said in my original response (it would cause confusion). At no point did I "slam" the name or call it stupid etc. :)
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I didn't say you did- it's just a common thing that does happen and I don't think noting that it could cause confusion is really so much an "opinion" as an observation. I was more replying to the direct reply about how it meant you couldn't have an opinion on any name from another culture on a name opinions board. To me, an opinion is a bit more a statement on whether you personally like that name. For example, with the name Jethro, I could state that it does have an association with the Beverley Hillbiliies (observation) but I could also state that I dislike it because it sounds really country and stupid (opinion). For the name Latoya, I could state that it has an association with Latoya Jackson (observation) and then a common white perspective would be to say it sounds 'ghetto' or 'trashy' (opinion).
I'm not saying you did that at all but in response to your comment about having opinions on names, I do think there is a very big difference between me having an opinion on a name historically used within white culture like Jethro and me having an opinion as a white person on a name that has come to be used in African-American culture. I can make an observation but I don't think it's okay for me or anyone outside of the culture to have an opinion on an African-American name. It does not matter whether or not I like the name 'Sir'- I can definitely make the observation that it could be a confusing name to have- but not an opinion whether it is 'good' or 'bad'.
I hope that makes sense :)
ETA: I think there is also baggage that comes with opining on African-American names that is racially based. For example, the whole 'ghetto' or 'trashy' opinion on many of them comes from the association of black people in poorer areas, which in itself is due to institutionalized racism and the fact that the civil rights movement was so recent and that many are still not treated as equal members of society.
I'm not saying you did that at all but in response to your comment about having opinions on names, I do think there is a very big difference between me having an opinion on a name historically used within white culture like Jethro and me having an opinion as a white person on a name that has come to be used in African-American culture. I can make an observation but I don't think it's okay for me or anyone outside of the culture to have an opinion on an African-American name. It does not matter whether or not I like the name 'Sir'- I can definitely make the observation that it could be a confusing name to have- but not an opinion whether it is 'good' or 'bad'.
I hope that makes sense :)
ETA: I think there is also baggage that comes with opining on African-American names that is racially based. For example, the whole 'ghetto' or 'trashy' opinion on many of them comes from the association of black people in poorer areas, which in itself is due to institutionalized racism and the fact that the civil rights movement was so recent and that many are still not treated as equal members of society.
This message was edited 7/18/2017, 4:34 PM
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I appreciate you taking the time to reply.
I still stand by anyone having (and giving if they choose) an opinion on any name on a name opinions board, that's what it is for - to share opinions, impressions, observations, experiences etc. etc. on names.
I try (probably don't always succeed) to give constructive/useful opinions, not simply deride a name, and will continue to do so.
I still stand by anyone having (and giving if they choose) an opinion on any name on a name opinions board, that's what it is for - to share opinions, impressions, observations, experiences etc. etc. on names.
I try (probably don't always succeed) to give constructive/useful opinions, not simply deride a name, and will continue to do so.
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Do you think it's okay to have an opinion of "I like/do not like this name" without saying it is good or bad, or do you think opinions of any sort on African-American names should only be held by African-Americans?
This is a very interesting topic to me. I've been thinking a lot about cultural appropriation, and this ties into it. It's given me many things to ruminate on.
This is a very interesting topic to me. I've been thinking a lot about cultural appropriation, and this ties into it. It's given me many things to ruminate on.
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I think we all have initial responses of "I like" or "I don't like," it's just important to analyze WHY you have that reaction. And usually, when you have a reaction of "I don't like that" to a 'foreign' name it's because some part of it is not native to you- so you haven't been exposed to it enough to have a truly objection opinion.
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That makes sense. I think maybe these gut reactions can also be based in racism. Not just "I dislike the sound" but "I dislike it because it is trashy". It can lead down a dangerous path, like we just discussed.
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