This is offensive, but is it racist?

[unsurebutworried]

.

But has it really come to this now...that we're looking to categorise what children are saying?

I do think that's something for adults. It's unfair on children to be categorised at all because they're just starting out in life and learning.

BigGirl I just spat tea at the screen

Sorry Rhubarb, but as someone who lives in the Highlands, and in a very small and remote community, I find it very laid back.
We have loads of people here who have settled from all over the UK, in fact if it wasn't for the 'incomers', and I am one though I've been here 17 years we wouldn't have a community at all.
I could walk into any pub on my own and have a drink and just chat, as could any single female tourist.
Tourism is practically our only industry.
Sorry if you had a bad experience by the way, but in context, for example, we have loads of Donalds and Maries and Macdonalds or Mackenzies So people do tend to give them nicknames, so you're Donnie the post, or Morag the shop.
It's not a male or female thing, and I've just made those names up as they'd be instantly recognisable.

SuchProspects, I'm not sure I understand your point. If two children are both called names, on account of their skin/hair colour, then treating the black kid as if he has been the victim of something more serious than the white kid will perpetuate the idea that one person is more equal than other.

Two ten year olds don't know or give jack shit about long term life chances. They will just be looking at the here and now, because they are kids. You need to be fair to both of them, as individuals and not treat one differently to the other because he may or may not be at a disadvantage sometime in the future (and I'm not convinced the black kid will do less well than the white kid - I think poverty and class are more of an indicator of long term outcomes).

If you want a truly equal, fair society, it starts with treating children equally and fairly.

Pusheed - think The Wicker Man!

There are lots of these wrong thread posts lately, is this a campaign to see who can make the most?

OP, we are not saying he should have to suck it up at all. I tell my kids to be proud of their accent and if someone picks on them, just to say "Yes, I'm from up North so I'd be very very afraid if I were you!" I know that kids long to fit however so I don't mind when they adopt the southern accent at school.

If it's a one-off remark I tell them to just ignore it and walk away, or perhaps to say "pathetic!" to them. But if it becomes a recurring thing then go to the teacher and ask that something be done.

At 10 he'll soon be going to secondary school and at that age I'd want to give them the confidence they need to resolve problems like this by themselves. So my advice would be to give him the tools to tackle this by himself and if that fails, see the teacher. But don't mention racism because it's not, it's kids teasing each other and being hurtful, same as if they called a ginger kid.

Yeah, it is Rhubarb

LadyBeagleEyes - my father has lived in the Highlands for many years - 30 miles north of Inverness and has now moved to the Orkneys. I used to spend weeks with him. You cannot deny that such game shows existed that asked the woman all about her father, because her status came from him?

Or that clan was very important to them and the male was the head of the clan?

That was not me taking the piss, I was stating how it is in the Highlands as seen from the perspective of someone not used to that.
I also used to get asked where my father was and what he did, rather than ask anything about myself.

coatgate it's a very particular 'Birmingham accent' that sounds thick.

The Great Barr/West Brom side accent is lovely and sing songy.

So, if a Eastern European child was teased because their accent made them sound stupid what's the difference between that child and an Irish child?
They are both white and not part of the UK?

Coatgate

" I think Birmingham accents make people sound a bit thick.

^^ "

(I feel the same way about London accents but keep that to yourself).

VeryStressedMum what we are saying is why don't you add to that a white child who is part of the UK and who has a strong Brummie accent for instance but is living in Devon and is also teased because of their accent.

Also, Northern Ireland IS part of the UK. So if two Irish children were teased at a UK school because of their accents - one was from Belfast and the other from Dublin, would you treat one as a racist incident and the other not?

Or perhaps you should just take a commonsense approach, see it all as teasing and focus on that rather than on making it all about a race issue concerning primary school children.

It's offensive in the way a shedload of things 10 yo taunt beach other with is offensive, but it's not racist.

Hey just thought, that full stop at the beginning - it was a black full stop wasn't it?

Bur I do think there is no way an under 10 would say that he thought Irish accents sounded stupid unless he had heard a grown up say it. And a grown up who would say that at all, never mind in a child's hearing, is not a very nice grown up qt all. So keep an eye. And tell the school so they can too.

It is not racist - you would have to be of another race; you are not.
You may, however, find it offensive. Then again, they are 10.

When I was at school I had the piss taken out of me for being fat, thick, posh and any number of things. Admittedly most of my homicidal axe-wielding dual personality problems can be traced back to those days.

But seriously I think it is more important to teach kids to understand that they should let comments they think are offensive wash over them. Nothing wrong in confirming with parents that they are offensive, but this sort of thing is hardly worse than any other insults children throw around.

Bur I do think there is no way an under 10 would say that he thought Irish accents sounded stupid unless he had heard a grown up say it.

Nah, kids will pick up and tease for any out of the norm thing all on their own.

I am deeply offended that this has more posts on it than my admittedlyl misguided thread!!!!!

But no, its not racist, its sexist - im assuming you are referring to a period!

unless you are a true celt then i cant see this as Racists although an english lad was beaten up a few years ago where i live and it was seen as a racist attack as the scots who beat him up were calling him english whatever [shocke], although the boys you are on about are under 10 the boy is being silly and a bit rude but wind your neck in before you spout racisim though he is just being naughty ,

Oh FFS, no it's not racist. It's unkind.

So an under 10 would think to say than Irish accent sounds stupid all on their own. Yeah, right.

Yes, an under 10 could think an accent sounds stupid all on their own! My 6 year old neice often says 'he/she sounds funny' when she hears an accent for the first time on the tv (X-Factor).

She then goes on to mimic them too and does a very good job. I think she may be an actress one day!

Can we get more information on the type of Irish accent? The kid may have been right you know...OP are you from Cork?

There are posts on MN all the time where people say they don't like certain accents. There are some upthread. I don't think that means we are all horrible people.

It's nor racist, and not really offensive unless it's part of a wider bullying campaign.
I think you and your DS need to toughen up a bit!