Was I unreasonable to correct this?

[PablosHoney]

I work for a school and a student came in today to make a statement/report about a ‘coloured girl’ her mum had told her to come and report the incident so I presume it was maybe mums words? I didn’t tell her off I just said that it was a word we don’t use any more and to leave it out of the statement. Was I wrong?

Reading through all these posts I’m afraid I’m just confused as hell 🙄.
Why can’t there just be two options...black and white, this would surely cover all eventualities. “White” people are various shades, “black” people are various shades so just those two descriptions should make it easy for everyone to understand.

But I am not actually sure how many people get this difference.

I’m certain the people who are affected by it do. And that’s all anyone needs to understand.

PablosHoney

So you have judged the girl on her parents words and judged whether the report was worth it.

I'm sure that you won't have anything to worry about as she won't bother reporting anything to you again.

Coloured is not used in the US. That would be considered extremely racist. The term used in US is usually African American or Black.

Mixed race is fine i think, duel nationality is not an accurate equivalent.
You can be white and have duel nationality.
Me and my black best friend could have a baby, it would be mixed race but not duel national because me and my friend are both British.
Half caste is definitely not acceptable now, maybe it was that you heard is offensive not mixed race.
Black is fine.
I've also seen groups of people being referred to as black and brown people, or people of colour.
In my experience this is used in conversations when a class analysis is relavent such as race politics, class privilege.
I've also seen black people refer to themselves as melinated or highly melinated, again this would be during discussions around race, racism, politics and biology.

Yes Boney, that’s exactly what happened 🤦🏼‍♀️

When I was in school some of the black girls used to call mixed race girls ‘Half Breed’ thankfully I’ve never heard that disgusting term anywhere else

PablosHoney

She isn’t my child so I don’t feel it’s my place to not raise her as a useful idiot,
Yes not worth reporting but that’s not my decision

Your words from your posts.

Yet you are not judging.

That was me responding to another poster who told me not to raise a useful idiot 😂 and yes I don’t think it was worth reporting, do you think I said that to her?? Wind you’re neck in.

Your

PablosHoney

Yet, you are still judging.

Ok 👍

@TipseyTorvey
Just out of interest (you say you’re not white), how do you like to be described?

@Girasole02
Interesting you mention Black History Month....just wondering when White History Month is?🤔

Ilovemypantry is that a serious question?
I was already shocked by the amount of people on this thread pretending not to know the difference between referring to people as coloured or as people of colour.
Please inform yourself about what black history month is, what it's for and who it is intended to benefit.
White history is everywhere. Or rather white men are.
Go to any major city in this country and there will be statues of white men, streets named after them, including slave traders in some cases.
Massive parts of Africa, Asia and South America were colonised by, named by, and pillaged by white men.
Which included the languages, cultures and histories of those places being literally whitewashed.
Did you read poetry, books or plays by black authors at school?
I didn't until A level, but I can name a fair few white men's writings I studied.
Did your studies about either of the world wars include anything about any people of colour or the contributions they made? Anything in secondary history to do with black people, other than the slave trade for a few lessons?
Anything in music or art from black, brown or indigenous artists?
Turn on the tv or read a paper to see that white men are still the default and still hold most of the power in this society.

I just want to apologise for my original comment, everyone who has corrected me and said Person of colour is acceptable and coloured isn’t, is of course correct. I don’t use the term myself and didn’t think properly before commenting and have now made a complete and utter tool of myself

Yes. When I was growing up it was considered extremely rude to refer to someone as 'black' - 'coloured' was supposed to be much more polite.

Considered by white people to be more 'polite' and by 'polite' they mean avoiding mentioning the fact that the person.they were talking about had the misfortune not to be.white and therefore shouldn't be drawn attention to and skirted around when possible, like a bad toupee or a boil on the end of someone's nose.

It's 'dual' (as in two) nationality, not 'duel' (as in fight) nationality.

Omg Pantry it’s white history month every damn month

just wondering when White History Month is?

The other 11 months of the year?

And Black History Month has been a thing for well over 20 years.

I remember it when I lived in the USA long before I had DC, (and had a black flatmate, who would never, ever have described himself as coloured).

@Ilovemypantry I suppose it depends on the context. I'm half south African so in South Africa I accept 'coloured' because that's not a slur over there and there's whole communities derived from the 16th century using that term, whereas in the UK I find it a bit 1960s although when I'm in small villages old people use it and I just roll with it because I suspect they think they're being polite. I never accept half caste and always explain it was used to describe slaves at the market so no thank you. Mixed race will do if you need to be specific about my skin colour being mid range brown. Black if you're describing me apart from white or Asian is fine. Brown is an odd one, my Asian friends seem to use it and then tell me I'm brown too but whilst I am technically, it feels a bit odd sometimes.

What is the acceptable term in the UK for a person of Pakistani or Chinese background? I think many people would say Asian or person of colour rather than Black, but what is preferred by people from those groups?

@Meercatsarecats
Yes, totally serious question. There is a Black History Month, therefore in fairness there should also be a White History Month.

@TipseyTorvey

"My rule of thumb has been listen to what newsreaders and newspapers say."
Any other topic and MNers would be saying the opposite.