Page 6 | AIBU To ask if the term Mixed-Race is outdated

Greenlittle · 18/07/2021 08:23

I actually prefer the term BAME to “ethnic minorities”. In many contexts these ethnicities are not minorities, they are together a majority. Certainly in the world population and in parts of UK as well.

BAME lumps groups together, but disaggregates a bit. Just like LBGTQ. It is descriptive without putting any value judgment as such (other than lumping together. But then most terms do that, including ethnic minority)

Milesbennettdyson · 18/07/2021 08:24

Also I despise the term “person of colour”.

To me it implies that white people are bland, beige boring people!!

Greenrubber · 18/07/2021 08:30

I was thinking about this the other day! My kid had mentioned a boy at nursery by name which was let's say Abdul her grandma immediately said ohh is he Indian?
But why comment? Why is the colour of someone's skin so important to people? I teach my child that everyone is different some have darker skin some dark or light hair different eye colour some are fat or thin so many variations of people but we only want to label the skin colour.
Why do we need to label people in this world now anyone can be born in any country and could be any colour so labelling seems very pointless
My kid doesn't care that some of her friends have different colour of skin so why do we as adults feel we need to?
Probably extremely naive but just wondering why we would even feel the need to call someone other than their name

RampantIvy · 18/07/2021 08:31

I would assume anyone who used it in this day and age was deliberately trying to cause offense in a passive aggressive manner.

I think it depends on the age of the person. I would give someone in their 80s or 90s a bit more leeway. If they don't use the internet and don't watch much news they may not be aware that terminology has changed. There is no excuse for someone my age (62) and younger though.

CutePanda · 18/07/2021 08:33

@whistlers

The term h.... c.... is extremely offensive and has been recognised as such for decades. It is up (or down!) there with the n word.

Is it? Really?

Look into the history of “half caste.” It’s horrific. The word itself is derived from the term caste, which comes from the Latin castus, meaning pure. The term basically means that mixed race people are not pure. Mixed race children have been demonised in different countries (not just predominantly white ones) for centuries.

ItPearl · 18/07/2021 08:34

Well, I see what you mean @Milesbennettdyson but it's the beige default. we don't need a descriptor ? because we are the beige default. And that's nice for ''us'' but, the suggestion that it's ''white people'' coming up with all of these labels, i don't think it is.

I think these labels emerge in America mostly and white people are the ones who are the most self-consciously trying to keep up and use the right ones.

And it might not be possible to 100% use the right label because there is no hive mind. One white person might cause offensive with mixed race and find themselves corrected where it had been the correct label before. That doesn't mean white people are inventing new labels.

Simbacatisback · 18/07/2021 08:35

@whistlers

The term h.... c.... is extremely offensive and has been recognised as such for decades. It is up (or down!) there with the n word.

Is it? Really?

It has a historic context - from India One of my older family Uses it to describe themselves with no hesitation

Milesbennettdyson · 18/07/2021 08:37

@ItPearl I don’t take offence to POC I just don’t like it. I’m not sure where I said it was white peoples who came up with it. A lot of assumption in your post.

BellH · 18/07/2021 08:37

@Greenlittle

I actually prefer the term BAME to “ethnic minorities”. In many contexts these ethnicities are not minorities, they are together a majority. Certainly in the world population and in parts of UK as well.

BAME lumps groups together, but disaggregates a bit. Just like LBGTQ. It is descriptive without putting any value judgment as such (other than lumping together. But then most terms do that, including ethnic minority)

The ME part of BAME stands for 'minority ethnic', so I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you saying that BAME is preferable because it adds Black and Asian to the phrase 'ethnic minorities'?

Just trying to make sure I've understood...

YouJustFoldItIn · 18/07/2021 08:38

I don't want to cause offence by using outdated terms.

You've got fuck all chance of that. May as well just take yourself outside and self flagellate in penance now. If you haven't used the wrong term yet then trust me - you will eventually.

ThinWomansBrain · 18/07/2021 08:39

given that everyone has two parents, unless the result of an incestuous relationship, doesn't that make everyone dual heritage?

ItPearl · 18/07/2021 08:40

[quote Milesbennettdyson]@ItPearl I don’t take offence to POC I just don’t like it. I’m not sure where I said it was white peoples who came up with it. A lot of assumption in your post.[/quote]
That second part of the post wasn't in response to you. I should have put in a new paragraph.

Somebody upthread said white people come up with these labels and a few other posters quoted it with ''this'' underneath.

Soontobe60 · 18/07/2021 08:42

@Ursulasunderstudy

You need to use Dual Heritage not mixed race.

That only works if you are from 2 different heritages. If a child has one parent who is dual heritage, say White British and Indian, and the other is dual heritage Black / south East Asian, their heritage is from 4 different ones.

Greenlittle · 18/07/2021 08:43

@BellH, yes, I guess I would prefer a fully descriptive term. Or it the word minority is used, minoritised may be more accurate?

beigerocket · 18/07/2021 08:43

I’m mixed race and refer to myself (and my mixed race children) as mixed race.

I’ve yet to meet any other mixed race person who takes offence at being referred to as mixed race.

Bi-racial and dual heritage wouldn’t work for us as I am a combination of black, asian and white.

Ilovecaviar · 18/07/2021 08:45

Mixed race implies a non mixed race is a pure race. Latest term I heard was inter-racial. Mixed race is quite offensive and I speak as someone who is ‘mixed race’.
Never heard of duel heritage though, not sure that implies you’re talking about race specifically so I wouldn’t have used that term for kyself personally.

Soontobe60 · 18/07/2021 08:45

@RonaldMcDonald

I did diversity training recently and the said we should never use mixed race - a complete no no We were told person of colour, diverse racial or enriched racial background. My work colleague is bi-racial and said why not use this term?. They said she could of course refer to herself as she pleased but we couldn’t to others

What ethnicity was the person delivering the training?

IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves · 18/07/2021 08:45

You're never going to get a single term that everyone is happy with.
My eldest son describes himself as black. My younger son says he is mixed race. They both have the same parents and therefore racial background.

beigerocket · 18/07/2021 08:46

@whistlers

The term h.... c.... is extremely offensive and has been recognised as such for decades. It is up (or down!) there with the n word.

Is it? Really?

Very.

Look it up.

Orangecinnamon21 · 18/07/2021 08:47

@YouJustFoldItIn

I don't want to cause offence by using outdated terms.

You've got fuck all chance of that. May as well just take yourself outside and self flagellate in penance now. If you haven't used the wrong term yet then trust me - you will eventually.

Yes because that would be awful wouldn't it! Someone correcting you for using an outdated term?!

As opposed to...

BellH · 18/07/2021 08:47

[quote Greenlittle]@BellH, yes, I guess I would prefer a fully descriptive term. Or it the word minority is used, minoritised may be more accurate?[/quote]
Thanks! I know others who'd agree with you.

Personally, I find BAME far from a fully descriptive term. It's almost worse, to me, in someways to only pull out two groups, label one by skin colour and the other by geography, and then lump everyone else 'not white' in together.

MolyHolyGuacamole · 18/07/2021 08:47

@Fauvist

I am mixed race and think it is a fucking horrible term. So we are not all OK with it. Would far prefer mixed or dual heritage.

There is just one race, the human race.

'We are all one race' has 'all lives matter vibes'.

I'm black and there's nothing wrong with that, if we can see the differences in others, we can't fix issues that some people face because of them.

BellH · 18/07/2021 08:49

@YouJustFoldItIn

I don't want to cause offence by using outdated terms.

You've got fuck all chance of that. May as well just take yourself outside and self flagellate in penance now. If you haven't used the wrong term yet then trust me - you will eventually.

Or you could just try not to be several decades behind the times.

Most people with social awareness don't find it that hard.

CutePanda · 18/07/2021 08:49

@Ilovecaviar

Mixed race implies a non mixed race is a pure race. Latest term I heard was inter-racial. Mixed race is quite offensive and I speak as someone who is ‘mixed race’. Never heard of duel heritage though, not sure that implies you’re talking about race specifically so I wouldn’t have used that term for kyself personally.

No, mixed race/biracial means that a person’s parents are of different races. I am mixed race/biracial as I am a mixture of 2 races. Half-caste means “half pure” so I think that’s what you’ve confused the term mixed race with. I have never ever known a mixed race person (living in Britain) who is offended by the term mixed race.

MolyHolyGuacamole · 18/07/2021 08:49

@RonaldMcDonald

I did diversity training recently and the said we should never use mixed race - a complete no no We were told person of colour, diverse racial or enriched racial background. My work colleague is bi-racial and said why not use this term?. They said she could of course refer to herself as she pleased but we couldn’t to others

'Enriched racial background' sounds so condescending. Bet the person devised the training is white.