Describing One With His/Her Looks Abroad

**LeftEyeNine** · 09-02-2009, 19:51

**This is a thread sufferers of native-language-speaker vanity ( s) should refrain from contributing**

Well, in Turkey, where fascism or racism never made it to the top and concerning levels compared to other countries way beyond ours by now, a "zenci" is someone who is black and a "çekik gözlü" is someone who has slanted eyes. No matter what it may have meant in essence (some claim that "zenci" is offensive which I had heard for the first time in my life), such general uses meant differentiation of someone from another by his uncommon looks, just to describe one, nothing else. I mean someone of such looks with a normal level of IQ who is adapted to life in Turkey wouldn't find such addressings offensive, nor the people would be utilising such words for hate.

Now, however, when it comes to other countries, it has different shapes, apparently. A very close Turkish friend of mine has recently married to a guy of Taiwan descent in USA. On a photo of hers on Facebook, I made up a fictional dialogue and addressed her fresh husband as "the guy with slanted eyes". Following that post of mine, my friend told me that her husband had felt a bit uneasy with the post and asked about with what intentions I might have written that. She has explained the situation and Mr. Taiwan showed understanding to my non-native speaker crash without making it any big hassle.

So, shorter to the point: Is it really dangerous to point out an Asian with their obvious characteristics over there ? How about the ones with dark skin colours ? Is it just a no-no ? Any harmless expressions ? All this goes back to times of slavery and WW or an oversensitive racism allergy ?

Thanks in advance.

**This is a thread sufferers of native-language-speaker vanity ( s) should refrain from contributing**

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 09-02-2009, 20:03

Originally Posted by LeftEyeNine

So, shorter to the point: Is it really dangerous to point out an Asian with their obvious characteristics over there ? How about the ones with dark skin colours ? Is it just a no-no ? Any harmless expressions ? All this goes back to times of slavery and WW or an oversensitive racism allergy ?

Thanks in advance.

**This is a thread sufferers of native-language-speaker vanity ( s) should refrain from contributing**

People say "black" all the time and it's only oversensitive people that make a fuss about it. Slanty eyed I've never heard. If people don't commonly hear an expression from people they know aren't racist then it sounds racist.

**Vladimir** · 09-02-2009, 20:30

I believe that if it makes references to racial characteristics that separates one from "the norm", it is considered offensive.

I don't know. I find some Polock jokes funny.

**HoreTore** · 09-02-2009, 20:33

There is never a problem with words. The problem is always with what's behind those words.

Which is why that guy felt uneasy, he was unsure whether you hated his guts for being foreign or not.

**LeftEyeNine** · 09-02-2009, 20:37

Come on, wouldn't calling one "the n-word that is not permitted by the forum rules" make invitations for a brawl in most cases ?

**Vladimir** · 09-02-2009, 20:43

Drop the "r" and you're good.

**HoreTore** · 09-02-2009, 20:45

Originally Posted by LeftEyeNine

Come on, wouldn't calling one "the n-word that is not permitted by the forum rules" make invitations for a brawl in most cases ?

No.

Only if I used it as an insult. If it's not an insult, where's the problem?

Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro

Which is probably what got LEN in trouble, facebook comments have just the language.

Indeed. But that was my point, wasn't it? It wasn't the word itself that upset the guy, it was the meaning behind it. He saw a word that most of the time is hateful(or whatever), and of course he took it as a hateful comment, as he didn't know what LEN meant by it. But it was what LEN meant when he used the word that upset him, not the word itself(assuming he's not a mental patient). If he already knew that LEN meant nothing by it, that it was a friendly comment, of course he would take it as a friendly comment no matter what word he used.

For example: My sisters bf is an arab. The times I actually use his first name instead of some random racial slur(like the n-word, "blackie boy", terrorist, al qaida, etc etc) are few. But he knows what I mean, and he knows I'm a friend, so of course he takes it as what it is, a friendly joke, and a sign of acceptance. If some drunk idiot screams the same words at him at a pub, of course he's going to react differently, and rightfully so. Same word, different meaning. Hence the meaning behind the word is the problem, not the word itself.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 09-02-2009, 20:59

Originally Posted by LeftEyeNine

Come on, wouldn't calling one "the n-word that is not permitted by the forum rules" make invitations for a brawl in most cases ?

Not a phyisical brawl, no, but it isn't going to go down well.

**Kadagar_AV** · 09-02-2009, 23:24

Originally Posted by LeftEyeNine

Come on, wouldn't calling one "the n-word that is not permitted by the forum rules" make invitations for a brawl in most cases ?

Only in America and on these forums.

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 09-02-2009, 20:42

Originally Posted by HoreTore

There is never a problem with words. The problem is always with what's behind those words.

But people aren't mind readers. Language is how we figure out what's behind the words, along with expression and tone. Which is probably what got LEN in trouble, facebook comments have just the language.

There is often a problem with words though. You can say their shouldn't be, but there is.