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Quick question about political correctness...

post #1 of 50
5/5/11 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 
I'm working on a paper and my professor isn't available, so I thought I'd turn to the wealth of knowledge that is the SF members...

The paper compares the experiences of Jewish people and black people in America and in literature, and I'm wondering if referring to the groups as "blacks" and "Jews" is offensive or if it's, forgive the pun, kosher?
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post #2 of 50
5/5/11 at 4:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reynard369 View Post
I'm working on a paper and my professor isn't available, so I thought I'd turn to the wealth of knowledge that is the SF members...

The paper compares the experiences of Jewish people and black people in America and in literature, and I'm wondering if referring to the groups as "blacks" and "Jews" is offensive or if it's, forgive the pun, kosher?

i gather you are in the US? here in canada "blacks" and "jews" have basically no negative connotations
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post #3 of 50
5/5/11 at 4:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reynard369 View Post
..I'm wondering if referring to the groups as "blacks" and "Jews" is offensive or if it's, forgive the pun, kosher?

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post #4 of 50
5/5/11 at 4:24pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by juvefan View Post
i gather you are in the US? here in canada "blacks" and "jews" have basically no negative connotations

Indeed I am. I personally see nothing wrong with the two words, but I know some people are hypersensitive and I wanted to see what the general consensus was.
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post #5 of 50
5/5/11 at 4:26pm
really depends on the person you are talking to. im jewish and ive worked with pretty much only black people for the past 4 years. for a paper i wouldnt do it.

use jewish people for "jews", and black people for "blacks". its subtle but believe me it may save you a lot of hassle. african americans can also be used but some find that offensive too, as they are not from africa for already 5 generations plus.

basicly in this day and age in our society, with all the sensitivity out there, batter safe than sorry. especially if your grade might depend on it
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post #6 of 50
5/5/11 at 4:28pm
Black is pretty offensive when you really think about it. A lot of people associate it with things that are evil, wicked, or dishonourable (see: he had a black heart; her soul is black as night).
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post #7 of 50
5/5/11 at 4:31pm
It's acceptable if you're over 50
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post #8 of 50
5/5/11 at 8:48pm
Whatever you do, don't say "african-american" unless they're fucking african. If you want to do it by the book, set very specific definitions of your vernacular ex. "African-Americans, hereby defined as any citizen of the US with 50% or more African ancestry." or whatever.
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post #9 of 50
5/5/11 at 8:58pm
Should be fine. Just don't use negros and yehudis. But both mean the same thing. That said, there's no way you can compare experiences of blacks to Jews. When blacks were persecuted, Jews were having a good life in the West, dating beautiful shiksas in Hollywood.
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post #10 of 50
5/5/11 at 9:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pantisocrat View Post
Should be fine. Just don't use negros and yehudis. But both mean the same thing. That said, there's no way you can compare experiences of blacks to Jews. When blacks were persecuted, Jews were having a good life in the West, dating beautiful shiksas in Hollywood.

this makes me want to pull my hair out. everybody had their own suffering in their own time. dont belittle any of it just becuase a percentage of people in certain place and time may have had it good
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post #11 of 50
5/6/11 at 12:02am
,,
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post #12 of 50
5/6/11 at 1:03am
FWIW, I believe that "Jewsish" should be capitalized in your paper.

Can anyone else confirm if I'm right about this?
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post #13 of 50
5/6/11 at 1:12am
fwiw I don't see anything wrong using "black" and "jew" if the context isn't malicious. but what does a chinky-eyed zipperhead know, right?
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post #14 of 50
5/6/11 at 1:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by acidboy View Post
fwiw I don't see anything wrong using "black" and "jew" if the context isn't malicious. but what does a chinky-eyed zipperhead know, right?

nothing that your British-betters didn't teach you, charlie.
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post #15 of 50
5/6/11 at 1:42am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pantisocrat View Post
Should be fine. Just don't use negros and yehudis. But both mean the same thing. That said, there's no way you can compare experiences of blacks to Jews. When blacks were persecuted, Jews were having a good life in the West, dating beautiful shiksas in Hollywood.

You can compare anything. Doesn't mean they have to be equal.
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