I have white skin, but I'm not white.

[EyeofOdin]

Whenever I say "I'm not white, I'm European" (particularly Northern, Celtic and some Italian and Hispanic) immediately people laugh at me, thinking that I've said a clever joke, but to me this is a serious matter.

For some time we were calling people of African descent in the United States as "Black" or "Negros", but that has changed in respect for their ancestry as African Americans.

I find it offensive that I'm called "white" in a day and age of political correctness. I'm not trying to say "oh woe is White people! We're so bullied in America!" which would simply be false.

What I am trying to say is that I'm not comfortable with being called "white". I'm not vanilla. I'm not white bread. I'm not a default. I am a European American, with an ancestry and culture just like anyone else.

 

[Revoltingest]

You don't get to make language rules.
That's up to guilt ridden white folk & various powerful groups with victim cred.
You're lucky to be just "white", since it's also acceptable to call you:
cracker, honky, hillbilly, redneck, WASP, Mr Charlie, polar bear

 

[Parsimony]

I have at times wondered why the term "African American" is deemed more appropriate than "Black American" but "European American" is not deemed more appropriate than "White American". I'm kinda bothered by the term "African American" any way because there is an automatic assumption in the term that you are an African immigrant simply because you are black. Yet blacks can come from other locations too such as Jamaica and Haiti. Go back far enough and the whites come from Africa too. I still tend to call black people black and have heard no complaints about it. Likewise, I don't care if someone calls me white.

 

[Revoltingest]

I have at times wondered why the term "African American" is deemed more appropriate than "Black American" but "European American" is not deemed more appropriate than "White American". I'm kinda bothered by the term "African American" any way because there is an automatic assumption in the term that you are an African immigrant simply because you are black. Yet blacks can come from other locations too such as Jamaica and Haiti.

It's common in the media to call black folk "African American" even in other countries.
For your viewing pleasure....
[youtube]0ofpRxc0GVg[/youtube]
Brüno (7/10) Movie CLIP - Baby O.J. (2009) HD - YouTube

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

"White" and "black" are ridiculous, nonsense terms anyway. Calling yourself European-American makes perfect sense. :yes:

 

[bobhikes]

I go by mutt its the best description I got. My kids are even more mixed. Is there a term for mixed more than mutt?

 

[Huey09]

I prefer to be called an afro-american

 

[Sees]

Only thing I don't like are when these things are used in sneaky racism by people who try to pretend to be completely unbiased and respectful to all.

Half the time now I just say American...what people do with the data and stats doesn't seem to be helpful in ways I can think of.

 

[Poeticus]

Whenever I say "I'm not white, I'm European" (particularly Northern, Celtic and some Italian and Hispanic) immediately people laugh at me, thinking that I've said a clever joke, but to me this is a serious matter.

For some time we were calling people of African descent in the United States as "Black" or "Negros", but that has changed in respect for their ancestry as African Americans.

I find it offensive that I'm called "white" in a day and age of political correctness. I'm not trying to say "oh woe is White people! We're so bullied in America!" which would simply be false.

What I am trying to say is that I'm not comfortable with being called "white". I'm not vanilla. I'm not white bread. I'm not a default. I am a European American, with an ancestry and culture just like anyone else.

Namaste,​

I am magenta colored...​

...with a hint of crimson.​

 

[Revoltingest]

I prefer to be called an afro-american

By that philosophy, I'd be called a "thinning hair american".
No...I don't like that.

 

[Amechania]

I'm fat, lazy, self-absorbed, and prejudiced so I prefer the term Typical-American.

 

[Valjean]

It's just a convenient and, hopefully, inoffensive way of pigeonholing whatever social or ethnic groups are deemed worthy of special categories by a society. Red, yellow, brown, black, white... its a social rainbow.:rainbow1:

Personally I used to be white when I lived in Baltimore, but now I've moved to the Southwest I've become "Anglo."
I'm waiting for 'beige' to catch on...

 

[Amechania]

Anglo should only apply to Beigo-Americans of English ancestry. I more of an Ecru-American anyway. Pinko-American has a negative connotation.

 

[adi2d]

I've always considered myself a native american. After all I was born here

 

[The Sum of Awe]

You're lucky to be just "white", since it's also acceptable to call you:
cracker, honky, hillbilly, redneck, WASP, Mr Charlie, polar bear

I've been called a whitie tighty before lol

 

[DreadFish]

Im really ok with just being a "white guy". The more emphasis we put on what name is appropriate, the more emphasis we put on race altogether. Political correctness is a silly thing that I try not to take too seriously.

Why not leave it casual and move on to more important things?

 

[Father Heathen]

The whole issue of race is rife with inconsistencies and double standards.

 

[EyeofOdin]

You don't get to make language rules.
That's up to guilt ridden white folk & various powerful groups with victim cred.
You're lucky to be just "white", since it's also acceptable to call you:
cracker, honky, hillbilly, redneck, WASP, Mr Charlie, polar bear

Wow, that's offensive.

Notice I said "I'm not trying to say "oh woe is White people! We're so bullied in America!" which would simply be false." I'm not one of those ignorant Republicans who are claiming that the wealthy, white men are the most bullied and discriminated against people in our society.

I'm simply wanting to have the same sense of identity that everyone else is using.

 

[psychoslice]

Why, white is beautiful, the same with black, or whatever colour.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I'm simply wanting to have the same sense of identity that everyone else is using.

Nothing wrong with that.

I think it's even better to identify by ethnic terms like Irish-American, German-American, Russian-American, etc. I don't like those monolithic terms like "white". It's so boring and sterile. There's no "white" culture or anything like that. European people are not the same. Getting into your roots and learning about your ancestry is a great thing.