marginalization

There is a major distinction between marginalization of a group of people (by using their name) and by offending another culture or person with a name that has bad connotations. In class, we referred to some of the most obvious distinctions, using race as an example, but there are many other ways to marginalize people such as religion, social class, ancestry, life style... and they all apply equally.

The issue with our discussion is viewpoint... we all come from a different perspective, having grown up in different parts of the country or world. Most of us can agree that certain words are not appropriate, no matter which subgroup we are discussing and where we are coming from. Yet, in the United States, where everyone worries so much about being politically correct, is this really necessary at all times?? Is it actually correct to call someone an African American instead of just a black American?? I am a white American and someone with dark skin is black and this is not an insulting word.

The same goes for Arab, which was a large part of our discussion on Tuesday. An Arab is someone who comes from a country where Arabic is a national or official language, or someone whose genealogy traces back to Arabic tribes. The definition is complex, but the point is that it encompasses an enormous group of people and DOES NOT HAVE ANY RELATION TO RELIGION. There should be no shame in being called an Arab if you are in fact an Arab.

These categories are different from calling someone a 'dirty Arab,' 'white trash,' referring to low-class white people, and derogatory terms that have become known as such in our country. I believe that there is quite a clear distinction in how it is alright to marginalize people without having to discuss it a lot.