4 ms·

What? Is this for real? Is "Mexican" considered offensive? In what context? Like, there's a Japanese gentleman slacking off and someone says "Oh you're such a M

What? Is this for real? Is "Mexican" considered offensive? In what context? Like, there's a Japanese gentleman slacking off and someone says "Oh you're such a Mexican". Or more like people from Colombia and Spain are referred to as Mexicans? As a Mexican living in Mexico, I found this very interesting.

dragonwriter 10y ago
> Is "Mexican" considered offensive? In certain contexts, yes, particularly, its not uncommon for non-Hispanics to use the term to refer to any person whose features seem to suggest Latin American descent, a practice which can be offensive, for different reasons (some of which I'll note for each category) to all of Mexicans (whose identity it genericizes), Americans of Mexican descent (whose Americanness it erases, making them part of the alien "other" within their own country), and Hispanics who are neither Mexican nor of Mexican descent (whose entire identity it erases.) (No doubt, some people -- particularly outside of those groups -- who are part of the crowd that treats offensiveness of terms as something independent of context have noted that there are some contexts in which "Mexican" is offensive to some people, and concluded improperly that "Mexican" is, therefore, categorically offensive and inappropriate.)
- Jtsummers 10y ago
  I wrote almost the same post as yours then refreshed, so have an upvote. I do want to address one thing: it's very common for whites to use the term... I feel this should be qualified with xenophobic or racist whites, not whites in general. Many of us are quite capable of recognizing that a Latino or Hispanic person isn't necessarily Mexican and use the correct terms when appropriate to use them at all, or inquire if we actually are interested in their nation of origin.
  - dragonwriter 10y ago
    I've rephrased the bit you took issue with a bit differently than you suggest; I agree that it was misstated, but its not, AFAICT, universally motivated by actual xenophobia or racism, and is quite often just plain ignorance by people who wouldn't do it if they recognized that there was a difference.
    - Jtsummers 10y ago
      Fair. There's definitely a distinction to be made between conscious and unconscious behaviors. And telling someone in the latter camp their statement is "racist" or "xenophobic" tends to throw them into a defensive mode, rather than offering a chance for a more constructive exchange. But we also need to help people (particularly white Americans because they don't experience or witness it the same way) understand the concepts of systemic discrimination as well. Where the individual doesn't do or say anything at all xenophobic or racist, but unwittingly still perpetuates the mechanisms that keep the population segregated (by location, by opportunity, or other means). Difficult conversations to have, these days in particular.
yummyfajitas 10y ago
What? Is this for real? Is "Mexican" considered offensive? I was called out on at two occasions for calling someone a "sexy texy mexi", both times by overweight white NY hipsters. So in SWPL circles it seems to be. The sexy texy mexi had no problem with it. (Entertainingly, on another occasion one of the same hipsters criticized me because sexy texy mexi was lower caste - in the language of Moldbug she was a Vaisya while I should be with a Brahmin. https://unqualified-reservations.blogspot.com/2007/05/castes-of-united-states.html https://unqualified-reservations.blogspot.com/2007/05/castes... )

dragonwriter 10y ago

> Is "Mexican" considered offensive? In certain contexts, yes, particularly, its not uncommon for non-Hispanics to use the term to refer to any person whose features seem to suggest Latin American descent, a practice which can be offensive, for different reasons (some of which I'll note for each category) to all of Mexicans (whose identity it genericizes), Americans of Mexican descent (whose Americanness it erases, making them part of the alien "other" within their own country), and Hispanics who are neither Mexican nor of Mexican descent (whose entire identity it erases.) (No doubt, some people -- particularly outside of those groups -- who are part of the crowd that treats offensiveness of terms as something independent of context have noted that there are some contexts in which "Mexican" is offensive to some people, and concluded improperly that "Mexican" is, therefore, categorically offensive and inappropriate.)

Jtsummers 10y ago
I wrote almost the same post as yours then refreshed, so have an upvote. I do want to address one thing: it's very common for whites to use the term... I feel this should be qualified with xenophobic or racist whites, not whites in general. Many of us are quite capable of recognizing that a Latino or Hispanic person isn't necessarily Mexican and use the correct terms when appropriate to use them at all, or inquire if we actually are interested in their nation of origin.
- dragonwriter 10y ago
  I've rephrased the bit you took issue with a bit differently than you suggest; I agree that it was misstated, but its not, AFAICT, universally motivated by actual xenophobia or racism, and is quite often just plain ignorance by people who wouldn't do it if they recognized that there was a difference.
  - Jtsummers 10y ago
    Fair. There's definitely a distinction to be made between conscious and unconscious behaviors. And telling someone in the latter camp their statement is "racist" or "xenophobic" tends to throw them into a defensive mode, rather than offering a chance for a more constructive exchange. But we also need to help people (particularly white Americans because they don't experience or witness it the same way) understand the concepts of systemic discrimination as well. Where the individual doesn't do or say anything at all xenophobic or racist, but unwittingly still perpetuates the mechanisms that keep the population segregated (by location, by opportunity, or other means). Difficult conversations to have, these days in particular.

yummyfajitas 10y ago

What? Is this for real? Is "Mexican" considered offensive? I was called out on at two occasions for calling someone a "sexy texy mexi", both times by overweight white NY hipsters. So in SWPL circles it seems to be. The sexy texy mexi had no problem with it. (Entertainingly, on another occasion one of the same hipsters criticized me because sexy texy mexi was lower caste - in the language of Moldbug she was a Vaisya while I should be with a Brahmin. https://unqualified-reservations.blogspot.com/2007/05/castes-of-united-states.html https://unqualified-reservations.blogspot.com/2007/05/castes... )