Black People in Finland

[switchblade327]

In England and elsewhere they might say "Oriental" which is more accurate but for whatever reason, that's racist in North America. I guess "Negro" would be the equivalent, in being the historical term that is both more specific and currently perceived as racist.

Might say....but you might not. It has become a bit un-PC in the UK to use the expression Oriental.

Personally Asian means jack...I don't get what an Asian person is, Indian? Chinese? Or are they all the same?

Anyone got any ideas for a new word?

That is what might usually means, yes

In North America it is most definitely "Asian", as unspecific as that may be. "Oriental" is a borderline racial slur to some.

[Bubba Elvis XIV]

Do we have another person from the USA on the board telling everyone how British people speak?

[Pursuivant]

I guess I was expecting there to be some Finnish version of African American culture that exists in the US.

Hmmm, so why do you want us to count *black* people then? I mean they're African, like. Not like those jiveass black panther wannabes you got but real Africans. Now what you need to be counting is them wiggers. You know young punks with attitude hanging about in their 3x too big fubu pants drooping down their ass, expensive sneakers, fitted baseball caps and some oversized jacket on and bling-bling and listening to hip-hop and some other (c)rap music from a boombox. Now those mofos I've got half the teens of the hood, rest are posers, a couple goths. But all them black people hereabouts is decent folks and don't have nothing to do with African-American culture - well at least the stereotype of it.

[skandagupta]

And to Pursivant: by Black I mean a person of primarily African descent.

So Moroccan Berbers, and South African Boers also count? Or do I calculate all homo sapiens sapiens from Olduvai?

It's like when people say "Asian"; they (at least in North American English) mean the ethnic traits of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, etc. You wouldn't go to an "Asian" club and find it full of Indians or Russians. It may not be technically accurate but it's the way the words are used for lack of a better one, at least in North American English.

In England and elsewhere they might say "Oriental" which is more accurate but for whatever reason, that's racist in North America. I guess "Negro" would be the equivalent, in being the historical term that is both more specific and currently perceived as racist.[/quote

squint doesna make you asian,but the fact one lives in asia or descents from folks who originated thence.
Asia(gotta draw the line somewhere,rather artificially,though)]borders to the urals mts,epinymous river,the caucasus mts,
the bosporus and the dardanelles,the medirerranean,sinai,red sea,indian ocean,arafura sea,pacific and the bering strait.
and arctic ocean. asians come in all colors and with different kinds of noses and facials

[soul316]

I guess I was expecting there to be some Finnish version of African American culture that exists in the US.

Hmmm, so why do you want us to count *black* people then? I mean they're African, like. Not like those jiveass black panther wannabes you got but real Africans. Now what you need to be counting is them wiggers. You know young punks with attitude hanging about in their 3x too big fubu pants drooping down their ass, expensive sneakers, fitted baseball caps and some oversized jacket on and bling-bling and listening to hip-hop and some other (c)rap music from a boombox. Now those mofos I've got half the teens of the hood, rest are posers, a couple goths. But all them black people hereabouts is decent folks and don't have nothing to do with African-American culture - well at least the stereotype of it.

What?? Ok, you're completely not understanding what I'm saying. Do I expect to come to Finland and expect to find hip-hop, soul food, etc? Um, no!!! Where did I even convey that? What I meant is that there is a Afro-Caribbean community that exists in places like the US, England and France. There is a distinct culture that exists in these communities and they are not that similar at all. So why on Earth would I go Finland and expect to see the same African-American culture that exists in the US? That just simply wasn't what I was asking.

Also, I find your characterization of black culture here in the US (KFC and watermelons) to be highly prejudicial and ghastly ignorant.

[AldenG]

You wouldn't go to an "Asian" club and find it full of Indians or Russians. It may not be technically accurate but it's the way the words are used for lack of a better one, at least in North American English.

I agree about that. I have sometimes tried to figure out what IS the American English term for people collectively from India, Pakistan (maybe Afghanistan, too), Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and any little surrounding nations I may be forgetting. If there's a common one, it continues to slip my mind.

In American usage, "Asian" seems to end at Burma. Then you have "the Indian Subcontinent" or just "the Subcontinent", although you might not even hit 10% comprehension of either term if you stopped people at a shopping mall. (About the same percentage could name the Vice-President, I figure.) Then most people probably consider Iran already to be part of the Middle East.

Dare one ask what word Kipling used?

[Bubba Elvis XIV]

Dare one ask what word Kipling used?

No, I daren't. I've got a good idea...but I don't think this is the place to repeat it.

[EP]

is that there is a Afro-Caribbean community

Of course not. There are African communities, but Caribbean or American have nothing to do with those. They are just plain and simple African, and very newly arrived. The reason why those Afro-Caribbean or Afro-American communities exits in US, England and France is that US, UK and France colonized and/or enslaved or practised slave trade in African countries and those people are descendants of those colonized/enslaved.

Russia sold Finns as slaves in 1600´s. There were over 1000 Finnish slaves in Istanbul in 1600´s.

[Vesper]

You wouldn't go to an "Asian" club and find it full of Indians or Russians. It may not be technically accurate but it's the way the words are used for lack of a better one, at least in North American English.

I agree about that. I have sometimes tried to figure out what IS the American English term for people collectively from India, Pakistan (maybe Afghanistan, too), Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and any little surrounding nations I may be forgetting. If there's a common one, it continues to slip my mind.

In American usage, "Asian" seems to end at Burma. Then you have "the Indian Subcontinent" or just "the Subcontinent", although you might not even hit 10% comprehension of either term if you stopped people at a shopping mall. (About the same percentage could name the Vice-President, I figure.) Then most people probably consider Iran already to be part of the Middle East. [/quote]

good point, I'm stump too. Maybe "Indo" or I think religious terms might be it like "Hindoo". how about 'Bollywood'? I used to think of Iran part of the Arab world, until a guy in my class ask the Iranian girls if they were "Persian".

[Rob A.]

...

[Pursuivant]

[ Do I expect to come to Finland and expect to find hip-hop, soul food, etc? Um, no!!! Where did I even convey that?

You said you want to find "African-American" culture. How the hell are we supposed to know what that is except from watching "The Wire" on tv? Ok so "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" then.

What I meant is that there is a Afro-Caribbean community that exists in places like the US, England and France.

Since when did Finland be a slave power and have colonies in the Caribbean?

Also, I find your characterization of black culture here in the US (KFC and watermelons) to be highly prejudicial and ghastly ignorant

I think your ass is the prejudiced and ghastly ignorant one. I know all your stereotypes and cay play with them, but you know none of mine.

[onkko]

Also, I find your characterization of black culture here in the US (KFC and watermelons) to be highly prejudicial and ghastly ignorant

[AldenG]

Dare one ask what word Kipling used?

No, I daren't. I've got a good idea...but I don't think this is the place to repeat it.

Yeah, we've already touched on Oriental and even that was thought potentially derogatory in itself.

In the U.S., I believe Chinese were first known as Celestials (from Celestial Kingdom), then as Orientals, and then as Asians -- if we ignore all the deliberately derogatory slang words along the way.

South Asian sounds useful. 've had good experiences interacting with South Asians in the U.S. but don't even know how to say that, lest I call an Indian a Pakistani or a Pakistani an Indian. Occasionally the difference is evident from dress even to someone like me who is uninterested in religious distinctions whether eastern or western. Most of time it isn't evident here. The South Asians who make a religious statement with their dress seem to be a minority in the situations where I run into them.

[Bubba Elvis XIV]

South Asian sounds useful. 've had good experiences interacting with South Asians in the U.S. but don't even know how to say that, lest I call an Indian a Pakistani or a Pakistani an Indian. Occasionally the difference is evident from dress even to someone like me who is uninterested in religious distinctions whether eastern or western. Most of time it isn't evident here. The South Asians who make a religious statement with their dress seem to be a minority in the situations where I run into them.

Well, we use the term Southeast asian for Thailand etc. then again...we could just use the term that is already used (doh!) for china / japan etc

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asia

Kind of 50/50 in my home town. A lot wear traditional clothes and 'religious' clothes...the other half dress like rappers! And it's mostly females that wear the traditional clothing....The males I have seen in traditional get up tend to be a lot older and dress like that bad tempered guy who hides in caves. The college I went to was in an Asian area and I'd see a lot of old guys dressed like that. I thought it was pretty cool! (they didn't seem to think the same about the way I dressed )

[soul316]

[ Do I expect to come to Finland and expect to find hip-hop, soul food, etc? Um, no!!! Where did I even convey that?

You said you want to find "African-American" culture. How the hell are we supposed to know what that is except from watching "The Wire" on tv? Ok so "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" then.

What I meant is that there is a Afro-Caribbean community that exists in places like the US, England and France.

Since when did Finland be a slave power and have colonies in the Caribbean?

Also, I find your characterization of black culture here in the US (KFC and watermelons) to be highly prejudicial and ghastly ignorant

I think your ass is the prejudiced and ghastly ignorant one. I know all your stereotypes and cay play with them, but you know none of mine.

LOL, I couldn't give a @#$% about any of your stereotypes. Its a @#$% internet message board; I asked a simple question and I got some good replies and PMs from people. Thats all I care about and that is all I was looking for. You can sit there and reply back with your little stupid and catty responses. Go ahead play your dumb games. It makes no difference to me. I'm not going to continue to engage in any back and forth banter with some ignorant idiot. Go kick rocks, !"#¤%.

To everyone who replied, thanks for your responses and take care.