Bill Wang - Week 2 - Slurs and identity
Slurs and Identity
(an image I found that depicts the effect of slurs very well from Kudos) (https://www.growkudos.com/publications/10.1075%252Fla.228.09tec/reader)
When I was younger, I had never really understood why slurs were so bad. I just knew not to say any bad words, because otherwise, I would get into trouble. But inside, I would think, “What’s so bad about a word?”
That mindset began to change after I began to learn about the history of African Americans. The n-word, stemming from the word “black” in Spanish, was used to dehumanize slaves, not depicting their humanity and culture, but instead identifying them by the color of their skin. Even a century and a half after slavery was abolished, the n-word continues to carry with it the same damaging connotation.
Slurs demean people, targeting them based on aspects of their identity, such as their ethnic group, gender, or sexual orientation. When someone uses a slur, they attack an entire group of people and demean their identity with a single hateful curse. Slurs portray the target as an “other”, someone who does not fit in with the rest or of a smaller value. They drive a population apart, pitting separate identities against each other.
However, slurs can be reclaimed and used as an object of empowerment. For example, the word “queer”, originally a derogatory slur, has been reclaimed by the LGBTQ community to act as an umbrella term. People of the LGBTQ community “gather under” the term, and add it to their identity, helping to create a feeling of solidarity and togetherness, therefore using it as a tool of empowerment.
I have always considered myself an ABC, an American-born Chinese. However, last weekend, I learned that ABC was originally a slur. It was used to criticize the children of Asian immigrants in the U.S. for being too disconnected from their Chinese culture, to the point where they couldn’t be considered Chinese, but also not being American, because they were too Chinese. This startled me because I had never known that the word I used to describe my identity was so hurtful. As it turns out, ABC is another example of a reclaimed slur. Many Chinese-Americans choose to call themselves ABC, proud of their unique culture, identity, and niche in the community.
Slurs can both attack and empower groups of people, depending on their usage, connotation, and history. I would dislike being called a chink, but would also be proud to be called an ABC. Like any other word in the English language, slurs represent more than just a word: they carry with them their history and constantly change to meet the standards of society.
Hi Bill! I can relate to your childhood thoughts about “bad words”, since I never really understood why they were bad, either. I simply had the same thought process as you, where I just made sure not to say certain words to avoid getting in trouble. Your point about words not being inherently good or bad, but based on the history and connotations they carry explains the essence of how society determines which words are good and which are bad. On another note, this blog post was structured in a very organized manner, starting with a relatable introduction, and a (somewhat) chronologically organized body. I liked the conclusion, because it introduced new ideas and encouraged more thought about why different slurs are considered inappropriate.
ReplyDeleteI never would have thought of connecting slurs with identity, so I found your blog extremely interesting. I appreciate your explorations of certain slurs targeting entire groups of people, dehumanizing and separating them in a very intentional and hateful fashion. The meaning of words comes from their usage and history. It has power, but it also bends to times and trends. I love your examples of the latter, with people coming together in a sense of unity and forcefully changing the meaning of these derogatory words by associating them with something else. Your blog taught me that the perception of words, whose definitions seem set in stone, changes rather quickly. Before, I never questioned the meaning and connotation of the term, “ABC.” I have always thought that it was just an interesting acronym that sometimes comes in handy, but it turns out this view is common today only thanks to the past efforts of the community. Overall, your blog demonstrates the influence of society, whether it is telling children not to say “bad words” or deciding which words are negative and which are acceptable. However, this is not to downplay the impact, whether hateful or uplifting, words have on others just because their meanings are artificial.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of synthesizing the use of slurs with the blog prompt is indeed intriguing. I like how you include how the meaning of these words gain "more traction" as we get older. I can agree with you on how as a younger child I used to think about what made those words bad; however, the more i grow, the more these words are frowned upon along with more words that are deemed derrogitory as the years go on. I never knew that the term ABC was a slur. whenever I heard people use that term I always thought it was just an abreviation for the longer term. I really like your conlcuding sentence and the way it brings up a different perspective on how people view slurrs and how they can be viewed depending on how one looks at it. It really made me think about the slurrs you mentioned and the backstory on how they have been brought up.
ReplyDelete