Because culture is so deeply embedded in language, it is often important that we spend a little time thinking very specifically about the words and phrases we choose to use, and under what circumstances. While some might bristle at the thought of adapting our language to accommodate the latest trends and thinking, I see it differently. For the change isn’t with our trends or thinking, but with a greater awareness of inequities that have always existed.
Our goal isn’t to jump onto the next passing fad of buzz words or acceptable terminology, but rather to raise an awareness of language and how it can potentially perpetuate stereotypes or marginalize members of our community. The idea is that we work harder to avoid the “but I didn’t know” category of mistakes. And better yet, to help our students figure them out as well.
Here is a case in point. Not too long ago, some type of meme was circulating through social media that inspired some of our students to call one another “boy.” Imitating the video, they would often say it as a jeer, which might seem relatively harmless. However, the moniker of “boy” has a rather disturbing past. It was a derogatory term used by the white community in interactions with Black men throughout the days of slavery and Jim Crow to establish their subordination within a given social exchange. Many of our students have no idea of this history, and it is important that we help them to see how they need to be careful of the things they pull from pop culture and the things they see around them.
There are many other examples, far too many to cover here, but I will offer a few that can be hurtful to people within our community. If you do use some of these, but have never considered them to be hurtful, you might look them up and learn a little more about their origins and what they connote for some people.
The G-Word. You might hear someone say g-word (a derivative of the word gypsy) when they mean, “swindled” or “tricked”, but doing so ignores the ethnic culture of the Romany people and how they have often been targeted and persecuted by the dominant culture throughout history.
Cotton Pickin. This phrase has been associated to a racial slur for African Americans who were referred to as “cotton pickers.”
Monkey. I had an incident not too long ago where a white student kept making references to a classmate (who was a student of color) as a monkey. The white student claimed that he meant nothing by it, and once I explained a little of the racialized history behind the reference, he still did not want to acknowledge the impact of his choice.
Again, we don’t need “language” police to tell us what words to use and not to use. It’s more about becoming aware of what other people might be hearing when you use certain words and phrases. It can be a bit overwhelming. I sometimes wonder, “Well, how can I possibly know or learn about every potential instance of words and phrases that might be hurtful.” The answer is that I simply cannot know it all. This does not mean that I should simply ignore the instances where it is brought to my attention, claiming that “people just need to be less sensitive.” It means that I am ever vigilant, ever willing to own what I do not know and to change the word choice and promise to do better.
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