What is up my homiee, my boy, my skiddly dee....
The N-word has been around for a long time. I even saw the word used a bunch in the You Have Seen Their Faces book that we read in class. At first it was used to name African-Americans. Now it has all types of uses from nicknames, pronouns, and words of endearment. The point is people use it way to frequently and way out of context. It is almost like a contest to see how many times they can say the N-word in a sentence to one another. The people that have been labeled as using it the most were the gangsters. Now according to Raquel Cepeda, who wrote an article on the N-word, that hip-hop Latinos are using it. She asks the question, do they have the right to say this word to each other?
First off, we should not be using this word at all. In my mind it is still very racist because it built up enough steam during the slavery and civil rights era that it makes me cringe every time I hear it. They are using the word to the point that it almost isn’t even profanity anymore. To me, this is like using the B-word so much that it becomes ok. I don’t care how they use it or why they use it; they should just not be using it.
Second, if people are going to use it, who decides if they can use it or not? Raquel Cepeda seems to classify the use of the word by your race. She doesn’t think that Latinos can use it because they are not as dark skinned as African-American. Well for one thing Raquel that is being prejudice. If you are saying that only one group of people can use a word, even if it is the N-word, based on their skin color. Well that is just wrong. According to David G. Myers, author of Psychology, he defines prejudice as an unjustifiable attitude toward a group and its members. He also defines a stereotype as a generalized belief about a group of people. Raquel falls within each one of those definitions.
One time my mom and I were in a store near Milwaukee and three African-Americans walked in the store. They were standing behind my mom and I in the check-out aisle. All of a sudden they start talking to each other like this: “What’s up my nigga�, “Oh my nigga that was so tight� and so on. So my mom and I check out and walk outside. My mom immediately says what do you think they would have done if I would have just turned around and said what’s up niggas? For one thing, I was in shock and awe that my mom said that, secondly, it got me thinking, would they get angry if a white person would say that to them? Even if they were using it to each other just seconds earlier?
Another question that gets raised is why do they call each other the N-word? Years ago during the slavery and civil rights era, they would have hated to have been called that. Now they throw it around to each other like nothing. AZ, a half-African-American, half-Dominican rapper, says, “I guess people use the word to get press and all that.� The Boricua rapper Fat Joe says that he uses the word as an endearment. To me, if they have to use the word to get attention or as endearment, which I still can’t get over, then that is just sad. There are so many other words out there that can be used to get attention or to use as endearment.
This is one reason why I cannot stand rap music. It seems like all they do is rhyme swear words while someone lays down a beat. It is like they don’t have the talent to make other words rhyme with each other. Now to me, real talent is rapping without swearing, but to me, they don’t have that type of talent.
Thus, the use of this N-word should stop. The more we use it, the more it becomes ok to use. I do not want to hear people that are close to me to start using it like it is nothing. I am sure I won’t but who knows. Also, if the word is kept on being used, then someday our kids will be hearing it and will think it is ok to use. Remember on “Meet the Fockers� when Jack says ass-hole and then little Jack starts using it. You get my point.
Cepeda, Raquel. "The N-Word Is Flourishing Among Generation Hip-Hop Latinos." The Villiage Voice. 21 Oct. 2008. 20 Nov. 2008 http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-10- 22/music/the-n-word-is-flourishing-among-generation-hip-hop-latinos/1.
Meyers, David G. Psychology. 8th ed. (2007):
Comments
The use of the N-word has been around for a long time and had many uses. As the article states at first it was used in a derogatory way against the African Americans during slavery as a way to put them down. These days it is used just as a nick name and sometimes to put people down. I disagree with the article on some things and agree on others. I feel that the use of the N-word is not always offensive. These days everyone is too sensitive about what people say. Everyone is to sue happy these days that whatever you say to them they instantly take it in a bad way. Also I feel there is a double standard on this subject African Americans can call white people crackers, snowflakes and so on and we can’t do anything about it but if we call them the N-word we get yell at, or worse. However I am not saying that we should be able to just walk around saying “nigga� and “nigger� all the time. Simply I am just saying that people should be able to just let stuff go every now and then. Besides what ever happened to the freedom of speech in this country? Every year what we can say gets smaller and smaller, and what can and cannot be said on TV and the radio gets smaller and smaller. The fact that Latinos should not be able to say the N-word because they are not dark enough is crap. There are a lot of African Americans that are light skinned so should they not be able to use the word too. I feel that is will be an issue for many years if not forever and that it will never be solved.
Posted by: Darin Davis | November 21, 2008 3:10 PM
The unfortunate social confusion that is associated with the use of the N-word may not be avoidable, however it is necessary to recognize the changes that need to be made in the future rather than just accepting the habit. The use of the word, in any context, is inappropriate. Not only is the word offensive to African American’s who “misunderstand� the use of the word out of context, but it has an impact on individuals of other ethnicities as well. The word represents much more than a derogatory noun, it is associated with the disrespect and brutality practiced by the ancestors of those with English roots. We should not be concerned with who is blessed with the rights to this language. There is not a time when this behavior is appropriate. Even in a situation of affection and endearment, the definition of the word, in this case, has synonyms to take its place. Just as the derogative terms for the American Black Man should not be used in public, so too must all other derogatory slang be band. It is ethnically wrong to use a term that has potential of insulting that individual. With ethnic reasoning taking a back burner to other factual and statistical reasoning, it is unlikely that these terms will be erased from the American vocabulary. However, it would be a relief to have the ability to identify people’s awareness of the issue and try to make a conscience change in their vocabulary. The American way is respect for all differences; we should have a vocabulary that defines it.
Posted by: Shannon | November 23, 2008 2:45 PM
The use of the "N word" has been contested since the 19th century. The reason certain groups shouldn’t use the word is the fact that it ties in all the years white society oppressed the African-Americans. There is no equivalent of the type of demeaning word for a white person as the "N word" is for African-Americans. This can make it difficult to bridge the gap between cultures about certain types of words. Your theory that no one should use the word is a very good theory, but the decision to use it or not is ultimately up to the people it was used on. They may choose to use the word which is fine because they are the ones who choose if it's offensive. If a white person used the word it would bring back the days of slavery and oppression that characterized it in the first place. Therefore whites should not use the word as a sign of respect towards the other cultures and the word should be stripped from our vocabulary. Latinos are a difficult group label as being able to use the word or not. Raquel Cepeda's views on the word are inaccurate for the reason that they were not oppresses as the Africans were, but neither oppress others. This makes the word doesn't make the basic word offensive, the context in which it is used should be monitored. The common curacy when using the word would be for whites to remove the word from their vocabulary, Latinos should watch the context of its use, and Africans have the right to use it as they wish.
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