How insulting is Colored (vs. African American)

[Xanthus]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

So, you prefer class, status and caste distinctions and hierarchies over race and ethnicity?

In racially and ethnically heterogeneous contexts, class, status and race intersect so much that they are almost interchangeable. Whether based on class, status, race and ethnicity, region, or complexion; the U.S. does not have more labels than other heterogeneous nations.

I don't know. It seems like the U.S. has more labels based on color than anything else. Class and status separation are everywhere, but placing someone in different categories based on race alone, seems to happen here more. I know people who have move here from other countries. They said race separation is looked at much more differently when compared to where they once lived. Great Britain and Germany. I'm not sure if I'm understanding what you're posting, but the way I'm reading it is you mean diverse. Right?

[DrPhil]

Other countries sometimes call it something other than "race," because race is considered a North American construct, but it is all the same general construct and social hierarchy.

You don't have to rely on the selective and limited observations of the people you know who lived in other countries. There is a ton of interesting literature on this that you can check out to satisfy your curiosities.

ETA: People who live in settings in America and overseas where everyone looks alike often claim that there are no racial (and similar) distinctions made between people. Well, of course if you're basing your opinions on such matters solely on what you see, you wouldn't observe anything if 95% of the people in the areas you are in look the same. Even in more diverse settings, a lot of people are waiting for some overt sign of distinctions made between people, usually a form of bigotry. "I've never seen a minority person be mistreated;" "Minorities walk around and they are barely noticed as minorities, so race doesn't matter;" and "we call people by their names and not by their races" are common responses that actually have nothing to do with the topic at hand.

[Xanthus]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Even in more diverse settings, a lot of people are waiting for some overt sign of distinctions made between people, usually a form of bigotry. "I've never seen a minority person be mistreated;" "Minorities walk around and they are barely noticed as minorities, so race doesn't matter;" and "we call people by their names and not by their races" are common responses that actually have nothing to do with the topic at hand.

This is pretty much what I was getting at.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Xanthus

This is pretty much what I was getting at.

I hope not.