It is indeed annoying to be subjected to ethnic or racial classifications that are misnomers. You are right to mention that there's a problem with "Latino" as well. I'm planning to write about that from the perspective of a Hispanic. The very concept of race is ridiculous. What difference does a relative amount of melanin in the skin make concerning intelligence, merit, prowess, or any of the other things that it's often associated with? Buddhism too. In ancient India, Buddha's followers called themselves Sakyans or Sakyabhiksu, and later used terms like Bauddha, but the "-ism" suffix defining a system of belief is a Western linguistic construct.
I actually meant to pluralize it—All these demographic categories are problems.
Brahmins were the original racists, which is why the caste system is called “varna.” Buddha, to his credit understood that the varna system was built on faulty assumptions. But varna crept back in because Buddhism was located originally in a brahmin-dominated culture. Bronkhorst has an interesting theory that Buddhism succeeded in Magadha because brahmins were not the dominant culture group there.
I share your annoyance, Malcolm. I will never understand racism. Ever. I remember being a kid and wanting the jumbo box of crayons with all the shades and colors the 8-pack didn’t have. If only we could embrace the richness and beauty of being human in all our varied attributes. Who wants to color with just white?
It is indeed annoying to be subjected to ethnic or racial classifications that are misnomers. You are right to mention that there's a problem with "Latino" as well. I'm planning to write about that from the perspective of a Hispanic. The very concept of race is ridiculous. What difference does a relative amount of melanin in the skin make concerning intelligence, merit, prowess, or any of the other things that it's often associated with? Buddhism too. In ancient India, Buddha's followers called themselves Sakyans or Sakyabhiksu, and later used terms like Bauddha, but the "-ism" suffix defining a system of belief is a Western linguistic construct.
I actually meant to pluralize it—All these demographic categories are problems.
Brahmins were the original racists, which is why the caste system is called “varna.” Buddha, to his credit understood that the varna system was built on faulty assumptions. But varna crept back in because Buddhism was located originally in a brahmin-dominated culture. Bronkhorst has an interesting theory that Buddhism succeeded in Magadha because brahmins were not the dominant culture group there.
Yeah, but white guys still can’t dance. Essentialist or not, it’s an empirical fact.
You’re The Highlander. I knew it! I’ve been loving these recent posts.
I share your annoyance, Malcolm. I will never understand racism. Ever. I remember being a kid and wanting the jumbo box of crayons with all the shades and colors the 8-pack didn’t have. If only we could embrace the richness and beauty of being human in all our varied attributes. Who wants to color with just white?
I refer to myself as a Northern European mutt...
Yes, that we are.
I am probably Eastern European. It probably only matters to a racist!