"A rose by any other name"
Would it still smell as sweet? What is in a word, what is in a name, and what, if possible, makes a word or name something horrible? I mean, we have all heard about labels and stereotypes. Growing up, I was always called a 'nerd' or 'geek'. I was a member of the 'odd squad' or 'nerd herd' that walked the halls of my esteemed place of learning. There were the jocks, the valley girls, the space cadets, the stoners...we all walked the halls and we all wore the labels. Most of the times we all wore out labels proudly since they defined who our friends were and what we were. Us nerds (at least some of us) were happy to be called that because that meant we were smart, intellectuals but also meant that we were shunned by the other higher ups on the label food chain. The Jocks were proud to be the jocks because that meant that they were the athletics, the cool guys, the ones that got praise for the school in the way of athletic trophies and such. The stoners, well they were just happy being called that because that meant that they were going against society, being a rebel, doing their own thing and finding peace, love and happiness in the form of herbal usage. No matter what we called ourselves, we were those labels and they stuck with us.
These labels that were given to us could be changed. After all, all a jock had to do was open a book and start to study, lessen their dedication to sports and parties and all of a sudden they could be reduced down to a nerd. A nerd could climb out of nerd-dom by taking an interest in sports and actually showing that they had real talent for the sport, but at the cost of losing their academic status. Nerds would shun nerds that became too interested in sports and ignored their academics, just as a jock would be ignored by other jocks or such by simply making one false move like helping a nerd out that was being picked on.
Then there was the deeper labels. The ones that were only spoken of by certain people and shunned by many others. These were the racial labels of chink, pole, jap, honkey, kuggy and the forever banned 'N' word that I have never ever been able to bring myself to say. Even hearing someone say it makes me turn my back and walk away from them. These were labels that no one could change no matter what you did. Only a scant few people used these labels in my school, mainly out of anger, but they were there. These are the labels that are not only used in high school but carry on with us through out life. Mainly because we can not change these labels by doing something different. After all, a chinese person may be called a 'chink' by some people and they can not stop being chinese by not picking up a book and take an interest in sports (as a nerd can become a jock) or a 'honky' cant stop being white by suddenly picking up a pair of chop sticks and putting down the fork. Some labels will stay with us for all time.
The one thing that struck me the other day was, what exactly makes these words bad words? is it bad if the person being called the word thinks it is bad, or is it bad if the person calling the word thinks the word to be bad? I mean, when a chinese person is being called a 'chink' do they sit back and take offence to it and say "that is a derogatory term, dont use it" or do they just say "it is just a word to describe a person, nothing wrong with it"?
I was reading an article the other day and a word was brought up. Ang moh, a word that was later described in the article to describe caucasians. Now, I had heard this word before in 2002 when I was visiting a friend in Singapore (that later became my girlfriend) and I always figured that it was just a word like how we have Eskimo to mean the native culture over here in Canada. I asked her what it meant, in 2002, and she said it was just a word to describe a caucasian. At the time I let it go and accepted it, but now I sat back and thought about it so I did a little bit of searching on the net. Apparently, according to a 'singlish dictionary' online it is "Hokkien for 'red-hair'. A pejorative term used to describe Caucasians" Perjorative meaning 'belittling or demeaning'. Ok, so when I asked my girlfriend if there was a difference between ANG MOR/ANG MOR NANG/ANG MOR GAO she said 'no, they are all used to describe caucasians'. Now, the definition of ANG MOR GAO would be 'red haired monkey'. Call me a little on the crazy side but I figure any term that classes me as a monkey I might take offence to in any fashion.
So, now that got me thinking, when did this word Ang Moh suddenly become offensive to me? when I heard it long ago and asked someone what it meant and was told just that it was a term to describe caucasians I didnt take offence, but now that I now it is a belittling term, I take offence. Was it always an offensive word and because I didnt know it was offensive I took it to meaning something nice and normal? like, if someone from China comes to Toronto, hears the word 'chink' and asks someone what it means and they answer "it is a term to describe people from china...no disrespect", does that mean that chink now has no disrespect, or does it always have disrespect but the person doesnt realize it?
Are words like items in real life where it is the action and usage of that item that makes it bad or good? a hammer in your house is neutral, it is neither a good nor bad hammer. You take that hammer and use it to break out of a burning building, saving the lives of yourself and your loved ones and suddenly it becomes 'my lucky hammer' or 'the life saving hammer'. However, if a burlar breaks into your house, finds the hammer and uses it to kill you and your whole family, then suddenly the hammer becomes an evil weapon of destruction. Are words the same way? are they just neutral things sitting in a dictionary somewhere, totally devoid of any real badness or goodness, but when used in a certain way or by certain people do they take on goodness or badness. Like when my girlfriend is talking about her day and says "yeah a couple of ang mohs stopped me on the street on the way home and asked for directions". That is not bad, just she is describing who stopped her and I know that she means caucasians. But, if someone says "what do you expect from an ang moh?" then that would imply something bad and derogatory.
Who makes the evilness in the word? is it when someone knows what it means and takes offence to it, or is it always there and even though they dont know it is there, it is still bad because we all know what it means? Now I wonder...should I take offence to ang moh, or let it slide and accept it not for a bad thing but simply because that is what I am. The word is used to describe caucasians, I am caucasian therefore I am an ang moh, but I am surely not red haired and I am not a monkey by any means.
These labels that were given to us could be changed. After all, all a jock had to do was open a book and start to study, lessen their dedication to sports and parties and all of a sudden they could be reduced down to a nerd. A nerd could climb out of nerd-dom by taking an interest in sports and actually showing that they had real talent for the sport, but at the cost of losing their academic status. Nerds would shun nerds that became too interested in sports and ignored their academics, just as a jock would be ignored by other jocks or such by simply making one false move like helping a nerd out that was being picked on.
Then there was the deeper labels. The ones that were only spoken of by certain people and shunned by many others. These were the racial labels of chink, pole, jap, honkey, kuggy and the forever banned 'N' word that I have never ever been able to bring myself to say. Even hearing someone say it makes me turn my back and walk away from them. These were labels that no one could change no matter what you did. Only a scant few people used these labels in my school, mainly out of anger, but they were there. These are the labels that are not only used in high school but carry on with us through out life. Mainly because we can not change these labels by doing something different. After all, a chinese person may be called a 'chink' by some people and they can not stop being chinese by not picking up a book and take an interest in sports (as a nerd can become a jock) or a 'honky' cant stop being white by suddenly picking up a pair of chop sticks and putting down the fork. Some labels will stay with us for all time.
The one thing that struck me the other day was, what exactly makes these words bad words? is it bad if the person being called the word thinks it is bad, or is it bad if the person calling the word thinks the word to be bad? I mean, when a chinese person is being called a 'chink' do they sit back and take offence to it and say "that is a derogatory term, dont use it" or do they just say "it is just a word to describe a person, nothing wrong with it"?
I was reading an article the other day and a word was brought up. Ang moh, a word that was later described in the article to describe caucasians. Now, I had heard this word before in 2002 when I was visiting a friend in Singapore (that later became my girlfriend) and I always figured that it was just a word like how we have Eskimo to mean the native culture over here in Canada. I asked her what it meant, in 2002, and she said it was just a word to describe a caucasian. At the time I let it go and accepted it, but now I sat back and thought about it so I did a little bit of searching on the net. Apparently, according to a 'singlish dictionary' online it is "Hokkien for 'red-hair'. A pejorative term used to describe Caucasians" Perjorative meaning 'belittling or demeaning'. Ok, so when I asked my girlfriend if there was a difference between ANG MOR/ANG MOR NANG/ANG MOR GAO she said 'no, they are all used to describe caucasians'. Now, the definition of ANG MOR GAO would be 'red haired monkey'. Call me a little on the crazy side but I figure any term that classes me as a monkey I might take offence to in any fashion.
So, now that got me thinking, when did this word Ang Moh suddenly become offensive to me? when I heard it long ago and asked someone what it meant and was told just that it was a term to describe caucasians I didnt take offence, but now that I now it is a belittling term, I take offence. Was it always an offensive word and because I didnt know it was offensive I took it to meaning something nice and normal? like, if someone from China comes to Toronto, hears the word 'chink' and asks someone what it means and they answer "it is a term to describe people from china...no disrespect", does that mean that chink now has no disrespect, or does it always have disrespect but the person doesnt realize it?
Are words like items in real life where it is the action and usage of that item that makes it bad or good? a hammer in your house is neutral, it is neither a good nor bad hammer. You take that hammer and use it to break out of a burning building, saving the lives of yourself and your loved ones and suddenly it becomes 'my lucky hammer' or 'the life saving hammer'. However, if a burlar breaks into your house, finds the hammer and uses it to kill you and your whole family, then suddenly the hammer becomes an evil weapon of destruction. Are words the same way? are they just neutral things sitting in a dictionary somewhere, totally devoid of any real badness or goodness, but when used in a certain way or by certain people do they take on goodness or badness. Like when my girlfriend is talking about her day and says "yeah a couple of ang mohs stopped me on the street on the way home and asked for directions". That is not bad, just she is describing who stopped her and I know that she means caucasians. But, if someone says "what do you expect from an ang moh?" then that would imply something bad and derogatory.
Who makes the evilness in the word? is it when someone knows what it means and takes offence to it, or is it always there and even though they dont know it is there, it is still bad because we all know what it means? Now I wonder...should I take offence to ang moh, or let it slide and accept it not for a bad thing but simply because that is what I am. The word is used to describe caucasians, I am caucasian therefore I am an ang moh, but I am surely not red haired and I am not a monkey by any means.
posted by Capt_Canuck at 8:12 AM
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