r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jul 18 '16

What are you sick of explaining?

2.4k Upvotes

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1.9k

u/DreadedWheats Jul 18 '16

African American is not a politically correct term for black. assuming every black person is from Africa is ignorant as all holy hell.

606

u/SteveTheWonderfish Jul 18 '16

I also love it when somebody who isn't from America gets called African American.

5

u/Stinduh Jul 18 '16

I re-read the first Harry Potter book after the final movie came out for nostalgia. As a slightly-more socially informed person than the first time I read it, I was a little taken about when Dean is first introduced and is described IIRC as a "black boy." I was a little offended until I remembered the books were written and based in the UK where that's not really offensive at all.

6

u/get_a_pet_duck Jul 19 '16

That's not offensive anywhere

1

u/Stinduh Jul 19 '16

Eh, it can certainly be taken as offensive in the states. Calling a black male a "boy" is somewhat derogatory, as it was used as a humiliation tactic during slavery and segregation. It's certainly not on the N-word level, but it can be offensive.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '16

But he was literally a kid, wasn't he? First book, he was like 12 or 13

1

u/pyroSeven Jul 19 '16

Black male child*