It's good to get a reply.
Language is obviously imbued with ideology and is a contested area,
constantly changing in meaning.
Half-caste was part of everyday language in this country and is still quite
commonly used, but it is important to listen to mixed-race people to find out
what they think of the term. The two organisations which I am most familiar
with, 'People in Harmony' and 'Intermix', would never use it, because of the
connotations of being half a person! It is worth reading John Agard's poem
'Half-caste' in this connection. (Clearly mulatto is also a derogatory term.)
As for creole, it has so many different meanings that it is a very imprecise
word and certainly needs qualifying.
(Incidentally I don't need to remain anonymous. I am quite happy to be
identified!)
Martin
-----Original Message-----
From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Marika@oare
Sent: 29 September 2004 07:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Fw: Black History Month The Smith Sisters of Sierra Leone
Thought you should see this
----- Original Message -----
From: "Adenike Ogunkoya" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2004 6:21 PM
Subject: Re: Black History Month The Smith Sisters of Sierra Leone
> Please forward to whoever sent that response.
>
> I can understand why some are perplexed about the term half-caste.
> People have to understand that there are some of us who spent their
> formative
years
> on the West Coast of Africa and the terms half-caste and quarter-caste
> are part of every day language. I thought long and hard before using
> the term halfe-caste for William Smith Jnr. I decided that the term
> mixed race was too vague it can mean anything from having a great
> grandfather/mother of another race etc. Whereas half-caste means
> either one black parent and one white parent or two halfe-caste
> parents. I would much rather call someone
a
> halfe-caste than a mullato which is derived from the word mule which
> is supposed to have been bred by a horse and a donkey.
>
> Samuel Colredge Taylor's father was an Aku. He was born into the
> community of Yoruba recaptives in Freetown which make up the forth
> group that belong to the Creole Community. In the very patriarchal
> society of the Yoruba's,
a
> son belongs to where his father is from. Samuel Coleridge Taylor was
> in regular contact with other members of the Aku community including
> the Victoria Davies's family and the Creole community as a whole.
>
> Hopefully many of the people coming to the lectures are West African
> academics and otherwise and I have to use terminology that they are
familiar
> with.
>
> I hope that this puts things in a slightly different light.
>
> Regards
>
> Adenike Ogunkoya
>
>
> >From: "Marika@oare" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: "Adenike Ogunkoya" <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: Re: Black History Month The Smith Sisters of Sierra Leone
> >Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 15:43:59 +0100
> >
> >Dear Adenike,
> >
> >I sent out the info you sent me on the BASA jiscmail. Please see a
response
> >to this, below. I should have contacted you prior to sending it out, as
I
> >also wondered about the terminology you used.
> >
> >Marika Sherwood
> >Editor.
> >Black & Asian Studies Association Newsletter
> >
> >.......................
> >I am surprised you are sending out material using the term
> >'half-caste'! And why is Samuel Coleridge Taylor called a Creole?
> >Please see Remember Me: Achievements of Mixed Race People, Past &
> >Present by Asher & Martin Hoyles for discussion of these issues.
>
> _________________________________________________________________
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