[I] "was never defined as Asian to my face until the end of the 90s. Was obviously called lots of racist terms – including Black." Asim Khairdean
The terms Black, African and Asian are NOT, in themselves, racist terms. They are descriptive. But they can be used in derogatory ways - but so can any word eg. man, woman, depending on tone, context, etc.
Angela Allison, Coventry UK
----- Original Message -----
From: Asim Khairdean <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:55:27 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: Black & Asian Bibliography @ The British Library
Obviously very controversial topic… I thought the point you were making that there is a need! I reckon it would be interesting…
For me, having been born in England but with having my mother born in Pakistan and father in Kenya, I have experienced alienation in England and in Pakistan but never been to Kenya (my grandmother and father were both born in Kenya but grandfather and great-grandparents were born in India – so does that give me African descent or not?) – and was never defined as Asian to my face until the end of the 90s. Was obviously called lots of racist terms – including Black.
But became aware that Black can be an empowering term while at a Public Enemy concert and was given some consciousness literature and I think it is still used in this way eg Southall Black Sisters or Black Women Against Rape…
… but don’t some of these terms originate in Apartheid in South Africa ? they were used to devastating effect there anyway…
“Define or be defined” as Thomas Szasz said albeit in a rather different context…!
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