In 2026, Is It Still Acceptable To Use the Term "Colored" When Describing Human Beings?

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I don't think it's that, it's just when used to put down people bring derogatory. Oh those ****
I think its like calling a woman a b**** as in that B$^$##

I don't mind being called a 'person of colour' but it's just seems a funny way of saying I'm not a ghost or a complete vampire.

But it's not as if WASPs ever get derided.
 
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Lanolin said:
I think it's easier to describe humans in terms of birds.

So those living in New Zealand are kiwis, those in UK are owls, and USAsians are eagles. Canadians are geese.
Australians are Kookaburras, and the French are roosters, Japanese are Cranes, Chinese are phoenixes.

I am sure one country has to be a flamingo.

I've heard Israelis describe themselves as sabras which is a prickly pear fruit. Usually NZers think of the bird when describing ourselves, not the kiwifruit, which was named after the kiwi, not the other way around. It used to be called the Chinese Gooseberry, it actually originally came from China, as most garden plants did.
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My friend was talking about his gf but because he's British he calls her a bird and for the longest time i didn't get it. At the end of it all i was like "You did what to your bird?? and it lived?? how?, you know what i'll catch you later".
 
G00WZ said:
My friend was talking about his gf but because he's British he calls her a bird and for the longest time i didn't get it. At the end of it all i was like "You did what to your bird?? and it lived?? how?, you know what i'll catch you later".
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Or chicks yes bird is a name British bfs call their gfs.
 
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One thing I've been considering as I read through these varied and informative posts (thank you everyone -- I hope people will continue to answer,) is that I don't think anyone who has answered so far is black.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong -- let me know if black audience members HAVE spoken up in this thread -- but when using certain terms, I also think it's important to hear from the group being referred to themselves.

When I wrote the thread, I was really hoping black members of the forum would voice their opinion of the term "colored people" and how they feel about it. Otherwise it would be like me reading an entire conversation about what Asians can and can't be called, but without including perspectives from any actual Asians. In that case, I couldn't take what was said all that seriously.

It's one thing if people outside of a group say something is "just dated, but ok," but I personally it's still important to hear what the people being called that term have to say about it. And of course, I'm sure plenty of black people have wide and varied opinions about this -- but their voices are obviously also crucial to this discussions.

I realize it's a delicate balance between being "too sensitive" and being respectful. I certainly don't go around fighting people if I get called something I don't want to be called, unless it's extreme. But it if it involves someone else being insulted, I'm often moved to say something.

And I also know it can be different for everyone, such as with the "prisoner" vs. "inmate" terminology I mentioned in another post. Even members of the target audience will have very different opinions of what is and isn't ok.

While everyone's thoughts have value and something to add, I'm still hoping to hear what our black brothers and sisters in Christ think of the term "colored" when referring to them.

This might be just me, but the discussion feels very incomplete without hearing what they have to say.
 
The reason why I think it's so important to hear from as many of the target community as possible is because we've all been in situations where someone without the same experience comes in and tries to tell us how to feel or what we can or can't do.

Many people have been in a situation where they've been at their job a long time -- let's say 30 years -- and the company hires some 25-year-old fresh-out-of-college "consultant" to analyze the workplace and "boost productivity."

This "kid" has never worked in the field, never worked for your company, and most certainly has never worked your job.

But yet, he tells you everything you're doing wrong and how you need to do things from now on.

It might be different if he'd been working the job 30 years beside you, but since he doesn't have any actual experience, it's hard to take too much of what he says seriously.

This is how I feel when people try to tell me how I should or shouldn't feel about issues regarding being a Korean adoptee who grew up in a small white town with white parents, or what labels are and aren't ok (that I should just accept.) They can observe and make suggestions, but they don't have the experience -- and they don't get to decide that for me. It doesn't mean their opinions don't have some valid points, it just means they're always going to be seeing things from the outside in.

And I know very well that this applies to me too. I can't know what it's like to be white, black, Indian, a traditional Asian, or the plethora of other wonderful diversity God has given us.

This is why I like hearing from so many different people.

So in most cases, I'll also always be looking from the outside in.

But the more I learn, perhaps the more helpful to others I can be.
 
G00WZ said:
It's ok even people that i'm around all day forget or just don't care.
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This is a funny thing that I can definitely relate to.

When people get to know me, they usually completely forget that I'm Asian as well. And of course, if I don't show a picture online and if people don't realize what Seoul is, it's always assumed that I'm white as well.

I appreciate your participation in this thread.

The very point of it is to try to make sure that the uniqueness God gave to people is not completely overlooked or forgotten.
 
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The invisible man

Also people are generally ignorant or genuinely ignorant about how offensive they come across at times.

Don't be a Karen

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Its always weirded me out when Jewish people proclaim racism and anti-semitism when, ok they had the holocaust and were the most hated in Europe and got kicked out of almost every nation they tried to settle in but they weren't really aware WHY

Also a lot of other peoples also had genocides happen to them but, somehow, it's more consequential for Jews. And well, it seems like they don't like Christians very much. It's a tricky thing because Jewish heritage is inherited and exclusive, but for the most part, Christianity is not.

Then those who are inbetween or both, fall into this strange no-mans-land. (Messianic Jews)

Now I don't need to get into politics, or tit-for-tat, and actually do feel for both sides (Israelis and Palestinans) but there's more at play here with geopolitics.
Eg for Americans I noticed now instead of Russians being the 'bad guy' (they had a 'cold war' and people in my generation had to live through this silly feud) it's now either anyone who is Muslim, or its China. There is so much expression of absolute hatred for Muslims and Chinese that I'm kind of well, whatever happened to 'love your enemies'?
 
Lanolin said:
The invisible man

Also people are generally ignorant or genuinely ignorant about how offensive they come across at times.

Don't be a Karen

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Lol!

When I mention that people treat me as being white, what I mean is, even if I do try to speak up about certain issues from a minority point of view, people often dismiss me.

This is because they say I'm already too "white-passing," therefore, I must already have "white privilege" -- and don't count as a "real" minority -- so some people don't think I should be allowed to speak as one, or that my view counts.
 
Yea I heard of the 'passing for white' thing, I myself wasn't even aware of it until someone mentioned it to me, and also the reason for DEI hires.
And I feel sort of silly and stupid because I can't read Chinese having never learned it in school and am not especially fluent in speaking it.

Now I am a bit more secure in my Chinese heritage but it used to be something other people made you ashamed of. NZ did have racist policies and racist attitudes but I think its not in your face as much as it once was, people are a lot more welcoming/tolerant/respectful of different cultures now.
 
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It's not the appearance thing with NZers though it's actually more how good your English is. If you speak with a kiwi accent then that immediately gives you away as a native kiwi and is acceptable.
 
Lynx said:
Speakin as a sutherner, down here where suthern is spoke like it oughta be spoke...

"Colored people" is a bit antiquated, but I don't see nothin wrong with it. I don't hear nobody sayin it no more, but it wouldn't be no cause to get all in an uproar if someone did say it.

Sayin black friday is when colored people go shopping... That is definitely racist and he oughta be tarred and feathered. And no fried chicken or sweet iced tea for a year.
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I said colored about someone and my hubby let me know that you might could say up north but not in the south hunny. So I say black and that seems to be ok so far.
 
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