Posted on 08/31/2012 11:48:36 AM PDT by Calpublican
Okay, so occasionally I watch reality tv--specifically, the real housewives franchise. In fairness, I actually listen to the tv in my kitchen while doing other things. It makes me feel less guilty not to have actually sat down and devoted my entire attention. After all, you can't help feeling squeamish knowing that participants are hand-picked by producers based on their personality disorders and willingness to drink while the cameras are rolling. But, of course, that is what makes these train wrecks, at times, riveting.
One of this season's new so-called housewives on the Real Housewives of New York is Carole Radziwill, niece by marriage of Jackie Kennedy. A common trait of the women who are cast on these shows is their seeming lack of self-awareness and Ms. Radziwill is no exception.
On an early season episode she proclaims strongly that she is not prejudiced. Later she has a date and grills the man on his political stance since she would "never date a Republican." So I deduce that a more correct assessment of her non-prejudice would be that she is open about race, religion, and sexual preference but is decidedly prejudiced against those whose thoughts about problem- solving differ from her own.
In another episode one of the women is speaking about her father who was an "American Indian." Ms. Radziwill is positively prickly at this, to her "liberal" mind, incorrect terminology. She arrogantly enlightened the lady that even a child knows you should say "Native American."
I used to, in my capacity as a case manager, visit several reservations in Northern California and found that the residents most-commonly referred to themselves as "Indian". Whether it's geographically accurate at it's inception, it's a term that is commonly used and accepted.
There are plenty of narrow-minded people on all sides of politics, but I suspect if one tried to point out to the college-educated and pseudo-sophisticated Ms. Radziwill that her thinking was, indeed, narrow and prejudiced, she would positively melt into a pile with nothing left but her pointy hat.
There was a CNN anchorette speaking with a guest and they were talking about a man from Africa. The guest said “black” the anchorette corrected him, saying “the term is African-American” with some authority. The guest made it clear the guest was not from America and the anchorette just sat there, like a stump.
Not surprising. So busy correcting him, she clearly wasn’t actually thinking about what he was saying.
I remember a few years ago hearing about a Nativity scene for sale on E-bay.
Some of the figures in it were described as “African-American”.
I live right next to a reservation in Northern California and everyone one calls themselves "Indians." They only use the term "Native American" when speaking to government officials.
I was born in New York. My mother was born in Kansas City. My father was born in NY.
I AM a native American. I also happen to be Jewish.
I once remember seeing a dim-witted news reporter tying herself into knots trying to come up with a term for a Black man from South Africa. She kept referring to him as an African-American African, even though this man had never even visited the USA!
Mark
I was born in New York. My mother was born in Kansas City. My father was born in NY.
I AM a native American. I also happen to be Jewish.
(I also meant to add the following)
Up until two months ago, I had never even been out of the country. How can I be anything else BUT a native American?
Mark
Either they are Americans or they are not.
So True!! I am a native Hillbilly-American.
Amen!
“I am a native Hillbilly-American.”
We call ourselves Appalachian-American ‘round here....
I’m native American myself. I was born in Florida.
Big deal. I supposedly have Black Foot and Cherokee in my bloodline.
Sadly, I don’t look one bit “High Cheek Bone Native American”. I got purdy blue eyes, Whitey Skin Covering, Hairy Legs(Sasquatch secretly envies me) and I guess I’m off the reservation because, as I’ve told my Mom, all my life “Who wants to self identify with the losing side?”
I knew Wilma Mankiller of the Cherokee tribe, George of the Pawnee tribe(forgot his last name but that was interesting how met) and Martha Moore Barker of Quapaw descent and worked for/with me. Martha Introduced me to The Osage Nation and The Ponca Nation.
Through their good referrals I was introduced to the rest of The Five Civilized Tribes.
I still don’t feel anymore Native American than before I met them nor do I feel the need to claim some faux heritage for the experience.
Why in the heck do people feel the need to put an asterisk to their name and really, really believe it garners them favors as being part of some down trodden group?
I am an American of the United States of America. I don’t need some cuddly, feel good, cheap azz, pejorative which is distinctly insignificant if at all to make me fool good or fool people into thinking I have some “really kewel history” behind me.
I tell yuh, it’s stoopit.
I also hear tell I have German, Irish, Scottish and English bloodline. To me I’m just an amalgam of the winning tribes of Celtic and Germanic “Native Europeans” and well, I guess we won.
But really, I’m just a red blooded, USMALE, stamped right here in the Best Country in the world.
Genuine American Made.
That ain’t geographic...it’s an ideal of the highest exceptionalism in the history of man and nations.
then we are just a bit past “beer thirty” for you...
My wife is Chinese (from Honolulu). I remember hearing her one time asking her sister, “When did we stop being Oriental and become Asian?” She prefers Oriental.
Well said!
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