Why does it seem racist to say "You people" to a black person, but not racist to say it to a white person?
by 
ADLICH
ANSWERS: 24
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I didn't know that was racist! I would say that to any group of people, no matter what ethnic make-up, when referring to them as a group.
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I'm with Redrum on this one, but also consider that there is no long history of discrimination against white people. Black people have only had civil rights in America for forty years.
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it's not so much the race of the person or group of people it's being said to.. i think it's more the context. sometimes people will put "you people" in front of a generalizaton that is derogatory, in which case, it is inappropriate regardless of race.
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That's just something they do on TV and stuff for laughs. I've never seen a black person actually get offended by that. UNLESS someone said that to a group of exclusively black people, CLEARLY generalizing and insulting them, then I don't think anyone cares.
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because they tend to over react... just like the N-word they tend to over re-act when someone tends to stick a label on them.... White people didn't complaind about Ginger, Emo, Nerd, Cracker, Geek, and other rude names. Jewish people didn't complain about the name Jew. And they don't hate the Germans. Even though it was their people who were enslaved and killed by the Germans. They let go of that like a normal group of people would. I knew a black teacher who blamed poverty on the Slave Trade in front of the school Black History Quiz. Even though every one there wasn't one black person there and she was using the words "Our people" and "your ancestors".
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I think it is equally offensive. Once a black kid in one of my classes was telling my (white) teacher "all you white people are racist!" I pointed out to him that that remark was, in and of itself, racist. He shut up.
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Because when you use the phrase "you people" you are placing the people you talk about on the "them" side of the "us vs. them" spectrum. In other words, by saying you people 1) the fact that you are not part of that group means your statement will be taken as dismissive and minimizing, and 2) if you're a remotely intelligent person you'd realize how that sounded -- but you said it anyway.
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Because America became too politically correct beyond belief. Makes me sick.
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Because white folks get huffy about serious things.
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Because after slavery and civil rights movement, people are the most cautious towards black people when it comes to being perceived as racist. There are a lot of double standards there. For example, black comedians can stand on a stage for hours talking about how white people are so goofy and nerdy and black people are so cool and tough and they can throw around words like cracker, but if the roles were reversed, there would be outrage. i know thats not such a serious form of racism, but any stereotyping with slurs is wrong and you cant allow one group to do it just because they have had it done to them so much.
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It IS racist to say it to a white person. YOU people sounds dividing. Like everyone who is black (or white) are grouped together. That's silly. I probably have more in common with the ideals of blacks than most whites that are thinking of blacks as "you people" and I am a whitey!
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I think if you said "you people" to a white person and you were black that would be racist. If it is 2 caucasian talking to each other then how could it be racist?
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Because there is no equality. Besides, whites are the minority. Shouldn't we be getting all of this untouchable bullshit?
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Because the whites do not think people would look down on them, whereas the blacks are more sensitive about it as they have been looked down for centuries.
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I see I was DR because I asked if this could be a case of one persons perception. I would therefore like to change my reply to whatever is the correct answer is - please & thankyou.
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coming from a black person i dont find that racist and i dont understand why others do and i agree why is it not racist when said to a white person or any other person of another race period people these days dont make a speck of sense pitiful
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I think people need to learn to let it go. How else are we as americans going to move forward. I have also found that blacks are more apt to take this term wrong more than others. My husband is one of the more racist people I know, he is also black as coal
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"You people" just has the neg cloud hanging around it. It sort of seems like it's lessening the person. Plus, the history of it is usually when you compare one group to another (black/white, hispanic/asian, rich/poor) and don't have the decency/respect, to refer to he or she as what they are (human). I've said "You peple" ("you people need to get yourself together and act like normal little girls")to a group of sassy 10 year olds when I got angry, and after I got a mouthfull,they were obviously very offended. Basically, the term itself isn't a good one. It comes off as racist,classist,sexist a good portion of the time.
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Saying "you people" to anyone doesn't have to be about race, it could be about religion, region, country, etc. It's just that most people jump to oh they're talking about race
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It's not racist to say "you people". If you are not meaning to be racist when saying "you people" then its not racist.
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These days there's a huge double standard when it comes to racism or anything a person with a chip on their shoulder chooses to label as racism if it suits them. Some people from ethnic minorities will throw the race card around at every opportunity but racism against whites is ignored.
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because some BLACK PEOPLE will always REMEMBER and seek VENGEANCE..even though America had reached the plateau of equality and fairness.....many blacks will never feel vindicated or sated.....therefore it will come 'reverse discrimination'.there will always be the radical,shallow and unforgiving....they did not reach the Mountaintop and look over into the Promised Land....MLK..God rest him...
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Ross Perot kinda sunk the ship on that one, it made him look high and mighty and like he could see a separate divide between the 2 groups by just staring into a crowd.
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Perhaps white folks aren't as thin-skinned.
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