Can't believe I had to have this conversation again today, with someone who should know better. You can't just un-racist a word because it makes you feel bad man.
Edit to add more context:
Rice burner is a pejorative term originally applied to Japanese motorcycles and which later expanded to include Japanese cars or any East Asian-made vehicles. Variations include rice rocket, referring most often to Japanese superbikes, rice machine, rice grinder or simply ricer.
Riced out is an adjective denigrating a badly customized sports car, "usually with oversized or ill-matched exterior appointments". Rice boy is a US derogatory term for the driver or builder of an import-car hot rod. The terms may disparage cars or car enthusiasts as imposters or wanna-bes, using cheap modifications to imitate the appearance of high performance.
The term is often defined as offensive or racist stereotyping. In some cases, users of the term assert that it is not offensive or racist, or else treat the term as a humorous, mild insult rather than a racial slur.
I'd like you to read this from a guy who's father is from the Philippines. His mother is American. Then have a good think about it. Actually think about it for a day or so.
Palting: (reenlist forums)
*When you call a car a "ricer", you are saying that it is not a nice car, possibly even an atrocious car. I don't believe you will ever hear a statement like "Look at that gorgeous ricer!!" So, in response to the question, is it derogatory, the answer is that the term ricer is most definitely derogatory.
The question then becomes, is it racist? The term "ricer" was coined to denote the cars that were made in Japan or Korea that were subsequently modded and are obnoxious to the observer. You can ask 100 people what car brand comes to mind when you say "ricer" and 100 of them will come up with an Asian brand. Ask those same 100 people what country or race comes to mind, and 100 will say some Asian country. We can safely say that "ricer" would indicate the Asian culture where rice is the staple food. We can define a term racist if the term pertaining to a race or a race's cultural character is considered derogatory. Therefore, the term ricer is most definitely racist.
If, lets say, one of the African nations built a car, would you call it a "******"? The term "ricer" most definitely belongs in the same category as ******, slant-eyes, gook and what have you. Shame on anyone who uses the term and who does not realise it is very definitely racist.
My mother is from the USA, my father is from the Philippines. I was born and raised in the Philippines. I am a Filipino. I am not a "halfer", nor "mestizo", nor anything other than a Filipino national who chose to reside in the US as an American citizen.*
I got called out for saying this once, and went back and looked it up. I had meant it sort of neutrally, and there are a lot of neutral uses of it out there, but there are probably just as many clearly negative/racist uses of it, and practically no positive uses.
There's a way of being a racist that is like crypto-racism. It appears neutral, but actually moves the ball forward for racists. And my experiences with many many different kinds of people, is that the people who are best at this are like hardcore Nazis.
I personally am not someone who thinks that advocacy and allyship begins and ends with saying or refusing to say certain words. I think there are a lot of really serious problems with the current liberal establishment posture towards race, where you continue to be heavily and unfairly exploited, and now imprisoned or deported because of skin color, but politically we will make sure people aren't allowed to say certain words anymore. But also being conscientious of our speech is a part of it, whether we like it or not. Ultimately it isnt some great loss of my freedom if I decide to call a Yamaha motorcycle a "Yamaha" instead of a "ricer". I have a large enough vocabulary that I can spare a word or two.
You're absolutely right, you can't begin and end your advocacy with no longer using certain words. That's why I'm out protesting, where I can, for causes like Palestinian recognition, Israeli sanctions and Changing the Date.
Glad to hear! What is Changing the date? I'm also active politically, too few people are though
In Australia, we celebrate a national holiday on the anniversary of Captain Cook's invasion of Australia. Indigenous Australian's therefore don't feel like they can celebrate, and alongside allies, advocate for changing the date. Protests on that day also advocate for truth-telling as well as other actions discussed in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.