Saturday, March 16, 2019

The Racist History of Three Common Phrases

Today’s blog post builds off the theme of a previous blog post (Words Can Hurt: An Examination of Ethnic Slurs), which covered the topic of language and phrases that were derived from hate and prejudice and continue to be used today largely because those origins are forgotten and/or unknown.  I have elected to continue writing on this theme because the phrases noted in that post are just a few of many that exist and continue to be used today.  I have elected to use three phrases as they are ones that I hear commonly today (as well as have used myself, due to ignorance).  With knowledge comes power, as the saying goes, and with the knowledge of the origins of these three popular phrases you can make the conscious decision to discontinue their use based on where, how, and why they came into existence. 

 

No Can Do: Today this common phrase refers to one’s inability or lack of desire to complete a specific task.  It is typically given in response to a request.  Unfortunately, as innocent as this phrase sounds its origins are anything but.  The term was first used in the 18th and 19th centuries as a means of mocking Chinese immigrants who were learning English.  Their pidgin language, which incorporated their native language with American English, led to broken phrases that were not grammatically correct.  Anti-Chinese whites created the phrase “no can do” as a means of mocking and making fun of the Chinese.  The phrase was quickly adopted into the American lexicon because of the widespread anti-Chinese sentiments of the period.


Long Time No See: Another familiar phrase that is widely used today is “long time no see”.  It is meant as an endearing greeting upon seeing someone you had not seen in some time, but its origins are alienating.  The first reference to the term comes from W.F. Drannan’s book Thirty-one Years on Plains, published in 1901.  In the book he quotes an American Indian as first saying this phrase, which is either a gross or accidental misrepresentation of traditional American Indian greetings.  Much like with the Chinese “long time no see” originated as a means of mocking a group that was (and still is in many ways) disliked.


Uppity: You may already be familiar with the origins of uppity as its use by national-level politicians a few years ago led to a barrage of articles and media discussion on the topic.  The term denotes someone who is arrogant or stuck up, and that was the original meaning of the phrase.  What has changed is the reference within the term.  Today “uppity” can be used for anyone, but in its original use it meant blacks who acted outside of their expected and accepted behaviors in mixed race interactions.  The phrase was typically coupled with the word, “n----r”, which further reaffirms its racist and prejudicial origins.


For more information on other phrases with problematic origins please review the resources provided in the Bibliography.  Ultimately, it is up to you on what you do with this information and how you opt to change your language.  Many have taken the stance that we, as a society and culture, are becoming too sensitive and therefore cannot possibly alter every statement we make, and other recognize that language does change over time and the meaning change and therefore origins are meaningless.  I argue that we still should become more aware as awareness allows us to recognize our past mistakes and do better in the present and future.  To use the statement that we cannot change is an afront to the generations of progress that exist throughout human history.  Instead we should realize that we can change; it is simply a matter of whether or not we want to change. 

Bibliography

Coe, T. (2015, June 18). 9 Words with Offensive Origins. Retrieved from Oxford Dictionaries: https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/06/18/9-words-with-offensive-origins/
Pennington, M. (n.d.). 12 Surprisingly Offensive Words You Need to Stop Saying. Retrieved from Reader's Digest: https://www.rd.com/culture/words-with-offensive-origins/
Perry, T. (2019, February 4). 10 common phrases that are actually racist AF. Retrieved from Upworthy: https://www.upworthy.com/10-common-phrases-that-are-actually-racist-af
Reeve, E. (2011, November 22). Yep, 'Uppity' Is Racist. Atlantic Monthly.
Ridley, J. (2008, September 16). How Bad is 'Uppity'? Retrieved from NPR: https://www.npr.org/sections/visibleman/2008/09/how_bad_is_uppity.html
Steinmetz, K. (2018, April 26). Avoiding Phrases With Unseemly Origins Is More Complicated Than You Might Think. Time Magazine.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

The word uppity I've heard quite a bit growing up I always thought it referred to being wealthy.
-Timyra

Anonymous said...

I've heard all these words a lot growing up, as well as hearing them a lot now. However, i never knew they were racist history behind any of these sayings. I wonder do other people know this. Makes you want to switch up your terms that you use.
-Kyla Thomas

Unknown said...

I remember a discussion this semester about this topic. The phrase that our class found most interesting was "easier than a cakewalk" or "easy as cake". Many of us did not know that cakewalks were elaborate African American slave ballroom dances in which the winner won cake as a prize. This competition required participants to dress up as the slave owners and imitate their mannerisms in an exaggerated, mocking way. The dance is characterized by looking easy and seamless, thus the name, but there is evidence to suggest that the dances, were in fact, quite difficult. Oddly enough white slave owners appeared to judge this competition but during the Jim Crow Era, the black dancers were replaced with performers in blackface. These dancers portrayed slaves as uncoordinated people trying to emulate white mannerisms.

For more information, check out this link:
https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/blogs/cake-walk-the-strange-origin-of-an-unwittingly-prejudiced-term.htm


Tori Spencer

Anonymous said...

Never knew any of these phrases were racist. Its crazy because society takes things from other cultures and countries etc and we starting using their slang and language but never know the TRUE meaning behind what we are saying. -castrele hoy

Chyann Taylor said...

We've all heard words that at one point meant something else or held a different connotation, but I wasn't expecting these few to be a part of that list. I'm surprised "No Can Do", and "Long Time No See" stemmed from basic mocking and ignorance.
- Chyann Taylor

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Very interesting to read how words or phrases are used in different cultures. The word "uppity" has a sister word that is also used with the same meaning. That word is "bougie".

Joell Davis

Unknown said...

All of these phrases stemmed from simple-minded, bigoted, and ethnocentric people. I wish I knew these origins sooner because I would not be using them. I wonder if this phrase I say a lot, " no sire bob", stems from that same place of ignorance.
- kennedy thompson

Dr. Christine Elisabeth Boston said...

I am not sure, Kennedy, but as you are curious and students did complete an exercise looking at the origins of specific American phrases you already have the tools available to you to answer that question. :)

Anonymous said...

I did not know the first two phrases were an act of racism and mockery. I did however know the 'uppity' as I had heard it on a movie throughout the years I did my research and found out why it was used in that movie.
Qwynn Marquez

Amou Riing said...

This post shows important insights into how language may reflect cultural views and prejudices by skillfully delving into the historical background of each term. It allows us to consider the influence of bias on language usage by looking at the origins of certain terms. Each statement is carefully considered and analyzed, exposing the many levels of significance concealed by seemingly innocent sentences. For example, the examination of "No Can Do" reveals its disparaging beginnings in anti-Chinese prejudice, offering crucial background information for comprehending its current use.