"Refugees" aka "you people"

"Refugees" :: New Orleans Katrina victims
"You people" :: African-Americans

Both "refugees" and "you people" -- or "the blacks", for that matter -- are clear and straight-forward terms and expressions.

So, for those of you who are part of the torrent of the readers who have lambasted me recently about criticizing the media's use of the word "refugees" to describe the largely Black Americans who've been hit by Hurricane Katrina, I welcome you to start a conversation with a group of Black people with "you people" or "the blacks" and tell me if you feel connotations are not as valid as technical denotations.

It appears that only my more mature readers have understood that my beef with "refugee" is that it deflects from these largely poor and Black victims' American-ness by focusing on their Otherness, a common device in a race-obsessed society where non-whites -- and Blackfolk in particular -- are demeaned and devalued not just physically, emotionally, culturally and economically -- but linguistically.

C'mon, folks. Don't lecture me about the Webster's definition of the term refugee. Don't insult the intelligence of millions us (of all backgrounds) who can read between the lines here and try to dismiss us as crackpot conspiracy-theorists or what-not simply because you're uncomfortable when someone "injects" race into what you would like to think transcends race or is what I've heard alluded to (amidst unicorns and leprechauns) as "color-blindness".

In other words, don't relegate yourself to becoming a refugee from reality -- a reality in which we acknowledge the racial megalomania that has deluged our country since its birth and the concomittant impact its had on what and how we think, say and do -- consciously or not.

Comments

[CarinSpotted Eagle]

Theres a consensus regarding the impact of comment made by Hail to the Cheat... 'you people'. I say blame it on his mama as she (Barbara) obviously train both sons to speak and treat my people this way. It makes me know 3/5 status remains the view of so many in this country. I stand on the preamble of the constitution the section that I must hold to be self evident: We the people of the United states, in order to form a more perfect union... establish our own Blogs thanks to technology comprehension.
It is my belief there's no accident regarding the treatment of citizens of Ole' Miss, Alabama, and Lousiana and those exiled to many states across this Nation.
Now what would Malcolm X say and do about these series of events...
I say no more arguments regarding reparations-estimated 761 million collected as of 9/14/05 not counting the cash collected by the Red Cross. Take off the sheets and Pay Up: stop! Poverty Pimping 2005

[CarinSpotted Eagle]

Theirs a consensus regarding the impact of 'you people'. I say blame it on his mama as she (Barbara) obviously train both sons to speak and treat my people this way. It makes me know 3/5 remains the view of so many in this country. I stand on the preamble of the constitution the section that I must hold to be self evident: We the people of the United states, in order to form a more perfect union... establish our own Blogs thanks to technology comprehension.
It is my belief there's no accident regarding the treatment of citizens of Ole' Miss, Alabama, and Lousiana and those exiled to many states across this Nation.
Now what would Malcolm X say and do about these series of events...
I say no more arguments regarding reparations-estimated 761 million collected as of 9/14/05 not counting the cash collected by the Red Cross. Take off the sheets and Pay Up: stop! Poverty Pimping 2005

[Kim C.]

Ah yes. How right you are. Now, what I'm wondering is how long it will take before the right accuses liberals/progressives/"those people" and anyone else who disagrees with them of engaging in "class warfare".

My guess is it won't be long.

[ReggieH]

You should check out Jack Shafer's article against the rebuilding of New Orleans on Slate.com.

"It's a poor place, with about 27 percent of the population of 484,000 living under the poverty line, and it's a black place, where 67 percent are African-American."

"New Orleans' public schools, which are 93 percent black, have failed their citizens."

He does make a point about how the hardest hit areas were the poorer and blacker sections of town, but IMHO these sentences are highly suspect....

[Frank]

From Merriam-Webster's online:

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=refugee&x=12&y=13

Main Entry: ref·u·gee
Pronunciation: "re-fyu-'jE, 're-fyu-"
Function: noun
Etymology: French réfugié, past participle of (se) réfugier to take refuge, from Latin refugium
: one that flees; especially : a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution
- ref·u·gee·ism /-"i-z&m/ noun

The "especially" clause is the important one. The word does connote, if not denote, an "otherness."

Very perceptive post, Chris.

[Brad B.]

Nice to see Chris blogging along, and the deserved exposure on Philly.com. Go Chris.

[ol cranky]

It appears that only my more mature readers have understood that my beef with "refugee" is that it deflects from these largely poor and Black victims' American-ness by focusing on their Otherness, a common device in a race-obsessed society where non-whites -- and Blackfolk in particular -- are demeaned and devalued not just physically, emotionally, culturally and economically -- but linguistically.

With all due respect, if you've gotten a chance to read some of the trackbacks to your initial post as well as some other posts on the topic (and the comments in them), you'll find that some of us who disagree with you have espoused a reason to use the word which is quite the contrary of the "otherness" argument.