Am I the only person in Argentina that finds the term "chinito" offensive?

[nikad]

Argentine peope are not a race and I am surprised that has to be pointed out.

That said.

Argie is a word I believe originated in England, although I stand to be corrected on that. It is used in both a derogatory way and an affiacionate way, depending on the intent. It too should not be used and I personally do not use it and bristle when people in the UK do. However, there are some key differences between this and negrito and chinito. The first and most glaring (which is why Argie should never been offered as a counter in the first place) is that Argie is not used to describe all people from the Latin American countries, like Chinito in Argentina means anyone from a certain region, regardless of their affiliation with China. Sure, Argie is offensive to a group of people and I absolutely disagree with its use, but it is not lumping several nationalities into a single term. Similalry negrito, which as I pointed out is also used to describe my nephew who is not even black. But hey, you have dark skin you're a negrito.

Put it like this, whether the word is horrible or not, you are an Argie as that word describes people from Argentina (sadly). A Japanese person, for example, is not a chinito.

Like I said, when people used Paki in the UK, the truly discriminatory thing about it was its use to describe all people from a region because of how they looked and to verbally segregate them. By the way, we are all not discussing the fact that Japenese (for example) people actually don't look like Chinese people, which makes the term chinito even more offensive.

But where is the discriminatory vocabulary police to be found? Who has any authority to say whether negrito, chinito, argie or gringo are derogatory / discriminatory terms but the very same people invoked? Unless there is a recognized authority that dictates it, I can assure you that for most Argentine the term argie is derogatory ( and yes, we are a group of people from a certain region and culture that is made up of a mix of natives and immigrants). As it was previously posted and sourced from a dictionary that the word chinito has more than one meaning in local Spanish, and not just to address a person born in China. And by the way, Argie was used during Malvinas war in the same way Paki was used in the UK: plain derogative and discriminatory.

 

[semigoodlookin]

But where is the discriminatory vocabulary police to be found? Who has any authority to say whether negrito, chinito, argie or gringo are derogatory / discriminatory terms but the very same people invoked? Unless there is a recognized authority that dictates it, I can assure you that for most Argentine the term argie is derogatory ( and yes, we are a group of people from a certain region and culture that is made up of a mix of natives and immigrants). As it was previously posted and sourced from a dictionary that the word chinito has more than one meaning in local Spanish, and not just to address a person born in China.

Sure, Argentina is a group that is made up of various races and natives. Cool, but Argentine's themselves are not a race, why are you even arguing this fact? It is a nation comprised of races, but the term Argie is not racist. I agree whole heartedly that it is derogatory.

Chinito doesn't just address a person born in China, which COULD be fine even if Chinese people were offended. Again, it is instead a blanket term for a group of people from a certain global region, even if they have no connection with China. When people here use the term Chinito to describe a southeast Asian person, they are not using the word based on its other dictionary terms. When they call a Japanese man chinito, it is not because they are calling them a little boy and/or girl.

As for who has any authority. I never said there should be any authority that tells people what they can say or not. Pointing out or understanding that it is wrong is another matter. I am all for free speech but we are foolish if we think we live in a society that allows it. Free speech should mean all bets are off, and they are not.

 

[nikad]

Sure, Argentina is a group that is made up of various races and natives. Cool, but Argentine's themselves are not a race, why are you even arguing this fact? It is a nation comprised of races, but the term Argie is not racist. I agree whole heartedly that it is derogatory.

Chinito doesn't just address a person born in China, which COULD be fine even if Chinese people were offended. Again, it is instead a blanket term for a group of people from a certain global region, even if they have no connection with China. When people here use the term Chinito to describe a southeast Asian person, they are not using the word based on its other dictionary terms. When they call a Japanese man chinito, it is not because they are calling them a little boy and/or girl.

As for who has any authority. I never said there should be any authority that tells people what they can say or not. Pointing out or understanding that it is wrong is another matter. I am all for free speech but we are foolish if we think we live in a society that allows it. Free speech should mean all bets are off, and they are not.

Discrimination is not only racial, there is gender, religious, socio-economic, ideology and other varied forms of discrimination. I don't personally take offense when expats name Argentine by using the word Argie because I know they mean no harm ( the majority ) just like Asian people don't feel offended and scandalized when an Argentine calls them chinito.

 

[nikad]

Sure, Argentina is a group that is made up of various races and natives. Cool, but Argentine's themselves are not a race, why are you even arguing this fact? It is a nation comprised of races, but the term Argie is not racist. I agree whole heartedly that it is derogatory.

Chinito doesn't just address a person born in China, which COULD be fine even if Chinese people were offended. Again, it is instead a blanket term for a group of people from a certain global region, even if they have no connection with China. When people here use the term Chinito to describe a southeast Asian person, they are not using the word based on its other dictionary terms. When they call a Japanese man chinito, it is not because they are calling them a little boy and/or girl.

As for who has any authority. I never said there should be any authority that tells people what they can say or not. Pointing out or understanding that it is wrong is another matter. I am all for free speech but we are foolish if we think we live in a society that allows it. Free speech should mean all bets are off, and they are not.

If you read the ( long ) post carefully you will find that the word chinito has other meanings, not just nationality.

 

[deadOA]

the truly discriminatory thing about it was its use to describe all people from a region

Your constant argument about a region is a fallacy

Racism is the connotation of superiority.

BTW
What is the take on::
"Go back to where you rodent-infested came from"?
So we can discuss the really offensive "gordita" "nigrita" and "chinito" till cows come home

 

[semigoodlookin]

If you read the ( long ) post carefully you will find that the word chinito has other meanings, not just nationality.

I did read it and I addressed it in my post. It has other meanings, but what meaning does it have when a Japanese man is called chinito, or all Japanese men?

 

[nikad]

How about this, to give you even more food for thought: it seems that most think that Argentine call Asian people chinito ( from China ) whether they are Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, etc. What if Argentine call them chinito as in gauchito, to bring them closer together and invite them to blend in? Apparently the only reading people can make, and all the assumptions are negative or implying that Argentine ( people that are famous for being nazi, according to some expats and all Hollywood ). Don't you think that by assuming that any names Argentine use to name others are discriminatory and racist you are in fact insulting and discriminating Argentine?

 

[semigoodlookin]

Your constant argument about a region is a fallacy

Racism is the connotation of superiority.

BTW
What is the take on::
"Go back to where you rodent-infested came from"?
So we can discuss the really offensive "gordita" "nigrita" and "chinito" till cows come home

As you quoted what I wrote about the use of the word Paki in the UK, it absolutley was about superiority and absolutley was racists. What's your point? It was also used to describe people from a specific region. People from Norway were not being called Paki.

 

[semigoodlookin]

How about this, to give you even more food for thought: it seems that most think that Argentine call Asian people chinito ( from China ) whether they are Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, etc. What if Argentine call them chinito as in gauchito, to bring them closer together and invite them to blend in? Apparently the only reading people can make, and all the assumptions are negative or implying that Argentine ( people that are famous for being nazi, according to some expats and all Hollywood ). Don't you think that by assuming that any names Argentine use to name others are discriminatory and racist you are in fact insulting and discriminating Argentine?

I am not sure I understand what you mean. Are you saying the word chinito is used to bring people in an make them feel closer and integrate better in Argentina?

 

[nikad]

I am not sure I understand what you mean. Are you saying the word chinito is used to bring people in an make them feel closer and integrate better in Argentina?

It is a possibility, unless you assume all people using the word discriminate or are plain hostile.