New word you can’t say: “Yellow”
Asian-American grievance-mongers and “diversity” bureaucrats in Atlanta need to justify their existence and their salaries.
They found the perfect opportunity. Cry “yellow!”:
Asian-American activists offended that MARTA re-named the train line into the heart of Atlanta’s Asian community the “yellow line” will take their objections to the transit agency’s chief on Friday.
“Yellow,” as a term for skin color, carries a generally negative, racist connotation among Asians.
MARTA officials were warned by an employee before the name change last October that Atlanta’s burgeoning Asian community would find the term for the line to Doraville offensive.
“Historically, it has had a derogatory intent,” said John Park, an attorney with the nonprofit Center for Pan Asian Community Services in Doraville, just down the hill from the Marta station. “It physically paints a very unattractive picture. I don’t consider myself ‘yellow.’”
Park and other Asian activists plan to meet Friday with MARTA CEO Beverly Scott. They hope MARTA will change the line’s name from yellow to gold.
Scott said Monday that she will go into the meeting with an open mind. “There are very few things in this life that are absolute,” she said.
While Scott did not “in any way want to minimize” the concerns, she said that one MARTA employee’s complaint was not indicative of everybody’s feelings. She added that by the time it was raised, MARTA was ending a year-long process to implement the change. “Everything was printed, we were ready to go,” she said.
The ethnic sensitivity police waited a year to start whining. Now, they’ll spare no expense to disrupt the taxpayer-funded project to assuage hurt feelings and indulge a manufactured outrage:
“Anybody who rides MARTA knows that the line going up through that area is heavily Asian,” said Robert Bullard, director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University. “These are always sensitive issues. Anticipation of concern and sensitivity, and the outreach, probably should have been done before.”
Scott said she heard complaints from the employee and a few advocacy group leaders. At a recent community forum, she asked some Asian-Americans if they were offended and said they told her they weren’t. She noted that Asian and American cities that have public transit call some routes yellow lines. However, she stressed that she is ready to listen.
MARTA employs 13 people in its diversity office. They focus on equal opportunity in employment and disadvantaged business and perform some community outreach.
Did you catch that? “13 people in its diversity office.” Color me exasperated.
***
Flashback: Dallas county official: “Black hole” is racist!
Flashback: Remember former NAACP leader Rev. Joseph Lowery’s race-based benediction at Obama’s inauguration?
“We ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right,” Lowery said.
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Hmm, so who’s going to tell Mrs D that she has to get offended when someone uses the term Oriental about/around/referring to her?
She never comes home from work complaining about people of any particular complexion. She complains about the less than 1 percent of hindquarter openings who ruin her day.
I suspect these activists are the same sort. “I’m sure I bought it here. No, I don’t have a receipt. I wan’t my money back. I don’t understand what you’re saying. Can I talk with a manager? Go back to China.” For a bit more than minimum wage, and she doesn’t won the store or make the policies.
Okay, I happened to have some paint chip cards in the house. I’d say right now I’m Sand Trap (Olympic paint #B16-2). Spiced Beige (Behr PPL-16) is pretty, but I’d need a tan to pull off that one.
From now on, I demand that all forms asking me to check “race” have my true skin color (Sand Trap) or I will file suit.
They use colors on maps (eye roll…)
Well then, I guess the MARTA diversity office is a necessity after all… Lord knows we can’t have enough community outreach.
If you want to use names rather than colors how about “The Really Thick Envelopes from Admissions Offices Lines”?
“MARTA employs 13 people in its diversity office”.
I think the color pink, as in pink slips would be more appropriate.
Let me say that I wholeheartedly agree this seems to be a big to-do about not much.
On the other hand, in our “let’s-not-offend-anyone-anytime world, one would think that at least one single person, OUT OF THIRTEEN in the diversity office might have suggested way back when that a bit of extra thought maybe should have gone into naming this the yellow line.
Now, after spending the money on signage, maps, etc., etc., millions more will end up be forked over to fight the change, make the change anyway and pay off the oh so offended parties.
Boston seniors just heard about this story and are now protesting the “Silver Line” because the last stop is ‘terminal’, (film at 11…)
Yeah, well, I’m offended by thong bikinis at the beach, but I dont think that will change anytime soon.
I volunteer to be part of the Thong Police.
So, no more use of the colors white (too Caucasian-sounding), brown/black (for those with high melanin content), red (Native Americans might not like it), green (the queasy may take offense), pink (those prone to sunburns will definitely dislike this term), blue (depressed individuals will become suicidal when using this color)…
If the MARTA folks cave then they should be called “Yellow”.
…plaid (offensive to Czechs)….
I don’t care where your from, that’s funny right there! Good one there Tänzemitweinerschnitzel!
Wonder how Homer Simpson feels about this?
Teckeltänzerin
What if it looks like a thong, but it’s not!
This has gotten past the point of ridiculous. The First Amendment still stands and if you don’t like what things are called, live with it. If you absolutely can’t live with it go back to the country of your ancestors. This applies to white, black, yellow, green, whatever. BTW, there is no -American, a person is either American or not. If you don’t want to be American, don’t let the door hit you as you leave!!
Hangfire–won’t you need some long-handled tongs for that job, or will you just use your fingers?
My granny used to say “yeller” for yellow, I suggest they change it to that.
She also used to say “up yonder” for over there.
I’m jumping on the PC band wagon and demanding that all of you who aren’t full-blooded Latinos no longer say the word “brown”, eat Mexican food, chips, salsa, listen to any kind of Latin music, try to speak Spanish, don’t eat chocolate (since the origin of the cocoa bean is from Mexico), drink Spanish wine or Mexican b…eer… and most importantly, I demand that you remove the racist crayon, “brown”, from your children’s coloring box. (This PC thuggery is out of control)
We all live in the
off-white color with an ever so slight tint of orange submarine, the
off-white color with an ever so slight tint of orange submarine,the
off-white color with an ever so slight tint of orange submarine.
We all live in the
off-white color with an ever so slight tint of orange submarine,the
off-white color with an ever so slight tint of orange submarine,the
off-white color with an ever so slight tint of orange submarine.
This is getting ridiculous. First step to end this is to put a end to the racial grievance mongers like Jackson out of business by standing up to them. Then we can end the Diversity departments and what not. We are all equal, except when liberals get involved than some get “protected.”
The vast, sorry majority of people sporting thongs should do so only in the privacy of their homes.
And most ladies that look fine in a thong have nothing to fill a pair of tight Levi’s.
How do I know, or what makes me the expert?
My credentials: Sailor
Sorry, but I can see their point. Maybe I’m going all softie.
“More starch in that collar, Charlie!”
As one who suffers from varicose veins let me state my objection to the Blue Line; the Gray Line is of course totally out of the question.
I have seen thongs I do not object too. “Don’t hurt your neck Dear”.
OMG!!! What’s going to happen when these fine diverse bunch of hand wringers and panty wetters find out that all the roads in to Doraville boldly feature a DOUBLE YELLOW LINE RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!!!
Better get the oxygen bottles, smelling salts and ambulances ready
The political future of liberalism.
.
There must have been a few derogatory terms for Asians, or at least for Chinese and Japanese in American English.
But I’m not aware of “yellow” as ever being a word of derogation toward Asians of any sort.
Used in the context of race it’s a neutral old word from the time when the world was thought of as being populated by white, black, red and yellow people. In which context the word “yellow” is no more derogatory than the word “white”.
Now the word “slope”, I’m pretty sure that that’s specifically derogatory, but I had the idea that it was directed primarily at Vietnamese, rather than Asians in general. Don’t really know.
I wonder, just curiosity, if the same people who find the word yellow objectionable in this context would be equally incensed if the train were called the Asia line?
Mind you, I’m accustomed to living in towns where neighborhoods are referred to as China Town, Little Italy, Little Berlin or German Town, etc … I have a freind who lives in a small town called Swedestown.
People really need to cool off.
Me, I’m a member of P.O.O.P.: People Offended by Offended People. No dues; no membership forms; anyone can join.
ECS, P.O.O.P
One more thing to add to my “I Couldnt Care Any Less Than I Do Right Now” list. Is there anybody left in this country that is not offended by something?
When I was a kid in Sunday School, we learned a song.
“Jesus loves the little children,
all the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.”
I guess that’s racist now, but Jesus still loves us.
Atlanta changed it from “yellow” to “gold”. I think that’s offensive since gold represents greed and capitalism; something we’re supposed to be against these days. Someone should tell the Federal government about this. /sarc
As someone of Asian descent, my response is this: Are you F-ing kidding me???!! Is there something to the story I’m missing here? Perhaps some stereotypical Asian caricature accompanying it on metro maps or something?
Just when I thought people were finally beginning to see this PC nonsense for what it is. It’s counterproductive. What an embarrassment. The sheer stupidity of people never ceases to amaze me.
I showed my Asian wife this story, and all she could say was “wierd people”, shaking her head. However, I wonder when the government will start publishing and passing out books, noting each forbidden word, as a reference. We will need it soon, in the land of free speech. /sarc
I tried to look up Racist in the Yellow Pages but they weren’t listed. I’m really confused.
I have to admit I have a jaundiced viewpoint about yellow as a racist term.
SO it won’t surprise me if all you yellow bellied cowards turn white with fear of being painted as racist by some half witted pinko bigoted liberal.