Is "you people" racist?

Groups such as Black Lives Matter, various Latino groups etc declare themselves to be a separate group of people with unique grievances based upon their race/ethnicity. The also refer to other people as not one of their people.

Accordingly, since I am neither black nor Latino, wouldn't it be respectful of their own self description when speaking to someone of such a group to refer to that person's race or ethnicity as "you people?"

If they want to be a "you people," seems like it is only polite that I honor their self image by then referring to them as "you people," as opposed to "my people."

But if they are a "you people," it also then would seem reasonable that I might decide I don't like those people. They are not one of my "us."

 

Racism (any discrimination) isn’t about what you do, it’s about why you do it. If you’re treating the BLM protestors differently because they’re (mostly) black, consciously or subconsciously, you are being racist (be honest now, we all do it sometimes).

Terms and phrases have baggage regardless of how you’re using them. “You people” more often than not carries negative connotations so using it in some other context opens yourself to misunderstanding. Given that there are plenty of other phrases that would carry the same meaning without the baggage, it seems foolish to choose to use that one.

Unless you know all of this and are being deliberately provocative, which brings us back to my opening statement.

 

BLM [people need to be treated with utter contempt. they are scum and need hosing and night-sticking

 

Would that also apply if it's how BLM protesters treat people differently mostly because those people are white, consciously or subconsciously?

 

Yes. The only thing America seems to actually do equally is racism.

 

isn't the leader white...

but that said, yes, if a group talks about other races badly saying "you people", it's racist

 

Some communities voluntarly spare them from the rest of the country: they won't do that if they where feeling part of the national community, wanting to get integrated; people who really wants to get integrate mix themselves with the original population and try to look like them as much as they can; they don't oppose their people to the people already in the country...

After that, it's not a surprise if some people are more exclude in the country than others... They exclude themselves, so, they are exclude: that's sad, but logic... Nowdays, there's really not a lot of people to care only of skin's color, this is the mentality which is really important.

 

I am going by hearsay but I was always told that "you people" is racist.

 

Taking offense at "you people", is correctionist.

racism only matters when you are cruel to someone because of their race or you incite hatred against them. Vilification is a crime and if a minority is injured because of it, the people who stirred up the mob can be jailed.

having an opinion is NOT harmful as long as you are kind to the minority.

I never care what peoples opinions are about what iam, so long as they are respectful and treat me as an equal. Any one who obsesses about people's opinion is a thought police, a politica, a hypocrite, a bigot, a cultural marxist and belongs in a Nazi concentration camp.

 

I don't think the term "you people" is racist. I've said it to my family. "you people are driving me crazy".

 

I do not think so. Only if the statement it's being used in is racist. Context is important.

On it's own, it's a phrase that means you're talking about a grouping of people of any kind really. Could be peanut salesmen, priests, Eskimos, mechanics, customer service reps, etc etc.

I do think it's probably a way to make a generalized statement about whomever you're talking about. "You people" doesn't really leave room for distinction between those that align with the point of the statement and those that do not.

But even there, context is really important.

 

Saying it mildly, I would add a few other measures.