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I worked with Indian people (not from India, but American Indians) for 2 years in the midwest - they do mostly call themselves Indians (like blacks using a formerly negative term - 'blacks' - and making it their own and embracing it as symbol of pride, they're not too concerned about the idea that Columbus was wrong when he thought he was in India and 'named' them incorrectly) but some say "American Indian" and some say "Native American." Sometimes they just call themselves "native people." Like any large ethnic group, you're never going to get full consensus among thousands of people on what they want to be called. Some say 'black' is ok, some prefer 'African American', some say 'African American' is not cool because you might be black but from the West Indes or the Carribean and not from Africa.
BUT, using "Red" is not appropriate and never was. (I'm not saying this in a scolding way, obviously you didn't know the term was no longer approrpiate and is, in fact, disrespectful.) I've actually never heard of the term "Red Indian" being used except for like old 1950's cowboy black and white movies and stuff. That's like saying Asians are "yellow."
The modern Indian might still wear ceremonial garb for certain special occasions, but they don't really like when they only see themselves represented or thought of as caricatures with beads and feathers in their hair. It's the only ethnic group that when we picture them we get this very specific, outdated and racist image -- that of the tribal Indian in full ceremonial garb. That's why the old comic book images of literally-yellow-colored Asians with long thin moustaches, slanty eyes and buck teeth protruding from their upper lip with their hair in that long pony tail and maybe a fez-type hat aren't cool anymore, ditto 'sambo' with the black face (or Aunt Jemima with the apron, maternal look and huge thick black lips).
This is why the presentation of Indian people in sports team incenses people. The Washington Redskins is a team, but if you ever tried to name a team "The East L.A. Hispanics," "The Brooklyn Spics", the "New York Darkies" or the "Los Angeles Blackskins" you'd of course never get away with it. While the argument could be made that the Cleveland Indians name is ok, their caricature of the smiling Indian is just like the black minstrel cartoon faces of the 1930s and should be abolished. What other professional sports team is named after a race?!? "Vikings" don't count since there aren't Vikings around anymore - Vikings are more in the same world of King Arthur and his knights or something very historically far away like that.
(Incidentally, one might say 'the fighting Irish' of Notre Dame and their leprechaun image is racist, but that's an image that's ok with white Irish Catholics - double standards happen a lot in this kind of thing. But assume that all Irish are drunks and you might encounter some problems with your Irish friends, who might understandably resent that.)
American Indians don't have the political voice, money and power that other minorities have in this country, so when people put caricatures or stereoptypical images of Indian people on teams or products, no one really complains. They don't have the power base that black music (like rap, hip hop, etc.) or movie stars or athletes help create in terms of social awareness, nor do they have the power base that Latino music, Latino actors like Jennifer Lopez and such help create.
Indian people have some small political groups (like the formerly radical AIM - American Indian Movement, which was tainted by militarism similar to the Black Panthers of the 60s and lost popular respect and support as a result) but nothing like the NAACP, the United Negro College Fund, or any other of the many groups that help the black community. Plus, there are so few American Indian people left in America since our ancestors (well, some of our ancestors, I'm not saying we should all have white guilt and feel like WE killed them, or blacks, or anyone, just be sensitive to and aware of the history) killed most of them, and as you probably know, many of the surviving American Indian population is stuck in a cycle of poverty and squalor without any big business to back them up or political lobbyists (the oft-referenced casinos are their only major business and are filled with corruption, just like most businesses; plus, they're not enough to educate an entire race and lift them out of the ghettos and reservations).
I don't think 'Native American' is falling out of favor in any significant way - it may be seen as sounding a little TOO overly P.C. by some, but it's not going out of style among Indian people. Like I said, generally acceptable terms are either 'Native American', 'American Indian' or just plain 'Indian'. (sometimes I clarify after I say 'Indian' - 'American Indian, not people from India')
Anyway, now you know.  |
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