Ethnically Speaking by Larry Meeks

Dear Larry: When it comes to dealing with different ethnic groups and deciding what is the politically correct thing to do, I use what I call the "replacement method." For instance, if it's OK to call a team "The Cleveland Indians," how would it sound if we had a team called "The Arkansas Arabs" or the "Jamestown Jews"? I can imagine the nasty letters they would get in response.

Now let's consider the image of that group pictured on the sweatshirt worn by the high school student. That group's picture has a Confederate flag prominently displayed because they feel it represents Southern pride.

Using the replacement method, would the school object to a shirt with The Black Panther Party emblem? Some might say that a black clenched fist advocates ethnic separatism and hatred of whites.

I once had a professor at teacher's college who was also a high school principal. He got rid of the Thanksgiving pageant and other schools followed suit. He said that dressing up like Native Americans and re-enacting the famous Thanksgiving meal was inappropriate.

He used the replacement method. He decided how it would look if they did a Hanukkah pageant by wearing paper plates on their heads and fake beards, and dancing around singing "Hava Nagila"?

I remember doing a Thanksgiving play in elementary school. Nobody thought it was offensive, but that was in the 1980s.

Some kids dressed up as Chinese for Halloween, complete with eye makeup to make them look "Oriental" and spoke in a funny "me-Chinese" accent.

I don't think any Orientals' found it funny, but in 1986 there was no "political correctness." Even the Babar books had racist images, which we didn't seem to notice. — E.R.

Dear E.R.: You are really dating yourself. The politically correct name is Asian, not Oriental.

As a general rule, I do not think depicting different groups is wrong and/or disrespectful. Everything depends upon whether or not it is done with respect and sensitivity. For example, a child dressing in Native American clothing is no more demeaning than if a child wears ethnic clothing from Europe, Asia, India, Africa or any other place around the world.

Too many people, especially those who have problems with self-esteem, seem to find issues where none is intended nor projected.

Regarding your suggestion advocating the replacement method, I think it is basically flawed. If you want to find an example that will make any action wrong, you can locate it. If you want to find a replacement method that proves any action acceptable, you can do that as well. Everything depends upon your intent and what you are trying prove.

For example, if you hope to prove a child wearing feathers is demeaning to Native Americans, you can compare that to whites wearing a black face with huge painted black lips. If you want to prove dressing in Native American clothing is acceptable, compare it to a child wearing an African dashiki.

Let's stop looking for what's wrong and try to find the good.

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