Say you're trying to describe someone to someone else. For example:
I feel like we've all had this sort of situation at some point in our lives. If you're like me, you've succumbed to perceived social pressures and try as rarely as you can to refer to anyone by their skin color. But in the above situation, you could go on and on describing Anthony Mackie. Maybe even take a minute to whip out your phone and google image search him for the person. Or, as ya do, you bite the social awkwardness bullet and just refer to someone as "the black guy". Is this wrong?
I'm a white guy of mostly German ancestry. I'd be fine if other people were to refer to me as the white guy in a situation like the one above. But I know there are people out there who are offended when they're referred to as the black guy. And I imagine "African-American" is even worse since they were most likely born here in America. I know I wouldn't want to be called "German-American."
So what does one do? Should you just call someone "the black guy", or is there some PC term out there I should be using?
You: Anthony Mackie.
Them: Who?
You: He played the Falcon in the Marvel movies.
Them: The guy with the robot arm?
You: No, that's Bucky the Winter Soldier. This guy was Captain America's other friend. The guy with the wing suit. He fought Ant-Man on the roof of the Avenger's base in the first Ant-Man movie.
Them: *shrug*
You: *sigh* The black guy who's not Black Panther or War Machine.
I feel like we've all had this sort of situation at some point in our lives. If you're like me, you've succumbed to perceived social pressures and try as rarely as you can to refer to anyone by their skin color. But in the above situation, you could go on and on describing Anthony Mackie. Maybe even take a minute to whip out your phone and google image search him for the person. Or, as ya do, you bite the social awkwardness bullet and just refer to someone as "the black guy". Is this wrong?
I'm a white guy of mostly German ancestry. I'd be fine if other people were to refer to me as the white guy in a situation like the one above. But I know there are people out there who are offended when they're referred to as the black guy. And I imagine "African-American" is even worse since they were most likely born here in America. I know I wouldn't want to be called "German-American."
So what does one do? Should you just call someone "the black guy", or is there some PC term out there I should be using?