Meta post I’ve decided to make. I enjoyed the unixporn subreddit a lot when I used reddit more. I enjoy customizing my linux de as much as the next nerd.
But you definitely shouldn’t use racist slang to refer to the process.
To be clear, I didn’t know the origin of the term ‘ricing’ until fairly recently. I was chattimg with my friend and used it to describe my de setup. They informed me that apparently it’s from car customization, and is a pejorative against generally asian men who customize their car to look like a racecar.
After learning this I was sad to realize just how engrained it is in linux de customization culture. I personally have stopped using the term, and I would ask everyone here stop as well.
Identifying and making fun of certain behaviors is not racist. It can be used in a racist context, but it’s not racist in itself. Do you all believe that the majority of people saying “my rice” have racist intents?
You don’t have to prove/have intent in order to perpetuate a racist act. The “racist context” is the use of the term (which originates in the car industry as a pejorative) itself, you’re missing the point.
That only strengthens why “rice” should be challenged, people are unknowingly using the word just because it’s the established lexicon of the group and tied so closely with that group’s identity.
I just do not think it’s rational to equate pejoratives and racism.
In my opinion, it’s not meaningful when you use the word racism to describe something regardless of intent. What it really means is that you have been offended (which of course can be a bad thing as well, but not necessarily). “Offensive”, “rasist” are both words describing the motives of the act, it’s not how you receive it. People will always receive information differently, and that is why I don’t think it’s sane to use the definition you provided. I do believe that your definition of “racism” is not the literal meaning of it either, what does the lexicon say?
The real issue I see is that it increases the risk of dispute, even when there was no intent to start an argument. I believe this is part of why media is creating such chaos in our society, not for good reasons and just for clicks.
I respect your answer but I have to disagree.
Ah, respectability politics. Dispute is so horrible that it must be avoided at all costs. It’s creating all this chaos!
You know your exact rhetoric is used by racists to create plausible deniability for themselves. The reason racists use words with double meanings is because people like you will always come and talk down to others who call it out. Let me guess: which part of the “media” is creating chaos in society?
The pejorative comes from a history rooted in racism. Racism does not require intent because it’s a system of bigotry with the intent to control others and common speech. This is where “dogwhistles” come from, words that on the surface seem okay but are really just signals to other racists. You can’t just always assume that people “made a mistake” in every situation.
I think it’s possible to find an old mass murderous dictator using your rethoric.
I would argue the term “ricing” or “ricer” is not racist in the discriminatory sense unless used negatively. Rice is good, and Asian food uses a lot of rice. It’s most definitely a stereotypical term and that can be problematic in its own ways. Stereotypes can be a slippery slope to racism sometimes.
I do think the majority of people using the term probably didn’t even think about how it is derogatory. In my area, I knew car club people who were proud to drive Japanese cars and call themselves rice related things.
I choose to not use the term, because I respect others feelings towards it. It was also never in my vocabulary to begin with as I am not a car person.