| Haha that's a good catch! I agree it's funny to spot. I don't know. I wonder why? It may seem like a small thing but I think you raise a fascinating and important point! Could you advise on what a possible "correct" capitalization should be? I don't know! Here's what I think: It would feel weird to capitalize white. I think because I see it as a descriptive color, not an identity. But in English text I've often seen Black capitalized when it's referring to people's skin color, so perhaps I'm just reflecting that. But I don't think you can not-capitalize "Asian", as Asia is a proper name for a region, same for Middle East, tho probably can lowercase black? Haha I don't know ! :) Maybe it's my skin color is what people call "white" in these simple distinctions, so using capitalization for other groups is a sign of respect, or a form of difference signaling, which would seem weird to apply to my one. I suppose you could consider such distinctions as racist, but indeed by that definition then noting any racial distinction is racist. So even the labels of Black/black or asian/Asian or white would be considered racist, and indeed they are racist because they connote racial distinctions. However noting distinctions that are factual, descriptive, and not fabricated negatives is not "negative racism". So, while I think it's valid to call any denoting of racial distinctions racist, I think there's further nuance! A distinction between negative racism (using racial differences to send fabricated negativity), and positive racism (respecting and noting differences or positive characteristics). Perhaps it's possible to think of the capitalization difference in a similar way to addressing others you can use "Mr/Ms/Mrs" or, in Chinese, "nin". Some kind of respect marker, formality signal perhaps, or an extension of common convention in other areas to this one... haha :) It seems the names we have in english for different racial groups are not exactly consistent, like many "inconsistencies" in English. Or, all of this might just be my own inconsistency in spelling, a natural variation which is not to be underestimated! haha ! :) |