Redefining the C word
I was a twenty six year old half-English, half-Asian Manc when I discovered that people casually use the derogatory C-word, to refer to Chinese takeaways and restaurants.
I could not believe what I was seeing.
The C-word is defined as a “narrow opening” whereas the C-word with a simple ‘Y’ on the end is defined by Google as “a Chinese person” and “a Chinese restaurant or a Chinese meal”.
The fusing of these two C-words and their definitions is shown through children and immature adults, pulling the corner of their eyes in an aim to emulate monolids, eyelids which commonly frame the eyes of those with Asian descent. The history of the blur of these definitions is unclear, as like a lot of history that is coming to light now, the origins have been reconstructed through time.
How is this actually a thing? How am I only finding out now, that this racist slur is used to refer to Britain’s beloved Chinese takeaways? Why did it take the racism resources circulating around social media during the Black Lives Matter awakening, for me to learn this? (Big thank you to @taiiybaali for her graphical resource on racial slurs.)
I wondered whether I’d never heard it in this context before because people avoided saying it around me, or because the people I associate with wouldn’t dare use such a term, or because maybe, and hopefully, the C-word has now died out.
My older sister said everybody used to say it in school.
My mum said everybody used to say it in the very White dominated area she grew up in.
She experienced the discomfort of sitting in Chinese restaurants with my Asian Dad, while the White people around her were throwing the C-word around left, right and centre.
I just wonder how one can sit there enjoying their Chinese food, while insulting and degrading the very people that make it, and serve it to them?
It’s a weird world.
Nevertheless, it’s now, at these times of discomfort that we need to learn to speak up and call people out on their racist slurs and their discriminative behaviour. It is unacceptable, and we can only push forward if people take accountability for their racist actions, and for that to happen, they need to know that we do not stand for it.
It’s up to us, as the generation that are a huge part of the current revolution, to reach outside of our comfort zone and help make this word, along with others, extinct.
Together we can re-define the C-word and dish out the C-words that are worth hearing.
Let’s cultivate change—through the celebration of creation, connection, community and compassion. These are the C-words that I want to hear circulating.
Catch Leanne on instagram @leannelu_ or check out her website.
