Lets Define Westerner Once And For All

[cdnvic]

I was thinking more along the lines of Donald Duck. He has been on TV and in the movies for so long, he must be rolling in cash!

With his temper problems it wouldn't surprise me if Donald's been snorting his fortune up his bill.

[pampal]

I'm really going to get trounced for this, but, I consider anyone who acts "white" to be white and I think that white people or "Westerners" have the superior culture at this time in history - the Judeo-Christian culture.

To me Denzel Washington is "white", but with Negroid features. If he wanted to marry my sister, I would think that he had terrible taste, but I would be happy to have him in the family.

Asians who move to America all want to adopt our culture and they work their butts off to learn English and improve their lives and fit in and most people accept them as "white".

The people that experience "racism" (it is really culturism) in the US are usually those who refuse to give up the culture that they came from and don't try to blend in. They need to make an effort to act white!

two questions

By your definition of white, would Eminem

be classified as white?

As to the superior culture, why is Thailand full of cultural refugees from western countries?

Edited February 11, 2007 by pampal

[wintermute]

I'm really going to get trounced for this, but, I consider anyone who acts "white" to be white and I think that white people or "Westerners" have the superior culture at this time in history - the Judeo-Christian culture.

To me Denzel Washington is "white", but with Negroid features. If he wanted to marry my sister, I would think that he had terrible taste, but I would be happy to have him in the family.

Asians who move to America all want to adopt our culture and they work their butts off to learn English and improve their lives and fit in and most people accept them as "white".

The people that experience "racism" (it is really culturism) in the US are usually those who refuse to give up the culture that they came from and don't try to blend in. They need to make an effort to act white!

two questions

By your definition of white, would Eminem

be classified as white?

As to the superior culture, why is Thailand full of cultural refugees from western countries?

In comparison to the refugees in western countries the western ones in Thailand are miniscule in number. I think people enjoy Thailand primarily for the cost of living and the ease of cheap morality free sex. If you took out one or two of those factors then a lot less expats/westerners would want to live in Thailand.

[Jingthing]

I think the OCCIDENTAL part of the definition of WESTERN is the key point:

Occidental

One entry found for Occidental.

Main Entry: Occidental

Function: noun

: a member of one of the occidental peoples; especially : a person of European ancestry

So Western refers to a person of European ancestry.

For some countries and some people, it is 100 percent clear they are Western. Then in other cases, not so clear.

Say Norway. A western country. An Algerian immigrant in Norway, not Western.

Ecuador, where over 90 percent of the people have native Indian blood. Not Western.

Argentina, where over 90 percent of the people have European blood because they killed their Indians. Western.

I don't think its that hard. Just think European. And white. A non-white person can certainly be a Western person in manner and thought though.

Edited February 11, 2007 by Jingthing

[maccaroni man]

IMHO westerner is more polite than folang, forang, white nigger etc....

[Robski]

Westerner. It's quite an outdated expression nowadays,

it's such a mixed world and the main disparity is between north and south.

On with the revolution.

Donz. Don't go changing, keep asking the important questions in life,

but please stop using big words it just doesn't suit you.

[Briggsy]

Both when using Thai and when speaking English in Thailand, the term 'farang' is acceptable and understood.

In many parts of the world, in particular Western Europe and North America, defining people by skin colour is no longer acceptable.

The nearest translation of 'farang' which avoids mention of skin colour is 'Westerner'.

So in answer to the OP's question, "FARANG"

[pampal]

I'm really going to get trounced for this, but, I consider anyone who acts "white" to be white and I think that white people or "Westerners" have the superior culture at this time in history - the Judeo-Christian culture.

To me Denzel Washington is "white", but with Negroid features. If he wanted to marry my sister, I would think that he had terrible taste, but I would be happy to have him in the family.

Asians who move to America all want to adopt our culture and they work their butts off to learn English and improve their lives and fit in and most people accept them as "white".

The people that experience "racism" (it is really culturism) in the US are usually those who refuse to give up the culture that they came from and don't try to blend in. They need to make an effort to act white!

two questions

By your definition of white, would Eminem

be classified as white?

As to the superior culture, why is Thailand full of cultural refugees from western countries?

In comparison to the refugees in western countries the western ones in Thailand are miniscule in number. I think people enjoy Thailand primarily for the cost of living and the ease of cheap morality free sex. If you took out one or two of those factors then a lot less expats/westerners would want to live in Thailand.

I believe you are referring to westerners living and working here long time, I am referring to the ones who are more of a Khao Sarn hippy type, trying to find himself in Thailand, 

India, Sri Lanka etc...

and the dread lock girls and boys who are white but seem to prefer black rasta culture

or wiggers  or white ni**ers as they are called by black people

And the question still stands

Is eminem white?

If so why?

 

[gburns57au]

As Farang is a Thai word then you need to start looking at it from the Thai point of view.....

Farang = Non Asian.

Simple really.

[kmart]

Face it, you're an ethnic minority in someone else's country. (This is quite a novelty for a Brit! ) They can call you whatever they want.... So what...?

[jumnien]

A westerner is anyone who, on a map, lives to the left of any easterner, No?

[sceadugenga]

What did some Pom say?

"The non-Westerners begin at Calais"

[Ulysses G.]

And the question still stands

Is eminem white?

If so why?

 

I think that you already answered your own question. If he adapted and improved aspects of black culture as Elvis Presley did with his music he would be a white innovator, or if he poked fun at the black culture he would be a comedian like Ali G, but eminem pretty much pretends to be a hard core ghetto black in earnest.

In his case, a wigger seems to fit the bill.

[sceadugenga]

And the question still stands

Is eminem white?

If so why?

I think that you already answered your own question. If he adapted and improved aspects of black culture as Elvis Presley did with his music he would be a white innovator, or if he poked fun at the black culture he would be a comedian like Ali G, but eminem pretty much pretends to be a hard core ghetto black in earnest.

In his case, a wigger seems to fit the bill.

I suspect it pays the bills.

[Ulysses G.]

...And gets him lots and lots of wicks (white chicks).

[Robski]

Is Eminem white?

If so why?

C'mon people you are really showing how predudice and narrow minded you are.

Do you want an explanation? Booloxs, work it out yourself.

Pathetic.

[farangsay]

Is Eminem white?

If so why?

C'mon people you are really showing how predudice and narrow minded you are.

Do you want an explanation? Booloxs, work it out yourself.

Pathetic.

Hey , this is a Donz thread.

Crap is obligatory , "staying with the program".

Anything else only confuses the guy.

[NovaBlue05]

I doubt the Thais attempt to parse out the regional nuances. To them, if you look white....You're a farang.

I love the simplicity

[maccaroni man]

I doubt the Thais attempt to parse out the regional nuances. To them, if you look white....You're a farang.

I love the simplicity

ya in the west if you are a farang you aren't white, once again calling a person a westernerner is a polite way of avoiding the often negative term farang

[farangsay]

A young gentleman from the Indian sub-continent once

got into a slight motorbike-bumps-motorbike controversy

right outside a bar I was drinking in. Went on a while ,

police called to arbitrate etc etc so the conversation

went on a while after among the bar staff and he was

"farang" this and "farang" that.

I think farang = white is an over simplification.

I think there are colloquial terms for people from

nearby countries , beyond that "farang" applies.

[tijnebijn]

white???Just when you are not brown or yellow or black or half or whatever????

[rtaxron]

I always thought a Westerner was a Cowboy Movie

[jdinasia]

A young gentleman from the Indian sub-continent once

got into a slight motorbike-bumps-motorbike controversy

right outside a bar I was drinking in. Went on a while ,

police called to arbitrate etc etc so the conversation

went on a while after among the bar staff and he was

"farang" this and "farang" that.

I think farang = white is an over simplification.

I think there are colloquial terms for people from

nearby countries , beyond that "farang" applies.

Not even close ....

In common Thai speech that is so far from close as to not even be in the same ballpark!

Take Pictures of people from all over the world and show them to Thai people and ask \\

"Farang rue plao?" for each picture. Add in a few black Americans ... a few Arabs from the UK ... some Mexicans .... Africans ... Asians .... white born Singaporeans ... etc .. then you'll get it

[NovaBlue05]

I doubt the Thais attempt to parse out the regional nuances. To them, if you look white....You're a farang.

I love the simplicity

ya in the west if you are a farang you aren't white, once again calling a person a westernerner is a polite way of avoiding the often negative term farang

I don't think "farang" is a negative term. In a Dept of State foreign service Thai/English dictionary I have (it's dated 1970 so ...granted, there may be more politically correct terms in use now, but I dont endorse the whole PC movement and I suspect most Thais dont either)...."farang" is defined as "white -skinned people, including Europeans, Australians, white Americans, etc..." . I don't think Thais use it (and it is their word) as having anything to do with nationality, region or otherwise.

[sinsin2]

Ok, Ive heard many italians spanish even south american people called westerners anf refered to as westerner by Thai's and by other westerners.

But also at the same time Ive hear Italians spanish and south americans say no there not westerners.

Also alot of italians dont really like to be called white and want to be refered a mediteranian (spelling)

Also half italians half english also have a 50/50 view of them being a wetserner or not.

South Americans dont like to be called westerner at all, so now tell me, what is a westerner?

Is it a white person (like pure white like white english) or what

lets discuss

Westerner =white.

Non white usually refered to ( in private) by colour.....Black Frenchman,British Pakistani etc.

Italy,Spain....southerners dark due to Muslim occupation.

Portugal due to importing black slaves.

Greece darker because of Ottoman control....but becuse of ethnic cleansing would consider themselves firmly Western .

[sonnyJ]

I'm surprised how the Aryans didn't find their way to this conversation yet.

On more serious basis, Donz's ethnical roots remain a mystery to me so I will just take it as a purely Thailand related question.

Westerner is very different from farang. Farang being equivalent to colour as all dark skinned being from Isaan. As culture, western equals American culture, that is USA, and supreme yes, globally. Scientifically, best in the world. Musically, just the best. Politically, 1st world country with long history of democracy. Militarily, able to control other countries as he sees best. Economically, same....etc.

Edited February 11, 2007 by sonnyJ

[Jimjim]

Ok, Ive heard many italians spanish even south american people called westerners anf refered to as westerner by Thai's and by other westerners.

But also at the same time Ive hear Italians spanish and south americans say no there not westerners.

Also alot of italians dont really like to be called white and want to be refered a mediteranian (spelling)

Also half italians half english also have a 50/50 view of them being a wetserner or not.

South Americans dont like to be called westerner at all, so now tell me, what is a westerner?

Is it a white person (like pure white like white english) or what

lets discuss

The Latin world, i.e. South America, Central America, some Caribbean islands, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and that's about it, is part of the Western world, but a broadly distinct (but of course very general considering all the different countries) part of it. As is the U.S. and Canada and Northern Europe. Then, Southeastern Europe gets a little different and complicated as who belongs together. Anyway, All of Europe is generally a part of the West. It is defined probably by religion, as in Christianity is the main religion of Europe and the America's (for a lot of Europe it "used" to be the religion I suppose). Also, don't forget Australia and New Zeland as being part of the West. Anyway, the West is the culture that holds science, learning, and reason as core values of society. Being white has nothing to do with it. Race is very hard to define and there are disagreements as to how to really define race. Better to use cultures and nationalities.

Africa has elements of the West and the Middle East. I would say the Middle East is defined by Islam, and Africa has Christian and Islam as the main religions of the continent (major religions, besides religions considered more primitive). Then you have the East, defined by Hindus (just because of India) and Buddhism. All of this is very broad of course. But Middle Eastern countries and Eastern countires have much different philosophies than the rest of the Western world. Their core values are a little bit different.

And then, of course, globalization and the global economy has changed values in some Eastern societies and small parts of the Middle East. But as to the core original values and religions, they are different from the West in distinct ways. The main difference I'd say would be that the West has for some time and continues to promote the individual, whereas the Middle East and East usually seeks more to promote the group.

[britmaveric]

Western/Easterner - quite simple, just more about where you are on the globe.

[Donz]

Western/Easterner - quite simple, just more about where you are on the globe.

So you call aussies easterners?

[britmaveric]

Western/Easterner - quite simple, just more about where you are on the globe.

So you call aussies easterners?

Technically yes!