Dear Mark Twain listserve members,

Like many of you, I would guess, I read Mr. Fears usage of the word
"coolie" with a cringe and a warning to my significant other, who is
well versed in the history of similar situations on this listserve,
that maybe we should head to the cellar to wait out the storm.  My
first reaction was to simply laugh off the usage, not because it was
funny, but because its author has become the proverbial "crazy uncle"
who might be better to laugh at than fight with.

But at the same time, I have been reading Robert Lee's insightful book
about the historical development of stereotypes of Asians in America
(the chapter on "The Coolie and the Making of the White Working Class"
being most germane.)  This book makes apparent, if it needed to be
made so, why the invocation of the word has no place in public
discourse, unless of course in historical context, as a previous
respondent suggested.

The objection to the use of the term "coolie" is not merely a
"pathologically correct" objection to colorful language. It is not
"group-think" to understand that the term has a highly pejorative
history (which is not really a matter of what one *perceives*).  The
point of the objection, I perceive, is that the term "coolie" has no
place in intelligent discussions except as a historical term.  And it
only has a place in humorous usage if it is actually funny.  I would
guess that others on this list would join me in thinking that Twain
would not have found your "coolie" joke whimsical.

One last point.  There is a categorical distinction Mr. Fears failedl to make
between the usage of the pejorative term "coolie" and the pejorative
terms "fossil" and "troll."  The first term is a pejorative that
applies to a group of people of a certain race.  "Troll" and "fossil"
are pejoratives that were applied to a single person.  The first term
may serve to limit contributions of a large number of people; the other aimed
to only limit the commentary of only one.

Best,

Tracy Wuster


On 3/20/08, David H Fears <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Isn't it interesting that those who lie here waiting in attack mode for
>  terms they *perceive* as pejorative respond by using terms such as "troll" and
>  "fossil" in ways which are undeniably pejorative. Such abuse can only limit
>  contributions to this forum.
>
>
>  David H Fears
>
>
>
>
>  **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL
>  Home.
>  (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)
>