Hey, we should all really stop using racist slang to refer to customozation

blashork [she/her]@hexbear.net to Unixporn@lemmy.ml – 132 points –

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.

563

You are viewing a single comment

I thought rice was an acronym that stood for Race Inspired Car Enhancment. I can see how it might have had racist orgins but wouldn't the racists win if we accept the word to have a different meaning?

No, racists don't "win" if we retire the word. In fact, this thread actually revealed a lot of racist attitudes/users. This actually helps weed out racists rather than embolden them.

There's no winners or losers, just a conflict with the group identity where a clear decision has to be made.

This word already had that racist meaning from the beginning of it's use. Just because you were ignorant of it doesn't make that untrue. And as part of the targeted minority, I will only be offended if you decide to try to force the use of this word on me. You don't have the right to dismiss the pain that racist terms cause to me and decide to rehabilitate them by your pleasure.