Is it racist to say "I'm going for a Chinese,"?

[purplepoppy]

According to the tabloids, Americans are in an uproar over the British term "I'm going for a Chinese, " claiming we're all racist.

In British English, it's normal to express food this way.
"Do you want to go out for an Italian?"
" I went for a Mexican last night."
"will you pick me up a Thai?"
"shall we grab an Indian?"

Thoughts, racist or just weird grammar?

[jennifer_bloom]

The grammar of Britain in that case is different from ours, in North America, we use the word take out after the word “Chinese,” “Mexican,” “Italian,”, and using the word South Asian seems more formal than Indian, since many foods from that area are not from India, it could be from Bengal or Pakistan or Turkey. I offended a lot of people when I first got into the university world cause there were many things in my choice of wording, I did not rephrase to match how others expect or interpret my speech. As an example, I did not know it’s rude to ask males to give you rides home from church etc..

[Leapfrog00]

no, it shouldn't be racist. The problem is everything is either racist or politically incorrect. I read one day that the Pearl Milling company changed Aunt Jamima's name because of protesters and George Floyd's death. That was tragic what happened to that poor man.

but yeah, a brand of pancake syrup is responsible for someone being murdered! The point I'm making, I'm going to sound racist questioning something so ridiculous because people get passionate about what they believe in. There's nothing wrong with that at all, but I honestly believe people don't even know what they're fighting for anymore. That was tragic what happened to that poor man.

But anyway, what I'm saying is, no, what you're asking shouldn't be racist, but for some people, probably is. (Between you and me, I think people, who like to claim stuff like this, are racist because they have no one else to blame.)

Everyone's going soft!

[Dargil]

The historic meaning of "racist", before it included everything under the sun, was a belief that one's racial group is inherently superior a stipulated other such that they may control and even own members of that group. In US History, Slavery, the Trail of Tears, the Reservation system, generally and the WW2 internment of the Japanese. British leadership felt that way about the Celts, which are my blood. The early British colonists here had Irish slaves before the better behaved Africans replaced them.

[Dargil]

How "I'm going for a Chinese" is Racist or even just Bigoted qualifies as "everything under the sun".

[ShesRad80]

as a mixed Asian, no, people are way to over critical over analyzing anything, it means food nothing else, these days farting on the subway can cause an uproar get over it people really

[Effably]

Of course not. Appreciating other culture's food is not racist but praise to that culture. I take pride in people liking Ikea even though I will admit Ikea is rather meh and the founder, who I used to ride a bus with way back when, was a complete curse-word-here.

Our cousins across the pond are overly sensitive and trying to radicalize everything. Honestly I suspect its to distract people there from their horrid conditions in other areas of life. But I might be overly pessimistic about people.

[StormChaser838]

No, not at all , it just means , I am going for an Indian,,,,,, meaning I am going for an Indian meal or lunch etc. By the way, even I had Mexican today for lunch, went to Chipotle. Love Mexican, only thing in half an hour you are hungry again, too lite.

[Lliam]

Use of the article "a" or "an" is just weird grammar. The British talk funny. 😂
Americans would say
"Do you feel like going out for Italian?"
"I had Mexican food last night."
"Will you pick me up some Thai?"
"Should we get Indian food?"

[goaded]

Grammar, but not weird; it's just leaving out the word "meal".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-uEx_hEXAM

[magpi_]

I think it depends on why you're going specifically for a Chinese person. Say if you love the culture and you want to date someone from that culture I think it's a valid motive. If you do it based on a stereotype, especially a sexual stereotype, it doesn't hold and it's rather questionable.

[Pudsmucker]

We as Americans also say the same thing we're going let's have; Mexican or Chinese, German, Italian and American dishes I don't look at it as discriminating. I do love a good Cantonese dish. We also have Cajun here in americus. We also have some of the best barbecue ever.

[Razzmatazz101]

Just weird grammar. What's racist is thinking that because your skin color is a certain way then you should have a certain way of acting and thinking and believing. People say we should accept each other's differences but as I was taught we should accept we are the same.

[wallyworld12]

how screwed up would it be if restaurants wanted to choose their nationality like people do with genders and God knows what. They might want to be a Meitthin. 😱😂 What then.. confusion.

Maybe a reveal party for restaurants? 😂

[RavVid]

You could make all of those grammatical by adding meal. But that's implicit so it's dropped. Makes sense. In Australia we wouldn't normally put the a or an in.

I am surprised people can be so trivially offended.

[jshm2]

Who really care what Americans think about anything?

There are the same morons who call a competition "World series" when no one else in the world is interested in playing.

[bolverk]

Its not 'racist,' just a vocal/societal shorthand for us,
But in America everything is seen through a 'racist' lens, especially if they are part of The Intersectional/Identitarian crowd or part of the Democrat political machine.

[KostasKouvalis]

That's honestly funny as hel! Americans think EVERYTHING is racist and they think the American way and American English are the BEST things ever invented and they just LOVE to dictate how other's should think and talk

[mstbooblover]

Honestly I don't see the problem... When saying "I'm going for a chinese..." I guess one extra word is just supposed to be understood, in this case "restaurant" or "take away".

[SawerBrown]

We don't say we're going for a Chinese or we're going for an Italian wevjudt ssy we're going for Chinese or we're having Italian tonight.

[Fireguy17]

I don't think it is any different than saying/asking if you want to get Italian food, Japanese, German, Indian, Mexican or whatever nationality of your choosing.

[HippieVeganJewslim]

weird grammer. The proper way to say it is ‘I’m going for some Chinese FOOD,’ if Chinese food was the object. It’s not racist, but I would be weirded out if I would hear ‘Let’s go out for a Russian/Jewish, comrade.’

[AviatorTom]

That's not limited to UK. We Americans often say things like "I'm eating Chinese tonight."

[BoopBoopBeep]

Only racist if you come back with a Chinese person in restraints. Well... maybe then.

[andreasderjuengere]

''American'' racism, and other ''Racism'' as terms are not interchangeable.

It's a 'cultural shock' situation here.

[spartan55]

I'd say it's just a quirk in British nomenclature. Doesn't offend me.

[Surely]

Only a racist person would consider that racist! Other wise. It is bad grammar. But since grammar isn’t taught in schools anymore.. It is just your way of speaking!

[FunkyMonkee]

Today, if you have to ask if it's racist, it's racist! Is breathing racist? YES!!

[Iron_Man]

You’re supposed to say I’m going for Chinese food that’s what we say. I guess we’re gonna have to teach you Brits proper English after all 😊

[Luopio27]

there's notjing tacist about that. Its just poor journalosm or social medialism to pull the race card over nothing racist.

[LiamJHayden]

I didn't know what it meant till you explained, but I would have asked before jumping to a negative conclusion.

[annabananna]

In America we will say we are gonna eat Chinese or we like Chinese food.

[Anonymous]

Well thats tabloids for you; talking bullshit about bullshit.

[AngryCarl2]

No, that is not racist. Just don't say "I could murder an Indian."

[Noah2023]

You’re just a “woke” person.

It’s a wide spread disease, hope you will get out of it.

[CuriousMufuxka]

It was racist before you even said Chinese!

[bobbyjohnson]

yes, focusing on a specific race is racist. we need to focus on creating a singular olive skin colored uni-race

[Wild_princess]

Nowadays people take everything offensive 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Googlemyahoo]

Chinese are super racist themselves

[Pete671]

Can't help thinking of Father Ted now,,,

[007kingifrit]

they call everything racist, ignore it

[chicken_nugget24]

No it's not

[DJB72]

No. Just NO!

[Mansearching]

No its not.

[Babygirl_S]

No!..

[Kelly6]

No it’s not racist

[Twalli]

Weird grammar