Ang Moh = Red Hair = Whitey, but does it = Rude?

Minicar · Post by **Minicar** » Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:27 am

I haven't read all the posts and I'm not really interested in reading about what everyone else is called and if it's better or worse than Ang Moh.

But I just wanted to put my two cents' worth in on this topic. Yes, calling people Ang Moh is rude! Duh. But no, Singaporeans don't mean it that way. So, no need to get offended, just feel sorry for their lack of sensitivity and courtesy.

Hopefully they'll catch on one day...

phil30k · Post by **phil30k** » Tue, 23 Sep 2008 1:23 am

Sorry, Ang Mo is a derogatory term.

It's like nigger, chink, spic or any other equivalent racial slur.

If someone calls you that, just say "I hope you realize that is a racial slur."

Most Singaporeans are cosmopolitan enough to recognize it for what it is and not use the word.

Wind In My Hair · Post by **Wind In My Hair** » Tue, 23 Sep 2008 7:42 am

phil30k wrote:Most Singaporeans are cosmopolitan enough to recognize it for what it is and not use the word.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but most Singaporeans do use the word. Even the most cosmopolitan ones, but we use it among ourselves and not in front of expats / westerners / caucasians because we know you don't understand that we use the term affectionately and not derogatorily.

Minicar · Post by **Minicar** » Tue, 23 Sep 2008 5:23 pm

Sorry to burst your bubble as well, but Singaporeans use this term in front of me all the time. And there is nothing affectionate in the usage either. It's just the word they use for anyone with European ancestry. Like I said, I know it's not meant to be rude but it is. Funny how they don't seem to realise that.

cavalier · Post by **cavalier** » Tue, 23 Sep 2008 5:27 pm

Wind In My Hair wrote:
phil30k wrote:Most Singaporeans are cosmopolitan enough to recognize it for what it is and not use the word.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but most Singaporeans do use the word. Even the most cosmopolitan ones, but we use it among ourselves and not in front of expats / westerners / caucasians because we know you don't understand that we use the term affectionately and not derogatorily.

I can't agree less with this. Singaporean friends and family always use it in conversation with me. Apparently they don't think think it is derogatory, and I don't have the energy to make an issue of it anymore.

drusilla · Post by **drusilla** » Tue, 23 Sep 2008 8:06 pm

honest question: what's caucasian in mandarin, hokkien, cantonese etc ??

can someone enlighten me so that I won't use it when talking with friends and family while there's one around?

ihatechinesefood · Post by **ihatechinesefood** » Thu, 25 Sep 2008 9:34 pm

in cantonese its called : guai lo

Petales Soufflez! · Post by **Petales Soufflez!** » Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:20 pm

ihatechinesefood wrote:in cantonese its called : guai lo

drusilla · Post by **drusilla** » Sat, 27 Sep 2008 2:38 pm

ihatechinesefood wrote:in cantonese its called : guai lo

thats even worse!!

durain · Post by **durain** » Sat, 27 Sep 2008 4:10 pm

even gwailo in HK call themselves and other whitey gwailo. of course they were speaking cantonese.

EADG · Post by **EADG** » Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:01 pm

dood, did you just say "whitey"? !!!

this thread will never die at this rate....

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Ang Moh = Red Hair = Whitey, but does it = Rude?

yes it's rude lah

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