Dear BPRLive,
Tell me what you think! I am ambivalent about this…
A while ago, I was talking with someone I care deeply about (who is Asian Am) and made some comments about times when it’s possibly better for a multilingual speaker not to attempt using one language over another if it offers no advantage; I told her I was once watching a show on KTSF in which an interviewee was trying to describe something in Chinese (Mandarin) but ended up using English for all the important words — it’s like if I were to say, “C’est tres ambiguous et メチャ disconcerting, parce que psychologically, je suis totally mixed up, でしょうね?” Certainly these kinds of multilingual combos have interesting flavor, but is there much to be gained from them?
So we were talking about this, and she was humored by it because we’ve both seen (and been) people trying to show off their mad linguistic skillz (and it is unnecessary or backfires), but she then made a remark that totally threw me. I think basically she said something like, “Well, sometimes you just want to chinx it up!” which seemed to mean mixing Chinese language/culture into situations that don’t obviously need it. (So I guess I could chinx up my hamburger by putting Hoisin sauce on it…)
At first, I was like, “What? People actually say that?” And we were walking through Chinatown at the time, so I was wondering if/almost dreading that some dude would start arguing with her/us. But then as I thought about it later, this strikes me as a curious phenomenon of linguistic evolution with possibly complex nuances and consequences. I have no idea how “chinx up” got coined, but it feels like it must be based on the derogatory C-word, but does that make this new slang offensive by association/allusion? Or is it an instance of (re-)appropriation — taking the C-word and repurposing it to make something benign? Clearly, she didn’t intend to use chinx offensively at the time; from the tone of her voice and the nature of our conversation, I know it was definitely meant to humor… but still, I have reservations about this word/phrase. Am I just being too uptight about this? Should I try to discourage the use of this word or feel empowered by it?
BPRLive readers and contributors, help me get some direction on this! I need your opinions!!!
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Tags: appropriation, chinx, language, slang.
2 comments
well, i think it’s problematic when we try to re-appropriate words to make their offensiveness obsolete, while others are still using them as insults. i.e. the infamous b-word that rhymes with itch. this has a lot to do with meta-level humor and thinking…the only time i ever call someone “biatch” is when she is a friend and a feminist and hollers at me in the same fashion. when the word is still used prevalently to degrade, insult, or belittle someone else (i.e. men often use this word to dig at other men), i think the use of it in a reappropriated manner does not create change or revolution for anybody but those reappropriating it and using it with others using it in the similar fashion–it serves a purpose by making us more comfortable with the word if used in the “right” manner, which is ok but does little collectively in my opinion. even if somehow a group of people reappropriate a word so that is widely understood in such an empowered manner, there is the whole awkwardness and entrapment attached to this culture. example: the n-word. people who “aren’t supposed” to but want to say the word do it discreetly and still others just complain or abide by the rule that “only black people can say it.” the debate on the word persists as i type. we can’t escape social history, but we can transform the terms of it. however, keeping the word alive and active constantly reminds us of the limitations on our existences/identity: that you are black, you can use that word and be called that word by other black people…or even use it to describe everything and anything (see youtube link). or you are not black and should watch your back if you try to use that word. we will always need to organize around race and stick together and create the terms of our exclusivity and communities so long as we cannot do away with racism…but then when or how will we ever enter a culture of post-racist interaction in the future if all these terms remain actively counteracting that bad seed that started it all…?
if we plan to transform oppressive terms till the very end, assuming they will never cease to exist, perhaps the strategy is absolutely beneficial, but think about this…there will always be something else, like russell peters suggests:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct0hBzqeBa0
and i don’t want to play that game.
“Chinx IT UP!”
If you can speak it and your friends can understand it, then why not? Shoot I would, but i’m slowly losing my native tongue which I find very depressing so i’m going to do something about it and Chinx it up myself.
As for the word in it of itself, I would never say it in public or even mention it to friends. BPR will be the only time I will ever think of saying this phrase simply because it sounds real silly and is incredibly dumb. I hope our youth never pick this word up and if they do, I am going on a lip smacking rampage through Boston. Not because of it sounding similar to the derogatory C word, but because it will make our youth dumber by the second. No offense to anyone actually saying this word but It sounds pretty whack to me.