The Use of the N Word

The word "nigger" has become a popular saying amongst our current population. The word appears to be used more each day by an assorted group of people. I've conducted a research in order to gather a better understanding as of to why the word "nigger" is so commonly used. I've collected responses from my fellow class mates and read a book called nigger to acquire addition information about the different opinions brought on by its usage. In these responses were patterns that helped me to get better acquainted with this idea. Most writes provided me with the same answer, that the reason why people call each other "nigger" is because it is used in a positive way. With this information given, the next question that came to mind was is it appropriate for people other than African American to use the word "nigger". We know that it's not used in a negative way, but does that still make it acceptable for a person of another race to use the "n" word?

From my personal experience with the word "nigger", I can say that yes I have used the word "nigger", and know a lot of people who use it. This crowd of people is usually African American. However, I have witnessed it used by Hispanic and even white people. From what I observed, the word was never used in a distasteful since. The people surrounding the speakers didn't react in any specific way, but there was a bit of skepticism in the atmosphere when it was said. Because it is so rare to hear someone use

it negatively, "nigger" has adopted some new rules. For an example, most people can use it as long as it is not used in a way to hurt another person. This is precisely how the word is used anyhow. In Data Collection 1, one narrator wrote "In my neighborhood, we use a variation and watered down version of nigger." Reason being since the word is "watered down" it does not possess the same intention as it did three hundred years ago. And because the word "nigger" is "watered down", it does not spark a negative reaction. Now that the word is "watered down" any one can say it without being criticized.

Another element that I believe is a factor in the usage of the word is the location of the people using it. After reading the responses, I took note that for many people in the city, the word "nigger" is a regular saying. In the responses I've read from Data Collection 1, there were many narrators that resided in the big city area that claim the word is perfectly safe to use by any race. In passage eight a narrators writes "the word can be heard anywhere around New York City." "In New York City the word is used so much, but in a positive way" (Passage nine). This was a continuous pattern in the responses. But why do so many people of different races use the word so frequently in New York City? In Passage Seven, the narrator wrote "people in New York City along with myself has transformed the whole meaning." Once again, because it is not used destructively it is an acceptable term. New York City is a place where many different cultures come together. The usage of this word by people of different races is common. Age is also a component of the usage of the "n" word. Most of the people using the word "nigger" are young, mainly because older people are more accustomed to its former meaning which, as we know, was used to demean black people. "People in New York City, along with myself have transformed the whole meaning". This provides an explanation of why the word appears to be used so much and by so many people. Author Randal Kennedy explained in his book entitled nigger that young people are just "experimenting with the word". One incident that occurred in a response was about a kid who boarded a train with his friends and started using the word "nigger" in a joking manner. When an "old African American man got offended and told me to please stop using the word because it made him reminisce about his old youth and how he was discriminated against." Age does make a difference when the word "nigger is being used. It is taken more seriously by elderly people, and means more than just a greeting or a gesture. The power of the word brings pain when it is used in the presence of curtain individuals.

Unsurprisingly, there are still a number of people who disagree with the usage of the word "nigger". Even though it is clear that in most cases, it is not used in a discriminating manner, there are still people who disagree with its usage by other races completely. In Data Collection 2, one writer responded by saying "as time passed by, African American people that hung out together used this word as a greeting or a form of a way to say hi to their fellow people unfortunately, people from other races whether it is a white American or Hispanic American have used this term the same way as a part of their everyday life." This is true, and the narrator is obviously disgusted by the thought of a person of another race using the word "nigger" regardless of their intentions.

To some people, other races have not earned the right to use the word "nigger". "Nigger" was a hideous reference to all the African American people. The word "nigger"

Was created to degrade the African American people more than they already were" (Data Collection 1). What