Qué Indio

(Alternative title for this post included:

"Another Post About Language (on a blog which wasn't meant to be for language)".

We have this saying in Spanish (specifically in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, I believe):

"Qué indio".

It can be translated to "how indian of you" ("indian" being a term for Native American/Aboriginal people, not from people hailing from India), and it's perhaps one of the most derogatory phrases that can be uttered. It's used when a person expresses affinity for something (be it an activity, food or clothes) that is taken as lesser in value, or characteristic of the "lower class" as labelled by the person doing the insult.

It's basically the Latino equivalent of seeing a farmer who says he likes country (or wearing straw hats), and then calling out, "hey, that's so redneck of you".

Presumably, you, the one doing the insult, are not dressed up as a farmer. But you may be. It can happen amongst the same demographic 

However, it goes way more than that. Clearly, no one thinks: 'oh, I think this person is inferior to me, because (s)he has a different taste. I will shame them into being the same as me, because that is the way to go. I hate diversity, and I hate my heritage'. It's funny, it's snarky, it makes everyone laugh-- even those who have direct Native American lineage. It calls out the person in a way that is gently ridiculing, but can still be ignored

There are countless memes on being indio:

From a quick Google search

I want to focus on this gem: "You're so native/aboriginal/primitive.. that it rains when you dance"

Now, it's hard to put my finger in why exactly is this insult derogatory. Clearly, yes, because it makes fun and offends an entire race and group of people. But the ones who see this as problematic are the educated white people from an outsider's perspective. When in the midst of conversation or joking around, the saying just goes around, everyone laughs and no one pays it any mind. So what's the big deal? Is it only excess political correctness? In a world oversaturated with "offensive" terminology, am I merely imagining the effect it has in conversation?

In my opinion, it stems from the fact that it's meant to shame the receptor; completely trying to erase the fact that we were, once, proud to be called natives. We were once proud of our rain dances, or our taste in music or clothing. The war of attrition that language wages on a culture shouldn't be overlooked. It's not merely about excess political correctness, as the media sometimes paints it:

I want to see your "healed" hip in thirty years.

But about a tangible impact that it has on society. The rejection of what once was, and wanting to do away from any trace of primitive, as if we're ashamed of it. Even worse, it directly calls the person out for having a lower social status: essentially saying, 'oh, you've got very low-income tastes in (music/dance/clothing/TV shows/etc)'. And then everyone laughs? There must be something wrong, I think.

In any case, much and more has been said about how society has become over-sensitive to language choices, or how there are things way more important to worry about than how people speak, and political correctness has breached freedom of speech. I do, however, believe that the way we speak has a direct impact on how we label (and therefore treat and think about) each other. A society that lacks the foundations of mutual respect cannot progress, but merely repeats the same mistakes that have been previously made in history.

What do you think? Oversensitiveness or an actual issue? (This also applies to people calling others "rednecks".)