Aargauer Fasnacht wants to revive racist words – a small tutor

«In everything that is said, it must first be checked whether there is a forbidden word in the sentence. Now we want to revive the lost pseudonyms at our carnival », says the current carnival brochure of the Aargau association Häfe-Zunft Brönznau.

The terms that one would like to celebrate at the carnival are also written: “‹Slit eyes, gypsies, Indians and N[-Wort]». They are indications of a world that no longer exists. “And maybe boundaries have been crossed,” continues the carnival club.

Despite this supposed insight, they want to make the “forbidden” terms the subject of carnival parades and masked balls. Stephanie Graetz, director of the Foundation against Racism and Anti-Semitism, is concerned about the effect of such expressions on minorities. In an interview with Watson, she explains why certain terms should actually be ‘tested’ before they are publicly celebrated. A short lesson for the carnival audience, which is why the terms are problematic.

The Aargauer Fasnachtsverein wants to revive the “N-word”. Readers of the brochure should be nostalgic for memories of a deceased Swiss storyteller – with the cover photo of a 1960 audio cassette: “Trudi Gerster verzellt vom stupid N[-Wort]».

Stephanie Graetz doesn’t understand the use of the term. She says: “At the carnival there is freedom from fools – but it stops as soon as it is a racist or discriminatory expression.” Celebrating the N-word with carnival is definitely going too far. In general, this designation should no longer be used.

At the same time, it is clear to her that “historical and cultural products” that are racist cannot simply be erased. “It is important to point out the sensitivity that this is no longer being said from today’s perspective. We can paraphrase the N-word without saying it,” says Graetz.

The Duden dictionary also advises against the use of the spelled N-word: “The terms are highly discriminatory and should be avoided. Alternate designations, which also function as real designations, include Schwarzer or Schwarzer, People of Color, and Person of Color, as well as Schwarzer Mensch (with a capitalized adjective).»

With the “Childhood Memories of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand”, the Carnival Association of Aargau wants to make “Indians” the subject.

For Stephanie Graetz it is clear that stereotypes are served by the term. “All the indigenous peoples of North America have been reduced to a few prejudices that clearly do not correspond to reality,” she says. It is especially a problem if you want to portray a minority badly. However, the racism expert is not against costumes reminiscent of Winnetou: “The question is less about the disguise and more about the use of the term Indian. You could also just say indigenous peoples,” explains Graetz.

The dictionary also states that the term “Indianer” is a foreign term and is considered discriminatory. “There is no overarching self-designation for the various population groups,” it says. Alternatives include self-designations such as “First Nations People of America” ​​​​​​or “Pueblos Originalarios”.

Words for specific population groups such as Cherokee, Navajo, Quechua, Mapuche or formulations such as the indigenous people of the Americas are unproblematic.

Racism expert Graetz also advises against using the word ‘gypsy’. “Although the term is widespread, it is clearly perceived negatively by the ethnic groups involved. If you want to be sensitive and considerate these days, you don’t use that term,” she says.

The Duden dictionary also classifies the term “Gypsy” as discriminatory. “The whole ethnic group is called neutral Sinti and Roma. For compositions with gypsy as modifier, some alternatives have been established: instead of gypsy schnitzel, paprika schnitzel is used. The obsolete word gypsy language is replaced by Romani’, it says in the Duden.

There are also warnings in the dictionary for the fourth “lost pseudonym”, as the Aargau Carnival Association calls it. The dictionary writes that “slit eye” is a discriminatory term of abuse.

“It’s a negative umbrella term for Asian people,” says Stephanie Graetz of the Foundation Against Racism and Anti-Semitism. With such stereotypes, all cultures and people from Asia are thrown into “the same pot”, which also has a racist background.

Stephanie Graetz doesn’t understand why people want to deliberately wear derogatory or racist costumes at Carnival. But she would argue that everyone should be free to choose their costumes: “It’s not about making rules for the carnival people, it’s about self-reflection. What do you want to say with your costume? What do you want to show when you celebrates such discriminatory designations?”

She is glad that most people at Carnival do not discriminate against minorities. But there are a few who are against this. “It’s a pity, because carnival culture is a beautiful tradition and gives it an unnecessary negative aspect,” says Graetz. Racism should not be part of the tradition, even if it has a tradition.