Mira C. Skadegård Thorsen on racist language in Denmark

In the context of the debate over foreigners living in Denmark, literary scholar Mira C. Skadegård Thorsen writes in the daily Information that many Danes continue to use the word 'Negro' [in Danish 'neger'] without batting an eyelid: "If we decide to call a group of people Negroes, it is unfortunately not a harmless decision. It is deeply problematic. The word 'Negro' stems from the latin negro. But over the course of centuries the expression came to be used for a 'biological race'. It insinuates that people can be categorised in terms of 'races'. But the catch is that there are no 'biological races'. There is only one 'race': the human race. The classification of humans into sub-races according to characteristics such as skin colour, hair type, eye form and the like doesn't work in the long run. ... The idea of 'race' has come to be established in school books, songs and newspapers. Nevertheless some people honestly feel offended when you say that their statements and notions are racist, with the result that saying such things has virtually become taboo. ... Political correctness is frowned upon in today's Denmark . That is interesting, because all it seeks to do is show respect for people who feel offended. The attack on political correctness diverts attention from the real problem: that citizens in Denmark are discriminated against."

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