Why does Pocahontas have a negative connotation? He's certainly slandering and besmirching a historical icon with the context he uses it in. If I was Warren, I'd turn it into a compliment and shut him up by using it to my advantage. My guess is she doesn't want to play that game because of the uncertainty surrounding her historical heritage and her usage of it over time.
It’s using a stereotype. To demean someone else.
It’s the usage of a stereotype (the term “pocohantas” is unique to native Americans) that is the racist part.
Had Trump simply made the allegation that Warren used being a Native American to further her career/education, that wouldn’t be racist. It may be factually incorrect, but it’s not racist.
Instead, he uses a stereotypical name to make fun of Warren.
It would be like me using the word “shaquanda” or “monifa” to describe a white woman trying to imitate a sister. When you hear those terms, you immediately envision a black woman. Crazy names are a standard stereotype for black women.
The point is, it’s using a stereotype of a race and imposing it on someone else of another race.
Racism isn’t just about demeaning someone- although their are overtones of it when Trump does this. It can also be using stereotypes.
Again, had he simply stated that Warren was trying to pretend to be a Native American, it wouldn’t be racist.
So, in sum...
Pocohantas- racist. It clearly is associated ONLY with native Americans. He uses the descriptor to basically say that all native Americans are similar to pocohantas.
Native American- not racist. Simply a description. Isn’t using a term to describe an entire ethnicity.
Does that make sense?
I can assure you that native Americans would view the usage of the term as very offensive- and racist.
If you were a Native American woman, would you like to be called “pocohantas”? I think not. It reduces you to a single vision of what all Native American woman are.
