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The Independent Student Voice of CSUSB Since 1965

Ghetto-ization of word “Ghetto”

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By Erendy Torres |Staff Writer|

Ghetto. The multipurpose word utilized to describe a variety of settings, characters, and actions.

However, it has not always been “multi-meaningful.”

The term “ghetto” originated during the Holocaust era in the 1930s, used to describe a segregated area in a city.

“A section of a city, especially a thickly populated slum area, inhabited predominantly by members of an ethnic or other minority group, often as a result of social or economic restrictions, pressures, or hardships,” as defined by dictionary.com.

Ghettos were a mix of organized insanity and brutality built to separate Jews from the rest of Europe.

The history behind the word “ghetto” holds tears, hardships, and injustices.

Fast forward 80 years later, its meaning has shifted completely.

Today, some people still use the word “ghetto” to refer to the projects or suburban areas; however, it’s recent “pop-culture” definition has dominated over the original meaning among teenagers and young adults.

“People, who may not always be black or lower class, who act unnecessarily uncivilized. Someone who acts like they grew up poor and in the hood,” according to UrbanDictionary.com.
Badgering and classifying someone for living poorly and “being black” is extremely insulting and denigrating for people of color.
 
It seems silly, but people have actually established certain characteristics and actions that make someone “ghetto.”
 
“Yelling at your boo in the middle of the street, using the walkie-talkie feature on your cell to discuss personal drama in order to save minutes, dressing for work like you are going to the club, and wearing house slippers outside the house,” are a few examples of “ghetto” tendencies provided by UrbanDictionary.com.
Though the word “ghetto” is mainly used between the black community, it is not limited to skin color, place of origin, or historical background—today’s significance goes beyond that.
 
“I automatically think of an unnecessary loud, attention-seeking person when I hear the word ‘ghetto.’ It does not matter the race,” said student Patricia Moreno.
 
You can be: White, Hispanic, Asian, Black, rich, poor, it does not matter… and still be considered “ghetto,” all depending on your actions and how others portray you.
 
However, there are strong connections between the meaning, the culture, and the origin. Pushing it can result in indignation from many.
 
Amethyst Amelia Kelly, better known by her stage name Iggy Azalea, is an Australian rapper who has received loads of backlash for “pretending” to be black and being “ghetto.”
 
“[You] are not only disrespecting the culture of the black American South. You are also accessorizing yourself with it for profit. It is wrong (and often racist) to play the part of a marginalized person without having experienced their version of marginalization,” stated Lauren Duca, author of the article directed at Azalea titled, “Dear Iggy Azalea, Can You Not?“
“You are basically treating black American culture like it is a Claire’s in a local mall, and you are a bored 12-year-old with sticky fingers,” continued Duca.
 
Colleagues of Azalea have accused her of cultural appropriation—adopting elements of a different culture into your own—using the word “nigga,” wearing cornrows, and attributing her social background to “the ghetto South.”
 
Though most people find the appropriation of cultures and the meaning of the word “ghetto” offensive, there are others who simply brush it off.
 
“I do not think Iggy Azalea should be criticized for acting ‘ghetto.’ If she’s from the the ghetto, then she’s from the ghetto,” said an anonymous female student.
 
“I could live in the richest neighborhood and a white person can live in the ghetto. Yet stereotypes will always say otherwise. It’s all about perception and our own judgement,” said the student.
 
Whether you are using the word “ghetto” to describe a place, a person, a type of behavior, or simply saying it in a joking way, be conscientious of the people who make part of its history.
 

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