Nigga vs Nage

Yesterday at work I was sitting with my asian manager working on a project. As we were talking, another asian woman walked up to us and starting speaking chinese to him. I don't know the exact conversation, but during he uttered the words Nage, Nage, that sounded like the word Nigga (in-which I immediately gave him the slanted eye look). After the conversation he noticed my look and I asked him what did he say. He started laughing because he knew immediately what I was thinking and he explained that Nage in chinese means "that." He said he was explaining directions to her and said "that" it was over yonder. (yes I use the word yonder, country and proud).

This lead into an interesting conversation about how he couldn't understand why black people used the word so freely, but get offended if someone else uses it as a term of endearment. At that moment, I paused.

Thought #1 - explain how if I called you a chink, you would get offended, but would not get offended if some other chinese person said it to you in a friendly manner.

Thought #2 - explain how unfortunately, some ignant black folk have shuck and jived there way into fame, by using the term freely and making it cool to call a black man such.

I choose thought #2, but I was thinking thought #1.

He began to talk about how in Queens, he has noticed that in some neighborhoods, (hoods as we say) the term Nigga is used by all races as a term of endearment. I personally have witnessed this. Once I witnessed 2 russians calling each other nigga during a horse play while we were at work.

Chang, as I will call him, admitted that he was not comfortable with using the term. I paused again.

Thought #1 - are you just telling me this so I don't break open a can of angry black man on you.

Thought #2 - maybe he really doesn't fell comfortable and accepts African Americans as equal.

I believe thought #1, but I played it like #2.

I had too, I was at work. LOL