OPINION: Let's keep this short and simple.
Pākehā is not a slur.
The word "Pākehā" is not a racist insult.
I don't know how many times people need to keep saying this, but I hope this is the last.
Pākehā is just a noun.
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It describes a group of people, in this case Caucasian people who have a connection to Aotearoa.
There is no ulterior motive, there is no grand joke or conspiracy at play.
Pākehā is a perfectly fine word, one which is a fitting and useful descriptor of a group of people.
Yet somehow, a surprisingly large number of people believe this innocent noun is out to get them. These people are wrong.
It is an insult to this country's intelligence and education system that real people believe this easily debunked and divisive myth.
But year after year, our media outlets carry near identical stories on the topic of the word "Pākehā" and how offensive it is or isn't.
