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One woman's bid to reclaim an offensive term from hate speech www.bbc.co.uk
A medical paper written in the 1800s introduced a term that, while now regarded as offensive, can still be heard today. One woman is on a mission to reclaim it from hate speech and use it instead to celebrate her country.
Uuganaa Ramsay grew up in western Mongolia and though she is now a resident of Scotland, her home country is very much in her thoughts.
On Sunday Mornings Uuganaa discussed the creation of Mongol Identity, a charity aimed at promoting greater understanding of Mongolia through arts and education. Her further goal is to eliminate the historical misuse of the word Mongol.
Speaking on the programme she explained how over 150 years ago research by British doctor, John Langdon Down, led to the word being used as a slur.
“He was working in a home that looked after people with learning disabilities," said Uuganaa. "In his eyes, some of his patients looked like Mongolians so he wrote a paper called Observations of an Ethnic Classification of Idiots. In this he put forward the theory that it was possible to classify different types of conditions by ethnic characteristics.
"He thought this group of people looked like Mongolians, with their facial characteristics. He called them ‘Mongolian idiots’ because people with learning disabilities were called idiots then."
The classification remained in use for a century, and its use spread outwith medicine. In the 1960s doctors campaigned for it to be replaced by a different term. The World Health Organisation agreed and the condition was re-named Down's syndrome.
People like Uuganaa who are trying to educate people on the word's misuse are fighting against ingrained prejudice and ignorance. As recently as October this year, the Dutch F1 driver Max Verstappen was caught using the term as he vented his frustrations with a team mate. Verstappen eventually apologised.
But the episode highlighted the need for education, and Uuganaa is hopeful that she can introduce people to the true meaning of Mongol by celebrating her home country and its people.
There are more stories from a faith and ethical perspective on Sunday Mornings
Published Date:2020-12-24
