I don't think, this to be racist, but your give your opinions

[abaris]

The culture counts. Your countries culture maybe not. My countries culture and being an elmer, racist. I'm not sure how it would be taken if said by an african-american.

At the turn of the 20th century, I highly doubt that many Austrians had even seen a black person in the flesh. Only in folklore, photographs and films. Bigotry was directed at other groups, such as Czechs, one of our dominians back then, Bosniacs, only annexed in 1908, Italians and Germans. Yes, we were allied with Germany. Didn't mean, we had to like them, though. Piefke is still very much in use. Peifke originally was a Prussian ambassador, I think, and it got to be the synonym for German snobbism. Italians, well, there's also a synonym for them: Katzlmacher, which more or less described someone bowing to you and stabbing you in the back right afterwards. Historical context, we fought many wars against Italians and Prussians.

Which brings me to the most offensive saying of all, which isn't used anymore. At least I didn't hear it anyone saying on the streets. But still in everyone's memory. You smell like a Bosniac's ass, which doesn't leave much room for interpretation.

[Alex K]

At the turn of the 20th century in Germany, black people are basically present as a caricature, a set of stereotypes, apart from few notable exceptions not as actual people. I am convinced that the saying abaris mentioned is not perceived by those using it as having racist connotations as far as the tan comparison goes. It might however have a racist component if it is based on the assumption that black people are so because they get tan from being idle. But, a charitable, but plausible interpretation of its origin would be that it only refers to a superficial comparison of sun tan and genetically dark skin, which is largely innocuous and might even be construed as the opposite of racist - after all, the speaker identifies themselves with a person of color due to a superficial similarity (inaccurate as it may be)

[abaris]

At the turn of the 20th century in Germany, black people are basically present as a caricature, a set of stereotypes, apart from few notable exceptions not as actual people.

Tell me about it. I wrote my degree paper on the German Colonial societies and their publications.

[Alex K]

Oh wow, that is racist. There are son many layers of negative implications in that, I'm not sure where to start.

1. There's the classist assumption that the poor are lazy

But the person using it in the example is talking about themselves... is that classist?

4. The problem comparing a sun tan to the natural melanin content of darker skinned people is gross and creepy

Why?

[Catholic_Lady]

Sounds pretty racist to me.

[abaris]

Sounds pretty racist to me.

Because you view it from your own national context. As I said above. Bigotry was directed at entirely different groups when the phrase came to be. Bigotry against blacks is an entirely new development where I live. Now it does exist, usually in connection with drug dealings. But until my late 20ies, I hardly ever saw black persons in my country.

[Minimalist]

Even if it wasn't when it started, it is now.  Times change.

[Catholic_Lady]

Sounds pretty racist to me.

Because you view it from your own national context. As I said above. Bigotry was directed at entirely different groups when the phrase came to be. Bigotry against blacks is an entirely new development where I live. Now it does exist, usually in connection with drug dealings. But until my late 20ies, I hardly ever saw black persons in my country.

Yeah, that makes sense.

[abaris]

Yeah, that makes sense.

Look up all the other examples I gave. Symbolism makes for a great deal of our sayings. And some, as I said, are outright offensive and aren't in use anymore. Such as "Ziegelböhms" (Brick maker Bohemians), which comes from the mid 19th century when lots of Bohemians flocked to Vienna to help create the Ringstraße. It's hardly in use anymore, but as opposed to Bosniak's ass, it's sometimes heard.

[paulpablo]

There's an old saying. Only used in Austria, if I'm not mistaken.

"Ich bin Neger.", meaning "I am negro". It means to be extremely broke. To tell the truth, I never really reflected on where it came from, but quite recently, I stumbled over it's origins. It came up at the turn to the 20th century. People that were out of work, and there were many of them, used to sit in the streets. So, negro (neger) is used to say, they have ample time on their hands letting the sun shine on them and letting their skin turn brown.

The definition of racist means a belief that one race is superior to another, that definition doesn't really work in common parlance these days, at the moment pretty much anything that could be offensive in a way that involves race is considered racist.

So with that in mind I'd say yeh this could be racist, if I heard two white guys talking and the one guy was replying to the question of if he had any money with "Nah,I'm black " To mean he has no money I would take it to be racist, I wouldn't think he was talking about himself being like an out of work person who has too much time on his hands and therefore sits in the sun.

That's just to me though, I think it is obviously subjective to the time and place you're using it.