Why Black and White can be said but Red and Yellow can't.

I was reading about how a few whites want to be called "European American" because they think its stupid that blacks can be called "African American". Someone argued that "African American" came into style as a way to "up" the community because of past words like the n word, negro, colored, etc.

I was thinking how "black" is still widely used. I still refer to people as black, and only say "African American" usually on more formal writings such as school work...

I guess I don't socially say "African American" much because its quicker to say black.

But another person made a good mentioning of something that I never thought about. They mentioned how with Native Americans and Asian Americans, you have to refer them that way (unless you know their tribe or country)...because you can't say "yellow" or "red"

You can say white because it never had a horrible meaning stamped on. You can say black because it too never had a horrible meaning stamped on, in fact black was the better and improved version of colored and negro, which were the preferred terms over "nigger".

But "yellow" and "red" are like the equivalence to Asians and Indians, that "darkie" is to blacks.

Those terms have never been used in a positive way...not from their very existence. That is why black and white is the only colors you hear applied to a race in America.

And the reason "African American" came along is because of the horrid history blacks were put through in America, and black people asserting their right as Americans too.