The person who told me I used it offensively didnt really explain why to me. I’ve avoided saying the word for years straight now. I still don’t know how to say the word ethnic appropriately.
I can’t help but think I might have said it with a colonial perspective
Btw, why is it perfectly fine here?
I’d say if you’re using to refer to a particular ethnicity that’s fine. For example, if you’re talking about people of the Han Chinese ethnicity who are citizens of Malaysia.
Where it becomes offensive is when people use it as a synonym for “not white.”
But almost all culture is “not white.”