It's often something imposed on a race by someone who feels superior
Many of my friends are Indian and they scoff at the term "Native American" saying "that's something some rich white guy figured out in some stuck up Ivy league school, I'm an Indian, dammit!"

I think it's another way for small people to keep other people in the place they imagine for them. Then they give themselves pats on the back, "Gee Virginia, I am really open minded and liberal, I just spoke to an African-American man for 15 whole minutes!!! I'm going to throw a party to tell all my friends about how diverse I am!"
( BrokenCoccyx doesn't mind if you grope on, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 18:30, 1 reply)

'I think it's another way for small people to keep other people in the place they imagine for them'
Nicely put. I also think that the would-be UltraEnlightened folks like to turn the words they use for other people into another way to put themselves above others while keeping smug and condescending, especially when those words aren't generally used by the people in question (see 'differently abled').
(louveciennes , Volvospotter, Mon 5 Apr 2010, 20:26, closed)