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?
But most culture is "not white."
Edit: I think my mind is latching on to the center of a venn diagram of things that are both "culture belonging to a people" and "culture not belonging to white people" because I've been hearing the colonial perspective far longer than I've asked this question. When it comes to the word, I'm not understanding very well how to seperate the two things without blending them together.
It's hard to let go of the thought that referring to nonwhiteness the point of the word. So ever since hearing that the way I used it implies that white is the default, I've been completely avoiding it like a slur.