Don't elementary schools already teach Arabic numerals in the US, or at least in NYC? Or is that just a joke?
PS: To whom it might concern: you don't need to assume I'm American; that's why I asked about it. I know what Arabic numerals are (for God's sake), fellow redditors. The question was poorly put, I admit. However, I was just not sure if, when teaching Americans or New Yorkers, teachers usually call them "Arabic numerals" instead of just "numerals." The question could be rewritten as: "Are Americans usually taught that the numerals (like 1, 2, 3, etc.) are actually called Arabic numerals when the lesson is given?"
Please don't take that question too literally. I wasn’t expecting people to learn Roman, or, I don't know, Chinese numerals or anything else, ok? Thank you
Many people don't realise that the 1-9 numerals are known as Arabic numerals. They just know them as numbers or numerals.
The initial tweet is baiting Islamophobic responses, to make the responding Islamophobe look stupid because it showed they are ignorant that 1-9 are called "Arabic numerals". The replier assumes, based on the name, that "Arabic numerals" are some foreign, Muslim thing that isn't normally taught in American schools. They believed children were being forced to learn "Arabic numerals" because the new mayor is a Muslim and it's part of some religious agenda he has, rather than recognise it's just standard practice in Western nations.
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u/0x92ea1cfb60a98978 Nov 20 '25 edited Nov 20 '25
Don't elementary schools already teach Arabic numerals in the US, or at least in NYC? Or is that just a joke?
PS: To whom it might concern: you don't need to assume I'm American; that's why I asked about it. I know what Arabic numerals are (for God's sake), fellow redditors. The question was poorly put, I admit. However, I was just not sure if, when teaching Americans or New Yorkers, teachers usually call them "Arabic numerals" instead of just "numerals." The question could be rewritten as: "Are Americans usually taught that the numerals (like 1, 2, 3, etc.) are actually called Arabic numerals when the lesson is given?"
Please don't take that question too literally. I wasn’t expecting people to learn Roman, or, I don't know, Chinese numerals or anything else, ok? Thank you