Sunni Man
Diamond Member
My uncle who fought in the Pacific during WWII called them "nips"
It's short for the Japanese word Nipon which means Japan.
It's short for the Japanese word Nipon which means Japan.
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My uncle who fought in the Pacific during WWII called them "nips"
It's short for the Japanese word Nipon which means Japan.
oriental used to also refer to Iranians, Indians, etc. It's no different than the term Asian as it simply means "easterner"
if someone asks me what ethnicity my asian friend is, I usually say "east asian" without thinking about it... and same with "east Indian." It just seems like Asian is short for "East Asian" and "South East Asian."
oriental probably became a term tainted by post WWII discrimination and verbal abuse, so when they started to build all our shit, we decided to change it and be nice.
Just like I don't like the words "towel head" "camel jockeys" or "goat fucker" for Muslims.
Personally, I just laugh when people on different boards call me those names.
Because I have never worn any type of head gear associated with muslims.
Plus, I have only seen camels at the zoo. And definitely never rode one.
As for the goats, well I only have sex with women.
I will leave "goat fucking" to the homos
oriental used to also refer to Iranians, Indians, etc. It's no different than the term Asian as it simply means "easterner"
if someone asks me what ethnicity my asian friend is, I usually say "east asian" without thinking about it... and same with "east Indian." It just seems like Asian is short for "East Asian" and "South East Asian."
oriental probably became a term tainted by post WWII discrimination and verbal abuse, so when they started to build all our shit, we decided to change it and be nice.
What world do you live in? No one has EVER called Iranians or Indians, orientals.
Does anyone remember?
All I know is that for most of my life, oriental was the de facto term used to describe any of the various mongoloid ethnicities of Asia. And then somewhere along the way, I don't remember exactly when, it was brought to my attention that the term oriental is offensive and that I should instead use the term Asian. Clearly that's less accurate, since it's not intended to include many other Asian ethnicities like Indian, Pakistani, Iranian etc., but whatever, I'll call anyone whatever they want to be called. But from a purely intellectual curiosity standpoint, I'd like to understand why the term was deemed to be offensive.
Can anyone explain to me why the term oriental is considered offensive?
o·ri·en·tal (ôr-ntl, r-)
adj.
1. often Oriental Of or relating to the countries of the Orient or their peoples or cultures; eastern.
2. Oriental Of or designating the biogeographic region that includes Asia south of the Himalaya Mountains and the islands of the Malay Archipelago.
3. Lustrous and valuable: oriental pearls.
4.
a. Of or relating to a genuine or superior gem: an oriental ruby.
b. Relating to or designating corundum that resembles another stone in color.
n.
often Oriental Often Offensive An Asian.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- oriental - definition of oriental by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.
ori·ental·ly adv.
Usage Note: Asian is now strongly preferred in place of Oriental for persons native to Asia or descended from an Asian people. The usual objection to Orientalmeaning "eastern"is that it identifies Asian countries and peoples in terms of their location relative to Europe. However, this objection is not generally made of other Eurocentric terms such as Near and Middle Eastern. The real problem with Oriental is more likely its connotations stemming from an earlier era when Europeans viewed the regions east of the Mediterranean as exotic lands full of romance and intrigue, the home of despotic empires and inscrutable customs. At the least these associations can give Oriental a dated feel, and as a noun in contemporary contexts (as in the first Oriental to be elected from the district) it is now widely taken to be offensive. However, Oriental should not be thought of as an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. As with Asiatic, its use other than as an ethnonym, in phrases such as Oriental cuisine or Oriental medicine, is not usually considered objectionable.
So the answer turns out to be pretty simple. Not all Asians are Oriental. It'd be like calling Canadians Americans...or maybe Spaniards Mexicans. It's just technically not correct.
I never found the word "gook" to be offensive when describing asians.
But I never liked to use the words "slope" or "chink" when refering to them.
So the answer turns out to be pretty simple. Not all Asians are Oriental. It'd be like calling Canadians Americans...or maybe Spaniards Mexicans. It's just technically not correct.
Canadians are Americans. Brazilians are Americans. Mexicans are Americans. Cubans are Americans. There is no country called "America". The name is "The United States of America". It's typically arrogant of us to refer to ourselves as two whole continents when we (United Statesers are a minority in America, (two continents, named for an Italian who never set foot in the United States - Crazy Horse is rolling in his grave).
Anyway, when someone (inevitably a WASP, guilty, do-gooder liberal) complains when I say Oriental, then I'll pull out "gook", "slope", "slant-eye", "Jap", "Chink" and offer those as words they can use to describe my family ("Chink" being added only for dramatic effect as it is technically incorrect - all chinks are gooks, but only some gooks are chinks. We are Japs).