Asian or Oriental?

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mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
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Originally posted by: slurmsmackenzie
hahaha.... my grandmother said colored alot and i had a black GF that would come over so one day i asked that she be careful what she says if she's there, cuz some of it could come off racist.

she says " i ain't racist, i got plenty of n!igger friends". floored me

EDIT: cuz my wife just reminded me.....

we were over at her g'mas for 12 noon dinner (WTF) and her great aunt gets there and Rocky II was on and she says, "oh is this the movie with the WOP and the n!gger". old people can be so funny.

Your grandmother is hilarious. :D First time I heard one of my grandparents refer to a black person as "colored" it confused the hell out of me (we were not in the presence of the black person, so I had no way to know what she meant by it)
 

Turin39789

Lifer
Nov 21, 2000
12,219
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Originally posted by: mugs

Can you tell a German person from an Austrian person just by looking at them? Swedish from Finnish? Italian from Spanish? Indian from Pakistani? Peruvian from Ecuadorian? I can't. That's why if I don't know where in South America someone is from, I'll call them South American. And if a person looks Indian, I'll call them Asian. Because I don't want to look foolish for assuming an Indian person is Pakistani or vice versa (see: Barbershop).

If I know a person is from Brazil, I'll call them Brazillian. Otherwise they're South American (or Latin American since I really can't tell a central American from a South American).


Then if we're going to refer to people by their continent, then russians and israelies and armenians are Asian as well.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,924
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Originally posted by: MasonLuke
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: MasonLuke
i think we went over this before, but i'll sum it up for you.

If you are average to highly intelligent, you would use the word Asian to describe a person. If you are dumb and ignorant, you would use oriental to describe a person, not only because you can, but because you are uneducated.

Asian = person. Example: He is Asian.
Oriental = thing. Example: Oriental rug.


/tread

It has not always been that way. There is nothing inherent in the word oriental that dictates that it can only be used to describe objects. It is only taboo because thin-skinned people get their panties in a wad over a term that implies that Europe is the center of the world. Do you get upset over the lines of latitude as well? :roll:

FWIW, I'm an American and don't get offended by the term "western." Middle easterners get offended by that term. I don't know why southeast asians make such a big deal out of being called oriental.

im american as well, and if i hear someone calling an asian, oriental, i just think they are uneducated. dont be stubborn and just be thankful you learned something today ;)

I'd think it was clear from my post that I was already aware that oriental is not a PC term... And I think that's stupid. But hey, keep on perpetuating the status quo, however stupid it may be. :thumbsup:
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
55,826
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It all boils down to this:

Minorities need to stop running away from terms and labels. Doing so only gives racists MORE power over you. When you deem a previously acceptable term as suddenly offensive, you give the haters more ammo. Blacks have been the worst with this, changing what is "acceptable" almost every decade.

Just stop already and realize that no matter what label you choose, some idiot somewhere is going to use it in a derogatory manner... and you can't run away from that.

 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,924
45
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Originally posted by: Turin39789
Then if we're going to refer to people by their continent, then russians and israelies and armenians are Asian as well.

Man, I'm arguing the same side you are - I think it's stupid that we use a vague term like Asian when there is a perfectly good, more specific term that could be used. I'm just saying there's nothing wrong with resorting to continent if that is the most specific way you can identify someone.

FWIW, I'll usually use southeast asian to describe a person who used to be called oriental. I try to be as specific as possible without being more specific than what I can say with reasonable certainty.
 

JackRipper

Senior member
Apr 8, 2002
611
3
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Originally posted by: Turin39789
Originally posted by: mugs

Can you tell a German person from an Austrian person just by looking at them? Swedish from Finnish? Italian from Spanish? Indian from Pakistani? Peruvian from Ecuadorian? I can't. That's why if I don't know where in South America someone is from, I'll call them South American. And if a person looks Indian, I'll call them Asian. Because I don't want to look foolish for assuming an Indian person is Pakistani or vice versa (see: Barbershop).

If I know a person is from Brazil, I'll call them Brazillian. Otherwise they're South American (or Latin American since I really can't tell a central American from a South American).


Then if we're going to refer to people by their continent, then russians and israelies and armenians are Asian as well.

omfg... no one said anything about calling some1 by their continent name... yes ASIA is a continent... but ASIANS are referred to people in a certain region of asia... and ASIANS is the preferred term....

you were the person who brought up continents and such in ur meaningless argument... its a GENERAL TERM for a GENERAL GROUP of people... you are speaking specifics and thinking too specific... and yes GENERAL TERMS mentioned above do exist and are not a figment of ur imagination... just the key here is ORIENTALS is not the preferred term to call the group of people...

Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Turin39789
Then if we're going to refer to people by their continent, then russians and israelies and armenians are Asian as well.

Man, I'm arguing the same side you are - I think it's stupid that we use a vague term like Asian when there is a perfectly good, more specific term that could be used. I'm just saying there's nothing wrong with resorting to continent if that is the most specific way you can identify someone.

FWIW, I'll usually use southeast asian to describe a person who used to be called oriental. I try to be as specific as possible without being more specific than what I can say with reasonable certainty.

vague terms are needed when specific terms cannot be used...

 

Sex Smurf

Golden Member
Oct 13, 2004
1,384
2
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Just call me Bruce

For the record, it doesn't matter to me. I prefer Japanese.

There was an incident where a homeless bum called me and my friend (who is Vietnamese) Korean and that pissed us off - but he was just bitter about the war, or something. We confronted him and he got all friendly to me and said that I reminded him of his grandson. He kept rambling on and on for an hour (we were just trying to eat our lunch in peace at the beach). . . He turned out to be a nice guy. haha. Let me re-enact that incident. . .

bum (mumbling to himself): food. . . food. .. gimme food. .
us (ignoring him)
bum: damn koreans!
us: what did you say?
bum (walking over): oh hey. . .
us: . . .
bum: you remind me of my grandson. . . blah blah blah. . . yeah, there was one time he was saying 'Grandpa you really piss me off. . . I'm gonna take you out to lunch!'

I guess "take you out to lunch" meant "kick your ass"

good times. . .
 

slurmsmackenzie

Golden Member
Jun 4, 2004
1,413
0
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Originally posted by: Sex Smurf
Just call me Bruce

For the record, it doesn't matter to me. I prefer Japanese.

There was an incident where a homeless bum called me and my friend (who is Vietnamese) Korean and that pissed us off - but he was just bitter about the war, or something. We confronted him and he got all friendly to me and said that I reminded him of his grandson. He kept rambling on and on for an hour (we were just trying to eat our lunch in peace at the beach). . . He turned out to be a nice guy. haha. Let me re-enact that incident. . .

bum (mumbling to himself): food. . . food. .. gimme food. .
us (ignoring him)
bum: damn koreans!
us: what did you say?
bum (walking over): oh hey. . .
us: . . .
bum: you remind me of my grandson. . . blah blah blah. . . yeah, there was one time he was saying 'Grandpa you really piss me off. . . I'm gonna take you out to lunch!'

I guess "take you out to lunch" meant "kick your ass"

good times. . .

did you whip out some of that yakuza nunchuck karate choppery on his stinkin ass?

 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,924
45
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Originally posted by: JackRipper
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Turin39789
Then if we're going to refer to people by their continent, then russians and israelies and armenians are Asian as well.

Man, I'm arguing the same side you are - I think it's stupid that we use a vague term like Asian when there is a perfectly good, more specific term that could be used. I'm just saying there's nothing wrong with resorting to continent if that is the most specific way you can identify someone.

FWIW, I'll usually use southeast asian to describe a person who used to be called oriental. I try to be as specific as possible without being more specific than what I can say with reasonable certainty.

vague terms are needed when specific terms cannot be used...

Yeah man... I know... I more or less said that... I just think it's stupid that we can't use oriental to describe people just because it describes the location of Asia in relation to Europe. It's a more precise term than Asian, but we don't use it for the stupidest of reasons.
 

batmang

Diamond Member
Jul 16, 2003
3,020
1
81
I don't care. Asian, Oriental, doesnt bug me. I'm half Caucasian, 1/4 Laotian and 1/4 Thai, but I actually look Mexican... not sure how? I'm happy if people guess my correct nationality. lol.
 

SlowSpyder

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
17,305
1,001
126
My wife is Fillipino. I always thought it would be a fun role playing experience to have her dress up like she's working a rice field, you know, with the hats that look like this. Then I'd dress up like I was a marine or something, and come breaking down the door to the bedroom, and she'd be like, "Oh Mr. G.I. Man! Me love you long time?" and I'd be like, "Yup."

I have no answer to your question, OP.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,924
45
91
Originally posted by: SlowSpyder
My wife is Fillipino. I always thought it would be a fun role playing experience to have her dress up like she's working a rice field, you know, with the hats that look like this. Then I'd dress up like I was a marine or something, and come breaking down the door to the bedroom, and she'd be like, "Oh Mr. G.I. Man! Me love you long time?" and I'd be like, "Yup."

I have no answer to your question, OP.

Best post in this thread so far :laugh:
 

thirdlegstump

Banned
Feb 12, 2001
8,713
0
0
The other day someone dropped a bunch of pots and pans and I felt insulted because I thought he was calling me a Chinese person when I'm very obviously not. I am Japanese. That said, I prefer to be called aZn.
 

MasonLuke

Senior member
Aug 14, 2006
413
0
0
Originally posted by: SlowSpyder
My wife is Fillipino. I always thought it would be a fun role playing experience to have her dress up like she's working a rice field, you know, with the hats that look like this. Then I'd dress up like I was a marine or something, and come breaking down the door to the bedroom, and she'd be like, "Oh Mr. G.I. Man! Me love you long time?" and I'd be like, "Yup."



Mail order?
 

OCNewbie

Diamond Member
Jul 18, 2000
7,603
24
81
I may be naive, but I think Oriental more accurate describes "them". Meaning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. Asia is a large continent with a lot of non-orientals. Is Oriental offensive?
 

40sTheme

Golden Member
Sep 24, 2006
1,607
0
0
My girlfriend prefers asian. She doesn't like the formal, dandypants sound oriental has to it.