is the word "Oriental" a derogatory word?

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Dumac

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2005
9,391
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who the hell decides that it has become demeaning?

The people that the term refers to.

Stop blanketing all Asians (this is a general statement, not directed towards you FuzzyDunlop), and even Southeast-Asians. One of my biggest pet peeves about a lot of Americans...
 
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BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,127
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orient

"American English
While a small number of reference works used in the United States describe Oriental as pejorative, or antiquated but not necessarily offensive, the American Heritage Book of English Usage notes that:

It is worth remembering, though, that Oriental is not an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. It is most objectionable in contemporary contexts and when used as a noun, as in the appointment of an Oriental to head the commission. But in certain historical contexts, or when its exotic connotations are integral to the topic, Oriental remains a useful term.[6]

British English

In British English, the term Oriental is not typically considered pejorative, and refers to people from East and Southeast Asia. Asian is generally used only to mean people from South Asia.[9] This usage reflects historic immigration into the UK, since more than 50% of the non-European population is British Asian, whereas East and Southeast Asians comprise only 5-6% of the non-European population. Of those, the majority are of Chinese descent.[10]
Australian English

In Australian English, the term "Asian" generally refers to people of Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese ethnicity. Australians generally refer to people of Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, or Chinese descent as Asian, and persons of Indian, Pakistani or Sri Lankan descent by their respective demonym but without explicit knowledge, are inconfidently inferred as Indian.

Although more specific, the word Oriental, in place of Asian, is seldom used in colloquial conversation in Australia and is understood, but considered anachronistic rather than offensive, similar to Grecian in place of Greek."
 

evident

Lifer
Apr 5, 2005
12,128
748
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i never found oriental offensive. i get more annoyed when people call me chinese though
 

coldmeat

Diamond Member
Jul 10, 2007
9,234
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People can make anything out to be racist. Wasn't there some people complaining before about "black holes" being racist?
 

deanx0r

Senior member
Oct 1, 2002
890
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I don't get why people in the USA are so hung up on race and political correctness. Take the word ****** for instance. Last time I checked Huckleberry Finn, Twain used that word without any prejudice, and it was just fine. It's part of history, take it with pride. Now I cant even say it on this forum because some people may take offence. Instead of that, people used the term 'n word', which may be even worse because they are making their audience say it in their mind.

Now I see blacks pulling that race card all the time, and I understand the term is viewed as derogatory by the majority. But it has only been rendered derogatory by the political correctness wackos, not because blacks were some kind of victims who must perpetrate that guilt onto the white populace.

What other words are we gonna ban now because they are deemed offensive? wise and beautiful woman? lovely human?
 

amicold

Platinum Member
Feb 7, 2005
2,656
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I want to call white people occidental. That would be amusing.

Most people just wouldn't understand. I don't understand your viewpoint though, what would you like to be called? I think the next time someone refers to my race as white I'll get pissy with them for not being able to identify where in Europe my ancestors came from
 

Lean L

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2009
3,685
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People can make anything out to be racist. Wasn't there some people complaining before about "black holes" being racist?

I had a loonie bin escapee of a teacher once in HS. He would always say the most offensive things then get all teary when someone said the phrase Black Friday... This nutjob even tried to ban the phrase in class. I said it more than ever in that class to piss him off. Honestly... find something even more innocuous to get bent over.
 

Zen0

Senior member
Jan 30, 2011
980
0
0
Oriental seems to be more southern used word.

Whites are referred to as Caucasians (Race) so it makes more sense to use the word Asian. It really doesn't matter if you are from the Caucuses, just like Asian doesn't include Russians and Indians in general.
 

SP33Demon

Lifer
Jun 22, 2001
27,928
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I think it depends on usage. If used in a negative context or said in a derogatory manner it would be offensive (but so could other terms). Otherwise I don't think it's a big deal.

Hit the nail on the head. Most of the time it's coming from an ignorant redneck who doesn't know what else to label them so I'm not offended. For example, "I think he was that Oriental fella". However, I've also heard it in other contexts such as, "Them dam Orientals [or insert racial slur] are stealing all our jobs". All in all, Asian is more PC than Oriental.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
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The term oriental has a derogatory background in places. In general the word is so depreciated today many don't care.

In reality for most its a misnomer.
 

jonks

Lifer
Feb 7, 2005
13,918
20
81
Derogatory, no. Out of fashion and occidental-centric? Yes.

All in the context.

"You orientals are funny" = offensive.

You Asians are funny would be offensive too in that context, so that doesn't help.
 

Svnla

Lifer
Nov 10, 2003
17,986
1,388
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yes it was a lawyer or judge. IIRC someone called the clerks office a Black Hole, in reference to documents being lost in it and someone played the race card

There was a guy in Dallas county commissioner office that went crazy with that word. I think his name is John Wiley Price. I will see if I can find a link from DFW area news sources.

Edit: Found it.

http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/07/dallas-county-meeting-turns-ra.html

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2008/07/john_wiley_price_would_have_pr.php
 
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Schadenfroh

Elite Member
Mar 8, 2003
38,416
4
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My Han Chinese-American boss use Oriental to describe people of her descent, but then again she is from Texas, so she might be racist. ;)
 

SockHaser

Member
Jan 12, 2011
170
0
0
I don't mind the use of oriental, though if someone used it I would look at them a bit strangely, I find it most annoying when people just lump all asians together though. I was playing baseball once and some idiot yelled out "nice throw Matsui." I mean, really, how racist can you get there, then the idiot tried to explain that it was suppose to be a compliment (it should be noted he said it before I actually threw the ball) :rolleyes: I was tempted to reply, but I just ignored him. Its all in the context of the thing, if someone asked if I was Japanese or assumed I was there would be no problem, I would just correct them. Its only a problem of the other side decides to make it a problem.
 
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