Is "Oriental" a racist word??

[RQeclectic]

Non-asians seem to have a tough time telling asian ethnicities apart, but for the most part, it's clear to me and my asian acquaintences. We can tell if someone is Chinese, Japanese, Philipino, Thai, etc. Good fun

I dont, yet im a rice queen, so kinda having friends from asia ive learnt to notice the differances etc, but then by BF is malay arab but singaporean raised....so how do you label him??? Malay as thats where his heritage and physical appearance is, his arab ancestory (what is his ethnicity on his ID card) or his country of residance Singaporean???

Yet it can be confusing as within one country ther is often a varying differances in appearance, take china for instance, shanghainese look differant than a person coming from BeiJing or even higher up from near the mongolian borders....same as the lower chinese from indian/thai borders....

RQeclectc

 

[frankfrank]

When describing somebody racially, who is the "same race" as I am, I'm pretty much equally likely to say "White" or "Caucasian." I don't know anybody else who uses the latter word in conversation.

This is the FIRST time, likewise, that I've ever seen an explanation why "Oriental" is a pejorative word when used to describe people. Until just a few years ago, I didn't realize it at all. I've avoided using what had been a lifetime habit once I found out about it no more than 2 or 3 years ago. (It might have been JUB that taught me this!)

I saw "Oriental" on Asian restaurants as recently as last weekend (in Springfield MO, or somewhere along the trip - Osage Beach?), which contradicted other information about it being the wrong term to use, but this thread clears it up!

 

[wastingmymind]

I had this exact conversation with a Philippino (sp?) lady I work with and she informed me that "yes, indeed it is an insult". It is because it is grouping anyone Asian into the same "bucket" so to speak.

Just a caveat that Filipino is spelled with an "f."

I agree with the post above that says that words like "Oriental" are outdated.

And here's the thing with political correctness: If somebody doesn't like being called a certain word, why the fuck do you insist on it?

 

[954dude]

Orientals is from another time...I haven't heard anyone use it since I was in elementary school.

What I've noticed is that people in general are so ignorant and want to quickly put everyone in labels. Anyone with slanted eyes "looks Chinese" or is "Asian".

And in the USA, Asian means "Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese" and in the UK, Asians means "Indian subcontinent". Some friends of mine don't consider South Asians to really be Asian "because they are brown". Idiots. Some people don't know India IS IN ASIA!

If Latinos can come from a diverse background of Amerindians, Europeans, and Africans, then why can't those of Middle Eastern, Russian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and East Asian origin ALL BE ASIAN?

 

[BINOWGAYLATER]

well, well, a post from the dead.
seems i missed it the first time around.
However I shop at the "Oriental Pantry" the owner of which is Korean.
I have Japanese relatives -- who prefer to be called okinawan - NOT JAPANESE..
and in Hawaii - all asians are orientals or buddha bellies or whateva !! The world needs to take a lesson from Hawaii - there is little "outward" prejudice == people routinely ask - What are You? meaning what mixture of 2-3 nationalities -- and What School you went? (meaning highschool- in hawaii) because the rivalry is INTENSE ..
and once I find out that you are Chinese/Hawaiian/English/German
it doesn't mean shit - nobody says- wtf? i can't go to the beach with you then.. if only you didn't have the german blood..
I am exceptionally talented at discerning one Asian ethnicity from another (except it gets a bit messy in Southeast Asia/Indoneasia -- but I have no problem with the basics - Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese and often can tell Indians apart by their "state"...
I totally get that oriental may be for things - and asian for the people - but i do not know one "asian" person who is offended by the word.
And, another thing - I've seen "asians" on here - who simply say they are "asian" - and i ask what kind? -- why would they not want to be specific -- If i were Chinese - -I wouldn't want anybody assuming I was Japanese? so it makes no sense to label yourself as "Asian" - that's not a country !! it's most of the world - but there are a hundred sub-sets....
I'm just saying... blah blah blah