OT: Politically Correct Terms Vary
Dec 14th 2009, 1:05 pm
#64
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Victoria, BC Canada
Posts: 61,698
Dec 14th 2009, 1:14 pm
#66
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Dec 14th 2009, 1:22 pm
#68
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 13,270
Re: OT: Politically Correct Terms Vary
I've always loved the term "oriental' and to me it is a complement. I've always loved oriental people; my best friend at high school in UK was such (Chinese origin) and my girlfriend is now. I always thought of it as being more 'old fashioned' than offensive, like 'Persian' instead of 'Iranian'.
The issue of 'Black' vs. 'African American' is, in my mind, a complete non-starter. I refuse to use the latter. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with referring to someone as 'Black'. 'Yellow', on the other hand, can be offensive due to the 'coward' interpretation ...
Race is a legitimate way to help identify (or distinguish) someone from a crowd, just as hair color or clothing might be used - "the guy over there with the white hair" is an acceptable term (and useful, assuming there is only one white-haired guy), as is 'the black guy over there' - assuming there is only one black guy. In the context of this thread, if there is only one 'oriental' lady, then it seems a perfectly reasonable way to refer to the person. There was once a big fuss at a company I worked when someone sent out an email saying " ... there is a pickpocket in the building; be on the lookout for a tall black guy with a blue jacket". A few blacks in the office took offense because they thought it suggested that all black people are automatically pick-pockets ...
The issue of 'Black' vs. 'African American' is, in my mind, a complete non-starter. I refuse to use the latter. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with referring to someone as 'Black'. 'Yellow', on the other hand, can be offensive due to the 'coward' interpretation ...
Race is a legitimate way to help identify (or distinguish) someone from a crowd, just as hair color or clothing might be used - "the guy over there with the white hair" is an acceptable term (and useful, assuming there is only one white-haired guy), as is 'the black guy over there' - assuming there is only one black guy. In the context of this thread, if there is only one 'oriental' lady, then it seems a perfectly reasonable way to refer to the person. There was once a big fuss at a company I worked when someone sent out an email saying " ... there is a pickpocket in the building; be on the lookout for a tall black guy with a blue jacket". A few blacks in the office took offense because they thought it suggested that all black people are automatically pick-pockets ...
Dec 14th 2009, 1:50 pm
#70
I approved this message
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Chicago
Posts: 2,425
Re: OT: Politically Correct Terms Vary
How about instead of Asian, we refer to people from east Asia by the country they (or their ancestors) are actually from? It's a little presumptuous to just lump everyone together, since there are a few billion people in a fairly large land mass in that general vicinity. It's especially important since Koreans hate to be called Chinese, vice versa is also true and everyone in east Asia hates the Japanese (only partially joking here...).
Using names, it's really not that hard to tell a Korean person from a Japanese person from a Chinese person from a Vietnamese from a Thai person. After all, we generally expect people to be able to tell Germans from Italians from Poles.
Also, if you hang out with enough east Asians (or are married to one, as I am), you start to pick up on how different people from different east Asian countries look from each other. Ethnic southeast asians generally look nothing like ethnic northern asians, that's the easy part. It can be tricky to separate Chinese, Japanese and Korean people on looks alone, but you can easily resort to the name trick... Admittedly, this is a little more tricky, as even my wife will admit.
Using names, it's really not that hard to tell a Korean person from a Japanese person from a Chinese person from a Vietnamese from a Thai person. After all, we generally expect people to be able to tell Germans from Italians from Poles.
Also, if you hang out with enough east Asians (or are married to one, as I am), you start to pick up on how different people from different east Asian countries look from each other. Ethnic southeast asians generally look nothing like ethnic northern asians, that's the easy part. It can be tricky to separate Chinese, Japanese and Korean people on looks alone, but you can easily resort to the name trick... Admittedly, this is a little more tricky, as even my wife will admit.
Last edited by Hiro11; Dec 14th 2009 at 1:57 pm.
Dec 14th 2009, 2:01 pm
#71
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: OT: Politically Correct Terms Vary
How about instead of Asian, we refer to people from east Asia by the country they (or their ancestors) are actually from? It's a little presumptuous to just lump everyone together, since there are a few billion people in a fairly large land mass in that general vicinity. It's especially important since Koreans hate to be called Chinese, vice versa is also true and everyone in east Asia hates the Japanese (only partially joking here...).
Using names, it's really not that hard to tell a Korean person from a Japanese person from a Chinese person from a Vietnamese from a Thai person. After all, we generally expect people to be able to tell Germans from Italians from Poles.
Also, if you hang out with enough east Asians (or are married to one, as I am), you start to pick up on how different people from different east Asian countries look from each other. Ethnic southeast asians generally look nothing like ethnic northern asians, that's the easy part. It can be tricky to separate Chinese, Japanese and Korean people on looks alone, but you can easily resort to the name trick... Admittedly, this is a little more tricky, as even my wife will admit.
Using names, it's really not that hard to tell a Korean person from a Japanese person from a Chinese person from a Vietnamese from a Thai person. After all, we generally expect people to be able to tell Germans from Italians from Poles.
Also, if you hang out with enough east Asians (or are married to one, as I am), you start to pick up on how different people from different east Asian countries look from each other. Ethnic southeast asians generally look nothing like ethnic northern asians, that's the easy part. It can be tricky to separate Chinese, Japanese and Korean people on looks alone, but you can easily resort to the name trick... Admittedly, this is a little more tricky, as even my wife will admit.
Dec 14th 2009, 2:35 pm
#72
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,579
Re: OT: Politically Correct Terms Vary
How about instead of Asian, we refer to people from east Asia by the country they (or their ancestors) are actually from? It's a little presumptuous to just lump everyone together, since there are a few billion people in a fairly large land mass in that general vicinity. It's especially important since Koreans hate to be called Chinese, vice versa is also true and everyone in east Asia hates the Japanese (only partially joking here...).
Using names, it's really not that hard to tell a Korean person from a Japanese person from a Chinese person from a Vietnamese from a Thai person. After all, we generally expect people to be able to tell Germans from Italians from Poles.
Also, if you hang out with enough east Asians (or are married to one, as I am), you start to pick up on how different people from different east Asian countries look from each other. Ethnic southeast asians generally look nothing like ethnic northern asians, that's the easy part. It can be tricky to separate Chinese, Japanese and Korean people on looks alone, but you can easily resort to the name trick... Admittedly, this is a little more tricky, as even my wife will admit.
Using names, it's really not that hard to tell a Korean person from a Japanese person from a Chinese person from a Vietnamese from a Thai person. After all, we generally expect people to be able to tell Germans from Italians from Poles.
Also, if you hang out with enough east Asians (or are married to one, as I am), you start to pick up on how different people from different east Asian countries look from each other. Ethnic southeast asians generally look nothing like ethnic northern asians, that's the easy part. It can be tricky to separate Chinese, Japanese and Korean people on looks alone, but you can easily resort to the name trick... Admittedly, this is a little more tricky, as even my wife will admit.
Sure if I know more about the person telling the country they are from is much easier.
Dec 14th 2009, 10:48 pm
#73
Sleepless In Chicago
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Chicago.
Posts: 3,601
Re: OT: Politically Correct Terms Vary
The irony;
The banner advert at the bottom was
"NEED MEXICAN JOKES, THOUSANDS OF MEXICAN JOKES"
The banner advert at the bottom was
"NEED MEXICAN JOKES, THOUSANDS OF MEXICAN JOKES"
Dec 14th 2009, 11:45 pm
#74
Unmitigated Gall
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: it's still too dark to tell
Posts: 16,162
Re: OT: Politically Correct Terms Vary
It's a little presumptuous to just lump everyone together, since there are a few billion people in a fairly large land mass in that general vicinity. It's especially important since Koreans hate to be called Chinese, vice versa is also true and everyone in east Asia hates the Japanese (only partially joking here...).
Using names, it's really not that hard to tell a Korean person from a Japanese person from a Chinese person from a Vietnamese from a Thai person. After all, we generally expect people to be able to tell Germans from Italians from Poles.
Also, if you hang out with enough east Asians (or are married to one, as I am), you start to pick up on how different people from different east Asian countries look from each other. Ethnic southeast asians generally look nothing like ethnic northern asians, that's the easy part. It can be tricky to separate Chinese, Japanese and Korean people on looks alone, but you can easily resort to the name trick... Admittedly, this is a little more tricky, as even my wife will admit.
Using names, it's really not that hard to tell a Korean person from a Japanese person from a Chinese person from a Vietnamese from a Thai person. After all, we generally expect people to be able to tell Germans from Italians from Poles.
Also, if you hang out with enough east Asians (or are married to one, as I am), you start to pick up on how different people from different east Asian countries look from each other. Ethnic southeast asians generally look nothing like ethnic northern asians, that's the easy part. It can be tricky to separate Chinese, Japanese and Korean people on looks alone, but you can easily resort to the name trick... Admittedly, this is a little more tricky, as even my wife will admit.
My issue with that:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Frankford-Missouri.html
You'll have to scroll down to the relevent data.
Dec 15th 2009, 4:32 am
#75
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 35,082
Re: OT: Politically Correct Terms Vary
My issue with that:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Frankford-Missouri.html
You'll have to scroll down to the relevent data.
http://www.city-data.com/city/Frankford-Missouri.html
You'll have to scroll down to the relevent data.
Us n' Them.
