Oriental an "offensive" term?

[Damien]

Originally Posted by 2strokebloke

I know that there's probably alot of asians who frequent this board who might be able to remark on this with at least some relevance...
Is the term "Oriental" actually offensive to people?
In describing my heritage it's more effective to say "Oriental" than to say Asian, or Middle Eastern, because when you say "Asian" people think chinese and when you say "middle east" people think arab.
But so far as I know there's no better word to describe people from eastern europe/asia minor/central asia.
But I'm told that "asians" (in North America this generally refers to east asians, and excludes the rest of the continent) find the term offensive.
So is it actually offensive, or is it just blowhards that like to find fault with everything that say it's offensive?

Because I'm thinking that if it's actually offensive I should use it alot more.

If it's your heritage...who cares. What freakin' pisses me off are white people yelling at me to not be racist when I call myself a Spic. Yes, it has only been white people...they actaully said they find it offensive. And I just stared at them then very blantantly replied, "I don't care." in that Willy Wonka voice.

But there's so many sections of Asia, Oriental is more East Asia, then there's India in itself, Middle Eastern. Why not just say you're mixed or something. I don't know...race is such a joke.

[HogieGT-R]

and don't forget Russians....half of that country is in Asia....Oriental in my opinion makes me think of Ramen, not really people, i just say "asian" anyways

[2strokebloke]

Why not just say you're mixed or something. I don't know...race is such a joke.

Generally when the question comes up on applications I'll just check "white" or "other" since it's easier than giving people a geography lesson.
It also seems like the terms Asian and Oriental also have different meanings in different parts of the world.
In England I'm told Asian is often used to refer to people from India as well as people from East Asia. And in the Europe the term Orient is still used to describe the Near East and Central Asia, whereas in the U.S. it more or less used in reference to Asia as a whole (which is why a rug and a chinese person can both be Oriental despite originating at opposite ends of the continent, while "asian" only refers the eastern side of that continent - go figure).

[ec437]

Has anyone else noticed that asian people are always either really short or really tall, and/or really skinny or really fat??? Think about it. Have you ever seen a 5'9" 190 lb asian guy?

[RickwithaTbird]

fuck it

[2.2 Straight six]

yea in england, we consider "asian" as people from indian an those surrounding countries, oriental mean china japan etc.. people from around russia are eatern-european

but generally if you say "asian" people will assume you mean indian, not bangladeshi or something, its just indian.

[aplus2k]

Originally Posted by ec437

Has anyone else noticed that asian people are always either really short or really tall, and/or really skinny or really fat??? Think about it. Have you ever seen a 5'9" 190 lb asian guy?

Hey man! I'm that guy...well almost...I weigh 185...

[2.2 Straight six]

ouch...

[knorwj]

Originally Posted by ec437

Has anyone else noticed that asian people are always either really short or really tall, and/or really skinny or really fat??? Think about it. Have you ever seen a 5'9" 190 lb asian guy?

haha never seen an average asian??





best skit ever on Madtv

[PWRDbyUNCLEbens]

I rememeber hearing an older person use the term "oriental" about a year ago, and I was all like wtf?. I hadn't heard it in a while, and I didn't know anyone really used it lol. It did seem kinda racist the way the person used it though.

Has anyone ever noticed that every year kids get more boxes to check for races. You can even check several boxes if your feeling special

Oh, and as for the whole oriental thing I usually just call "oriental" people "slant eyes"...














SIKE!

[fredjacksonsan]

Originally Posted by 2.2 Straight six

well, i just asked my friend, who's japanese, if he takes offense to being called "Oriental" he said he didn't


i said: "do take offense to being called oriental" and he replied

him:"nope cos itz true"

those are his exact words.

See, that's the difference between the UK and the US. In the UK, it seems that people tell it like it is, and don't get offended about nothing. In the US though, the damn political correctness demands that everything you say cannot, in any way, offend anyone; add that to people being greatly offended by the slightest thing in the US...

[jcsaleen]

Why is oriental offensive?

[publicenemy137]

i'm asian, i don't get offended if someone asks if I'm oriental. You could try south east asian I guess if you are worried. But that's stupid, i would just say "are you asian?"

[KustmAce]

Originally Posted by jcsaleen

Why is oriental offensive?

Don't you know? Everything is offensive nowadays.

[jcsaleen]

Originally Posted by KustmAce

Don't you know? Everything is offensive nowadays.

O thats right...

Hey stop being offensive! jeeze the nerve these days...