"Oriental" - is it derogatory?

[Bay Arean]

I'm black and don't consider it derogatory. It could be depending on tone and context but the standalone word does nothing to me. I know I'm not alone on that either.

You must be young. It was a big deal in past days. Especially when preceded by "the" as it often was (and as was Oriental). And that's the crux, it's the history of usage that is the issue. It's never as simple as a descriptive word in a race-charged environment.... Because I study Hispanic history so much, I can say that I have a mulato ancestor, but I am a bit hesitant to use that word in Amurica. It puts people on edge.

The classic one when I was a kid was "the Oriental doesn't value life as much as us." This was referring to the Chinese and Japanese of course, for different reasons. In the former, the Communist regime, the latter, the whole kamikaze thing. Chinese were portrayed as worker ants, basically, willing to sacrifice for the cause.

Fact is, to even talk about race usually gets one in the doghouse and called racist, if speaker is identifiably white.

 

[tzrider]

if people use oriental to refer to people, that just shows they misunderstood when to apply the word. it's a grammatical error.

Be sure to submit a correction to Merriam Webster.

Oriental
noun
Definition of ORIENTAL

1
sometimes offensive : Asian; especially : one who is a native of east Asia or is of east Asian descent

 

[Bay Arean]

^^ yeah, I was wondering who would point that out..

 

[2legs2wheels]

+1

 

[Mr. White]

The fact that you are researching for what seems like justification seems like a jab to your wife's ethnicity.

You're totally off base. I'm not looking for justification in any way.

 

[Entoptic]

with the giant purification of this country it is offensive. Washington state removed oriental from any public documentation and uses Asian until that becomes offensive.

 

[tzrider]

why? some people find it offensive. i don't.

meriam's definition is correct and accurate. some are offended, some aren't.

My point isn't that it isn't offensive, it's that using the term to refer to people isn't a grammatical error. It's a common belief today, expressed several times in this thread even, but it's not historically correct. It may be how people want the word to be used, which isn't quite the same thing as it's definition.

 

[stan23]

You're totally off base. I'm not looking for justification in any way.

possible.

But If my wife told me she found something offensive said to her (and I believe unless you are 5 years old--it is already known to be an offensive word)

I would not be reaching to the internet to specifically ask other people of that culture to see if that term is offensive to them.

But to each their own.

 

[enki]

I'm sure his wife's parents have some equivalent name for the Gweilo white husband..

Life goes on.

 

[postcholo]

My wife is a Chinese gal from San Mateo.

she should be more offended by being referred to as a gal.

fwiw, oriental just means someone or something from the east. so, your virginian dad is an oriental.

 

[Mr. White]

she should be more offended by being referred to as a gal.

fwiw, oriental just means someone or something from the east. so, your virginian dad is an oriental.

I offended myself by calling me a guy.

 

[stan23]

I offended myself by calling me a guy.

You're an older guy, right? About 40 ish, younger asian wife (who's possibly on her 2nd or so marriage and not born in the US) and you guys have not been married long, and not been together long, correct?

You're going to find a lot more things that are offensive to her as you get to know each other.

 

[Kurosaki]

You must be young. It was a big deal in past days. Especially when preceded by "the" as it often was (and as was Oriental). And that's the crux, it's the history of usage that is the issue. It's never as simple as a descriptive word in a race-charged environment.... Because I study Hispanic history so much, I can say that I have a mulato ancestor, but I am a bit hesitant to use that word in Amurica. It puts people on edge.

The classic one when I was a kid was "the Oriental doesn't value life as much as us." This was referring to the Chinese and Japanese of course, for different reasons. In the former, the Communist regime, the latter, the whole kamikaze thing. Chinese were portrayed as worker ants, basically, willing to sacrifice for the cause.

Fact is, to even talk about race usually gets one in the doghouse and called racist, if speaker is identifiably white.

Yes I am. And then maybe it's a good thing the word doesn't bother me. The world could use a little more of that.

 

[Mr. White]

You're an older guy, right? About 40 ish, younger asian wife (who's possibly on her 2nd or so marriage and not born in the US) and you guys have not been married long, and not been together long, correct?

You're going to find a lot more things that are offensive to her as you get to know each other.

You're again, TOTALLY off base.

I'm 33, she's 32 (33 in Nov). We've been together for 10 years in June, married for 2 years in Aug. We both grew up in San Mateo. She was born at SF General. Neither one of us has been married previously. We have mutual friends that we've known since before we met each other.

Although our families and ethnic backgrounds are very different, we are not that different from one another.

 

[postcholo]

I offended myself by calling me a guy.

that's only permissible if you're french.

 

[fawndog]

Your dad, boss, and contractor are all crackers right ?
I think in the case of Dad, he deserves to know it bothers your wife. The others are not your responsibility.

 

[Mr. White]

Your dad, boss, and contractor are all crackers right ?

I'M OFFENDED

My dad and boss are white. The contractor is Armenian.

 

[Mr. White]

I think in the case of Dad, he deserves to know it bothers your wife. The others are not your responsibility.

I agree.

 

[stan23]

You're again, TOTALLY off base.

I'm 33, she's 32 (33 in Nov). We've been together for 10 years in June, married for 2 years in Aug. We both grew up in San Mateo. She was born at SF General. Neither one of us has been married previously. We have mutual friends that we've known since before we met each other.

Although our families and ethnic backgrounds are very different, we are not that different from one another.

haha I was waaay off!

But growing up in San Mateo, you can't tell me didn't know that word was offensive to Asians.

 

[MrIncredible]

The way I look at it, if your wife got offended, then it is offensive to her. No need to ask the internet and go back to your wife and tell her a bunch of white people on a motorcycle forum says it is not offensive. (if that is what you're trying to accomplish)

Well considering 99% of the people who posted in this thread are white, I doubt you're going to get the answers here.

The fact that you are researching for what seems like justification seems like a jab to your wife's ethnicity.

possible.

But If my wife told me she found something offensive said to her (and I believe unless you are 5 years old--it is already known to be an offensive word)

I would not be reaching to the internet to specifically ask other people of that culture to see if that term is offensive to them.

But to each their own.

You're an older guy, right? About 40 ish, younger asian wife (who's possibly on her 2nd or so marriage and not born in the US) and you guys have not been married long, and not been together long, correct?

You're going to find a lot more things that are offensive to her as you get to know each other.

How many times are you going to (wrongly) tell this guy about his wife, his life, and why he's an asshole?