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My friend told me that when she recently referred to someone who may have been Chinese/Japanese/Vietnamese as "Oriental", she received a negative reaction from the (white) person she was talking to.

Is it offensive to use the term "Oriental"?

I thought "Oriental" was now the pc acceptable term?

I would say no but you never know in this now PC, as in Political Correctness, dominated world we live in!

http://www.politicallyincorrect.me.uk/

I would say potentially a bit old fashioned, but it's not aggressive like some other words. You can't win, because if you say "Chinese looking" and they're from Japan, you'll get a lecture on the historical differences... And to me, Asian would be more Indian or Pakistani...

oh for crying out loud!!

i thought that was the right term too!

maybe she or he thought you should use the term East Asian, i use that sometimes.

The PC brigade will bully anybody for any reason. They make it up as they go along. Every time I get a reaction like that I tell them to F off. I know there are laws against racially insulting people, and rightly so. But watching out for every word I speak in case it upsets somebody is undermining my liberty and I will not let it happen.

I have said before that my wife has to doublecheck everything she remarks or writes about in her work. This stifles constructive conversation and makes her job a lot harder. Why? just because somebody had decreed you cant say black today,coloured yesterday or oriental tomorrow. Surely they don't mind and would prefer it to being called a chinkie.

Makes you laugh though when they parody the Italians with the pasta sauce adverts  and not a word is said.

Specially for you Ace!  :-* :-* :-*

http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=tim+minchin+taboo&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=6vXvStPfONCrjAeGwpjFCA&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBEQqwQwAA#
;) :o :o :o

Very good, now how to I get snot and hot coffee out of my keyboard. ;D

Its like walking on broken glass these days when you speak to or about someone that isn't the same nationality as yourself.

This has gone to far , these political so called correct people .are bullies as far as I am concerned,such rubbish, I for one am fed up being told what I can and cannot say. enough is enough.
   June

I think they honestly believe that they can pick up the clean end of a turd.

Personally I find the term "Mixed Race" offensive. There is only one "Human Race" so unless you're a mermaid or one of the Greek things like a minotaur, you are not mixed race.

If there is one thing more annoying than political correctness it's the other people screaming "It's political correctness gone mad" when ever someone mentions something like this.

No-one is forcing your to say anything - one idiot thinks Oriental is offensive and everyone starts banging like it's been passed in law or something.  Note it was a white man who supposedly said this not an Asian or Oriental.  They are idiots - why get so excited about something that someone you have never met may have said.

Quote from: thifasmom on November 03, 2009, 09:14:09

maybe she or he thought you should use the term East Asian, i use that sometimes.

or maybe west american  ::)  ::)  ::)

Fair point BarriedaleNick

If you spin an Oriental around several times, very fast, does he become disOrientaled ?

Everybody a ma-duck to me.. ;D

I've always though oriental had exotic connotations, not negative or disparaging.  It can be used to describe food, clothing, dance and people from the Orient.

Quote from: BarriedaleNick on November 03, 2009, 11:07:59
If there is one thing more annoying than political correctness it's the other people screaming "It's political correctness gone mad" when ever someone mentions something like this.

No-one is forcing your to say anything - one idiot thinks Oriental is offensive and everyone starts banging like it's been passed in law or something.  Note it was a white man who supposedly said this not an Asian or Oriental.  They are idiots - why get so excited about something that someone you have never met may have said.

It does not need passing in law, as soon as the PC police hear about it they jump in. I take it you are not affected like some of us who have to tiptoe around any conversation involving somebody from a different race,creed or whateveryoulike.

I cannot go anywhere socially with my wife if  a certain person from her work is there, as that person will jump and even report anything she deems un- pc . It is not nice

You can bet there not doing it "Occidentally" too ACE  ::)

ACE - I do know what you are saying - I have worked for a children's charity and now at a school - I've meet plenty of people who are ready to take offense at the drop of a hat and they annoy me intensely.
All I am saying is that this is one person's reported opinion _ I don't give a stuff what he thinks so I am not going to get excited about it nor will it change the way I speak or act.