why Oriental is offensive

[Wilcox, Rose]

<<

> If non-Asians use the word "Oriental" to/at me, I do more than grimace. At
> bare minimum, I *glare*. Unless they have a really, really, really good
> excuse (such as being over 70, or being non-native English speakers, &c.)

Your posting makes some good points, but I'm bothered by this one --
because I'm thinking of all kinds of innocent people who might be subject
to your glare or worse.  You seem to be assuming that all native English
speakers under seventy are aware that "oriental" has become a questionable
term.  I'm aware of it because I teach linguistics courses, read writers
like Said, and hang around online in language discussions like this one.
Not everybody lives in those contexts, though.  I've sometimes asked
classes whether they were aware that "oriental" was unPC.  Almost a hundred
percent of the students I've asked were unaware of it.  A colleague I
was talking with about this subject one time said, "That's a west coast
thing."  In other words, it may be common knowledge in California that
"oriental" is unPC, but it's not common knowledge yet everywhere.
>>

I would tend to agree.  I hang out with a lot of PC-type people, but the
first time we heard of "Oriental" being un-PC out here in Arizona was when
someone from California was playing Pictionary at a local party.  She
refused to draw the word "Oriental" during play because of it being non-PC.
We (the Arizonans) were quite taken aback because we hadn't heard of that.
I felt kinda bad that we were so out of the loop.  We already look bad from
the PC standpoint coming from a conservative state, and then, wording
changes without a memo getting sent out here.  If an Arizonan says it, give
them a break.  We just aren't very up on PC out here, even though we are
next door.... but some of us are indeed open-minded and willing to listen.

Rosie