Asian, Oriental, and other terms of endearment

[James Smith]

--- "Pearsons, Enid" <epearsons at RANDOMHOUSE.COM>
wrote:
> I didn't, and don't, think insults were intended on
> the part of the original
> posters (plural). No insults were intended on my
> part either.  I merely
> wanted to point out somewhat graphically that there
> are groups other than
> those under discussion that may have sensitivities
> of their own,
> particularly if they are--even
> unintentionally--spoken of as some monolithic
> entity.  Qualifiers are good. Well, sometimes good.
>
> And nomenclatural confusion is a pervasive thing.
> Certainly, something
> similar to the quest for terms that will not offend
> ethnic groups exists
> within and outside the age-group divisions.  My
> mother, for example, hated
> being classed among the "seniors, senior citizens,
> the elderly, old
> folks"--any of the common designations, whether they
> seemed blunt or merely
> euphemistic. (We never did solve that one.) And some
> of my friends and
> colleagues in their 20's and 30's despise being
> identified as members of
> "Generation" + letter-of-the-alphabet. One reason
> that discussions like
> those that appear on this list are so valuable is
> that we all gain new
> insight into the power of language.

One more example.  I have a friend who was widowed in
her 20's.  She abhorred being referred to as a widow.



=====
James D. SMITH                 |If history teaches anything
SLC, UT                        |it is that we will be sued
jsmithjamessmith at yahoo.com     |whether we act quickly and decisively
                               |or slowly and cautiously.

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