G. Sylvester wrote:
I can't believe I'm saying this but what Mxsmanic said is correct.
Please, please, do hold what I just said against me. ;-)


Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
G. Sylvester wrote:
WTH? My sister in law was a Japanese national (now US citizen) and I
asked her
about this one time. She seemed a little confused at the notion that
"Oriental"
was somehow offensive. Frankly, so am I. All it refers to is
someone from the
Orient. We call people from Europe Europeans and nobody's ass gets
chapped.

in all honesty, beats the hell out of me why it is offensive. I learned
this when I was 23 years old when I moved to southern california for
gradual sic school. All I know is when I used the term I got looks
like I had 5 heads. Maybe Kalifornians are a little, ummm, sensitive.
smirk. I certainly did my best to soften them up. Ironically, I was
talking to a friend in NY years later and he told me the same thing.

Gerald



It's all part of the California PC culture. If you say Asian you are
saying where they or their family is FROM. If you say Oriental you are
making a point of their race.

I have a friend from school that was a South African national and has
become a US Citizen since. He answers African-American when ever
possible. He is VERY Caucasian, blond hair, blue eyes.