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1939

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75. Why is "Oriental" insulting?

Tue Jun 7, 2016, 04:58 AM

Jun 2016

It means "easterner" which it was for Europeans when the term was coined. "extreme orient" is French for the "far east" and English has many loan words from French. Europe was the western world and Asia was the eastern world hence the term "oriental" never meant as an insult, just a description of place of origin.

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The top TEN questions asked to Asian-Americans.. [View all] yuiyoshida Jun 2016 OP

how long have you played violin? nt Fresh_Start Jun 2016 #1

LOL yuiyoshida Jun 2016 #3

Is Israel Asian? Is this wiki list of Asian countries accurate? braddy Jun 2016 #2

IF the world map lists it in Asia yuiyoshida Jun 2016 #4

So saying someone is Asian doesn't tell us anything about race at all, what if the topic is braddy Jun 2016 #5

Just don't call me Oriental..I am not a rug. yuiyoshida Jun 2016 #6

Right now, in America that is what it means, but in Britain doesn't it already mean braddy Jun 2016 #9

I don't live In Britain. yuiyoshida Jun 2016 #10

I just meant that what it means here right now, will become totally confusing in a few years. braddy Jun 2016 #12

I am sure you will be able to handle yuiyoshida Jun 2016 #13

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Ethnicites cagefreesoylentgreen Jun 2016 #37

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In the United States there are a lot of Hyphenated people. yuiyoshida Jun 2016 #49

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Probably lots... yuiyoshida Jun 2016 #52

You are missing the point, sometimes we need a word to describe what we used to call the oriental braddy Jun 2016 #54

Being called Oriental is insulting.... yuiyoshida Jun 2016 #57

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This message was self-deleted by its author pablo_marmol Jun 2016 #67

Translation cagefreesoylentgreen Jun 2016 #74

mochiron! yuiyoshida Jun 2016 #85

How about "Chinamen?" Orrex Jun 2016 #79

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Semi-rural Western PA Orrex Jun 2016 #125

Why is "Oriental" insulting? 1939 Jun 2016 #75

You can't possibly be serious. Orrex Jun 2016 #78

The term "Asian" 1939 Jun 2016 #93

Again, you're framing it in terms of your own preferences Orrex Jun 2016 #95

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Because Oriental refers to a thing yuiyoshida Jun 2016 #86

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That could happen tomorrow, even though not an 'operator.' pangaia Jun 2016 #81

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You left off the number 1 question I've asked asians in my life GummyBearz Jun 2016 #88

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