those "ORIENTALS"

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Kilgor

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
its a reminder of bad ol colonial times. it didnt come with good things. it refered to the exotic instrutible folks from that far off land, never mind the whole colonial patronising attitude that came with it. and don't pretend its all cool, it wasn't that long ago that american gi's would boil japanese soldiers skulls and send them back home as trophys.

pic

The text on this image reads as "Arizona war worker writes her Navy boyfriend a thank you note for the skull he sent her"

This photo is from Life Magazine May 22, 1944. The accompanying caption reads:

?When he said goodbye two years ago to Natalie Nickerson, 20, a war worker of Phoenix, Ariz., a big, handsome Navy lieutenant promised her a Jap. Last week Natalie received a human skull, autographed by her lieutenant and 13 friends, and inscribed: '?This is a good Jap, ?a dead one picked up on the New Guinea beach,'? Natalie, surprised at the gift, named it Tojo. The armed forces disapprove strongly of this sort of thing.?

How does what you posted have anything to do with colonial patronising? WW2 was a very brutal and barbaric war that the Japanese started with us. We also used to mount heads on tanks as trophys. Why are you neglegting to mention any of the atrocities perpetrated on the US, Australian and British soldiers? I won't even get into what they did to the Chinese or Filipinos. Hell at least the Japanese soldier was probably dead when they boiled the head, if it were the other way around the Japanese would just stick a living guys head in the water.

Here is a link at least we didn't eat any of those fine Japanese soldiers.

um... i was just showing the general attitude towards asians in the us. no german skulls were sent back to the us by gi's to their girl friends. you only do that with subhumans. it really doesn't matter what the japanese did or did not do. we are talking about an english term and its meaning and all the ugly history that comes with it.

 

[pkypkypky]

Argue it all your want for PC'ness or historical correctness. Almost all of us would prefer not to hear it and I'm sure the majority of people know it. If you really cared, you'd take the time not to use any of the labels and find out where they actually came from. Otherwise use it like you do all the other beloved patriot words, within your own circle. The truth is everyone who's heard the word knows exactly the type of person who came from. Now there's a discussion within itself.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: pkypkypky
Argue it all your want for PC'ness or historical correctness. Almost all of us would prefer not to hear it and I'm sure the majority of people know it. If you really cared, you'd take the time not to use any of the labels and find out where they actually came from. Otherwise use it like you do all the other beloved patriot words, within your own circle. The truth is everyone who's heard the word knows exactly the type of person who came from. Now there's a discussion within itself.

and I'm sure that many of those who would prefer not to hear it have been misguided...as evidenced by all the only-for-objects talk in this thread.

 

[0roo0roo]

misguided like folks who don't like to be called negros?

 

[dbk]

I've never even heard of people calling Asians 'Orientals'. It was "Chinese" before it became 'Asian'.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
misguided like folks who don't like to be called negros?

Nope, misguided like people who don't like to be called orientals.

But keep a sharp eye for when someone makes a thread titled, "those 'YELLOWS'" At that point, your comparison will make sense

 

[T9D]

I grew up in the 80's and that's all I ever knew them as. As Orientals. It wasn't until the late 90's or so that "Asian" seemed to catch on.

I think a certain style and type fit Oriental. You know the little skinny old wise man smoking the long pipe. He has a huge wide hat he wears. And tells you proverbs. Now that's a true Oriental! Same with the old man in the movie Gremlins.

 

[Sc4freak]

*shrug*

"Asian" can refer to all of Asia (including India), or just East Asia (mostly China/Vietnam and etc.). I've never been called "oriental" but I wouldn't get offended, its just a more precise term to refer to East Asians.

 

[Dudewithoutapet]

I'm sorry but WTF does PC mean? I tried looking for it on Google but to no avail. I admit I did not read the several pages of post on here, but I did do a sear for "PC means" in case someone asked before me. TIA to any help on this.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: LoKe
Can I refer to someone as a "Jew"?

no...but you can refer to somebody as your jewish friend...

 

[b0mbrman]

Cross-link

 

[LukeMan]

Originally posted by: yosuke188
I prefer that they use neither of those terms, but decribe by the country of origin. I know... it's difficult sometimes, but I don't like being generalized as Asian.

But if you must, use Asian. Oriental is definitely for objects.

most of us white people can not distinguish between vietnamese, thai, chinese, korean, etc. It's like trying to distinguish between a german/norwegian/dutch/belgian/danish/etc, or a south african/congan?/kenyan/etc.

 

[meltdown75]

On those old Shell World of Golf matches, the announcers were so non-PC it is hilarious. I remember one segment where an Asian player was making a bunker shot, and the announcer said, "Watch the wizardry of the Orient in action!" :laugh:

 

[iskim86]

i call them ornamentals