☆ENGLISH ONLY☆コミュの"Asian" or "Oriental"

Was wondering...as I keep having this debate with my friends about this.

In the UK, anyone that looks like they are from India, Pakistan, Bangaladesh, etc. or are like "brown"/darker skin toned are considered "Asian".
Anyone who is Chinese, Singaporean, Japanese, etc. or "yellow"/fair skined but not white is considered "Oriental".

Apparently in the US, that's a no no.
U can't use the term Oriental as it's not PC.

However, I couldn't get away with calling myself "Asian" in the UK! I'd get some very funny looks!!

Any thoughts out there on this?

コメント(33)

最初
全て
最新の40件

[1] mixiユーザー 03月24日 10:12

I guess it depends. Would it be a problem to keep calling yourself "Oriental" in the U.K.? You just have to remember to switch to "Oriental" if/when you come to the U.S. :)

[2] mixiユーザー 03月24日 10:15

i am cool with that. what the hell is wrong with it?
those political groups are just hilarious in the stupid way,(in my opinion)

[3] mixiユーザー 03月24日 10:53

I never actually call myself oriental. That just doesn't seem to fit. Asian maybe... but I consider India, Pakistan, Bangaladeshto be the middle east and I don't really know how to express it but the truely asian areas asia.

don't see a reason to try and group them into one anyway.

[4] mixiユーザー 03月24日 11:04

You can stop worrying about this all together if you just call yourself Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietmanese, Laosian, etc. . . .

All that P.C. stuff in the U.S. is bullshit anyway. As long as you watch your mouth around the tight-asses, you'll be okay.

[5] mixiユーザー 03月24日 12:25

America is waaaayyyyy to PC, just about anything said can be scrutinized to mean something different and negative than what was intended.

[6] mixiユーザー 03月24日 12:42

the different use of the word "asian" is pretty interesting.

[7] mixiユーザー 03月24日 12:48

Oriental = outdated and offensive to many people.
Asian = current and generally preferred term. See the "Asian-American" topic for some discussions on the term.

My personal preference is to refer to people in the way that they prefer to be called - some people would rather be identified by their ethnicity, such as Japanese Canadian, Vietnamese American, Filipino, etc.

[8] mixiユーザー 03月24日 12:50

↑yeah, if you're in north america. but other countries use english too.

[9] mixiユーザー 03月24日 13:00

you mean other countries besides North America really count in the world for these label terms?

I thought the world uses the North America English Standard...

Let's get back to Standard/Orthodox English...

[10] mixiユーザー 03月24日 13:02

Just for curiosity, I want to know how a word become not PC. I guess Oriental originally meant eastern Asian region, without any mening of offence. Then at some point it began to be used in some offensive manner or something. Asian is now PC, but in the future it might be not PC, if people begin to use it in offensive manner.

This PC sort of thing also exits in Japanese, like "mekura" meaning blind is not used any more. Then people begin to invent new expression. After a while, it becomes not PC and invent new expression... and so one.

Actually I think the whole PC sort of thing is just nonsense.

[11] mixiユーザー 03月24日 13:02

When i hear oriental i thing about carpets. would you wanna be called CARPET?

[12] mixiユーザー 03月24日 13:07

When I hear oriental, I think of Chung King Oriental Frozen Foods...would you wanna be called FROZEN EGG ROLL?

[13] mixiユーザー 03月24日 13:10

when I hear American, I think of American Express. Would you like to be called EXPRESS?

Well, I like this sort of nonsense. ;)

[14] mixiユーザー 03月24日 13:11

although the UK and the US both speak the english language, within the two, they will consist of different slangs and certain words might have different meanings.

you might as well just call yourself where exactly you're from, people will understand and itll avoid misunderstanding.

[15] mixiユーザー 03月24日 13:17

When I hear Canadian, I think of Canadian Geese, would you like to be called a GOOSE?...oops...laid another egg...

[16] mixiユーザー 03月24日 13:18

Sure, I have never introduced myself as Asian or Oriental, because it's not necessary. I always introduce myself as Japanese.

[17] mixiユーザー 03月24日 13:20

Wow, I introduce myself as being American...I just look Japanese...

[19] mixiユーザー 03月24日 13:53

I introduce myself as Gary. An asian Japanese Canadian. I tell people the national animal of Canada is the mighty beaver. They gnaw trees down into streams and generally cause lots of problems for farmers. Farmers want to shoot beavers, but it's hard to shoot the national animal of Canada without animal rights activists marching on your home with torches and machetes.

I like PC. The Progressive Conservative party of Canada has a very strong foothold in Alberta. The PC will last forever in Alberta. As long as there is oil.

Thank you

[20] mixiユーザー 03月24日 14:11

Seki san,

I totally agree with you. I feel that any words can be used in an offensitve way; it is up to the person who put certain meanings behind them. "Asian" may be a PC word now, but it may not be in the future. Language is a living thing that constantly evolves. Add subtle differences within the same language spoken in various parts of the world, and you get a beast.

Dragon san,

I'd say, since you live in the UK, you just go with how the word is used there. You are smarter for knowing the connotation in the US

[21] mixiユーザー 03月24日 14:43

Thanks for leaving so many comments everyone!
I think everyone has a valid point.

yosef: There are different words used for the same things in the UK & the US. However the Brits tend to know both, but the Americans don't. I have come across so many over here like that! THey think "British English" is cute or quaint.

くりちゃん: Actually I'm living in Japan right now. (Check out my profile.) & Thanks 4 the compliment!!

[22] mixiユーザー 03月24日 14:45

What I was told was that Oriental is an adjective that refers to objects, particularly inanimate ones, such as rugs, tea or bootstraps.

Asian is an adjective that can be used to describe a person.

[23] mixiユーザー 03月24日 15:39

Dragon san,
Ooops! Sorry for assuming that you were a native Japanese person living in the UK. I should have checked your profile first (and interesting one I might say).

It's interesting that you mentioned British know the differences but not the Americans. How does one gain the knowledge in the UK?

[24] mixiユーザー 03月24日 15:46

くりちゃん: Thanks 4 another compliment! (>_<)
I don't actually know for sure why we "Brits" know more American words but I suspect it's the TV soaps/dramas that we get from the US. They were/are very popular in the UK.

[25] mixiユーザー 03月24日 15:49

american media is all pervasive.

[26] mixiユーザー 03月24日 15:52

Brits make awesome comedy though. Monty Python movies, Fawlty Towers, Mr. Bean, Benny Hill, etc.

[27] mixiユーザー 03月24日 15:59

I simply introduce myself as Chinese. I also have the same question as seki's. Since when has "oriental" become not PC?

[28] mixiユーザー 03月24日 16:04

Depend on your taste but there's a lot to be said for US sitcoms as well as British ones...obviously the humour is different but what's wrong with some "cultural expansion" eh?! :p My friends tell me the few Scottish ones they've watched have been hard to understand but that's more down to accents! lol

Bring back "Men Behaving Badly" (UK version only!! Sorry but the US version was really bad!!) & "Red Dwarf"!!
Wouldn't mind watching "Friends" & "ER" again too... :)

[29] mixiユーザー 03月24日 17:46

Once again, I reference Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalism

Edward Said rocks.

[31] mixiユーザー 03月24日 21:25

Complicated enough?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian

[32] mixiユーザー 03月25日 01:12

さぃ…> he he, after reading all that wikipedia, I'm inclined to say who cares now? Too complicated to get accurately for the everyday layman who has to speak in generalizations anyway..

[33] mixiユーザー 03月25日 01:29

Orientalism

Asianism

why isn't there Asianism?

so, will I eventually become a Orietalite, Orientalian, Orientalese, Orientalo, Orientalli, Orientalan, or Orientalish

OR

Asianese, Asianite, Asianan, Asiano, Asianli, or Asianish

Does anyone remember Danger Mouse and Count Duckula?
but why does Count Duckula have an American Accent?

Have you noticed in recent times British, Australian actors/actresses with British accents are starting to appear on the big screen & tv series in the US?

last time, I remember great prime time series were Secret Agent Man & The Avengers...

PBS had Dr. Who...any fans of Dr. Who?
he became a Marvel Comics series...don't know how long it lasted...

maybe someone will look it up at wikipedia.org

but what does this have to do with "Asian" or "Oriental"?

oh...the new season of Lost...with the Hunk Korean Guy...

Daniel Dae Kim..."Kim surfaces as sex symbol on 'Lost'"

USA Today Wed March 22, 2006 Page 8B

wonder what he thinks?

ログインすると、残り2件のコメントが見れるよ