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Politically Correct?

Am I being politically correct in the example given?


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Redress

Liberal Fascist For Life!
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We have had a few discussions on the topic of politically correct topics lately, and it reminded me of a conversation on these boards from quite some time ago. I cannot remember what the discussion was about so the other person will remain nameless and hopefully unidentifiable. Who it is is not important. What I am going to ask is if I was being politically correct in this discussion.

Conversation: something about Asians, some one calls Asians "oriental", another person points out that properly, the correct term is Asian.

Me: I learned some time ago that Asian refers to people, Oriental to objects, so I always use Asian

Other person: You are just being Politically Correct.

Me: I don't think I am, it is effortless on my part to say Asian and I then don't have to worry about offending any one accidentally.

Other Person: Exactly, you are trying not to offend, so you are being PC.

Now, obviously this is somewhat paraphrased and condensed from a longer conversation. What I want to know though, is in the example I gave as I gave it, am I being Politically Correct to use the term Asian instead of Oriental?
 
You're basic Asian isn't necessarily a Chink, but any oriental I'd say is a Gook.

Hope that helps.
 
Moderator's Warning:
Let's be careful with some of the "racial" or "ethnic" comments, even if they are being used in jest or to further the discussion.
 
As far as I am aware Oriental is simply the opposite of the term Occidental

Though I have to admit some Asians look at Western civilisation as one great big "occident":p
 
The issue with "oriental" is that it's Eurocentric-- "orient" is Latin for "east". Hell, they're west of America.

As far as PC goes, if I know someone, I call them what they prefer to be called. I'm only PC with people I don't know.
 
The issue with "oriental" is that it's Eurocentric-- "orient" is Latin for "east". Hell, they're west of America.

Well, since we live on a sphere they're east of America, west of America, and north and south too.

As far as the OP goes, it was maybe a little bit politically correct, but for the most part, I think it was just modern. Oriental is not so much offensive as outdated.
 
Yeah, that's pretty much the definition of PC. Modifying behaviour so as not to give unnecessary and unintended offence.
 
The issue with "oriental" is that it's Eurocentric-- "orient" is Latin for "east". Hell, they're west of America.

Yes, everyone knows you can't get there by flying east.
 
Yeah, that's pretty much the definition of PC. Modifying behaviour so as not to give unnecessary and unintended offence.

Exactly. When I give offense, I want to know I'm doing it and I want the victim to know I know it.
 
We have had a few discussions on the topic of politically correct topics lately, and it reminded me of a conversation on these boards from quite some time ago. I cannot remember what the discussion was about so the other person will remain nameless and hopefully unidentifiable. Who it is is not important. What I am going to ask is if I was being politically correct in this discussion.

Conversation: something about Asians, some one calls Asians "oriental", another person points out that properly, the correct term is Asian.

Me: I learned some time ago that Asian refers to people, Oriental to objects, so I always use Asian

Other person: You are just being Politically Correct.

Me: I don't think I am, it is effortless on my part to say Asian and I then don't have to worry about offending any one accidentally.

Other Person: Exactly, you are trying not to offend, so you are being PC.

Now, obviously this is somewhat paraphrased and condensed from a longer conversation. What I want to know though, is in the example I gave as I gave it, am I being Politically Correct to use the term Asian instead of Oriental?

"Oriental" has traditionally referred to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean ethnicities. "Asian," as it is used today, covers a much broader group of people. So I'd say it's not simply a matter of political correctness, but a shift in terminology due to the fact that we have more folks in this country of Asian origin who aren't Orientals than we did when the term "Oriental" was more in vogue.
 
We have had a few discussions on the topic of politically correct topics lately, and it reminded me of a conversation on these boards from quite some time ago. I cannot remember what the discussion was about so the other person will remain nameless and hopefully unidentifiable. Who it is is not important. What I am going to ask is if I was being politically correct in this discussion.

Conversation: something about Asians, some one calls Asians "oriental", another person points out that properly, the correct term is Asian.

Me: I learned some time ago that Asian refers to people, Oriental to objects, so I always use Asian

Other person: You are just being Politically Correct.

Me: I don't think I am, it is effortless on my part to say Asian and I then don't have to worry about offending any one accidentally.

Other Person: Exactly, you are trying not to offend, so you are being PC.

Now, obviously this is somewhat paraphrased and condensed from a longer conversation. What I want to know though, is in the example I gave as I gave it, am I being Politically Correct to use the term Asian instead of Oriental?

You're being very PC, because I bet you wouldn't normally make a reference to, "oriental", food vice, "Asian", food.
 
We have had a few discussions on the topic of politically correct topics lately, and it reminded me of a conversation on these boards from quite some time ago. I cannot remember what the discussion was about so the other person will remain nameless and hopefully unidentifiable. Who it is is not important. What I am going to ask is if I was being politically correct in this discussion.

Conversation: something about Asians, some one calls Asians "oriental", another person points out that properly, the correct term is Asian.

Me: I learned some time ago that Asian refers to people, Oriental to objects, so I always use Asian

Other person: You are just being Politically Correct.

Me: I don't think I am, it is effortless on my part to say Asian and I then don't have to worry about offending any one accidentally.

Other Person: Exactly, you are trying not to offend, so you are being PC.

Now, obviously this is somewhat paraphrased and condensed from a longer conversation. What I want to know though, is in the example I gave as I gave it, am I being Politically Correct to use the term Asian instead of Oriental?

personally, i don't see why anyone thinks being "PC" is wrong. if there's a chance that a person would think you were being rude, why not avoid that? for me, it's common courtesy, good manners. which some people seem to think can be overlooked.
 
personally, i don't see why anyone thinks being "PC" is wrong. if there's a chance that a person would think you were being rude, why not avoid that? for me, it's common courtesy, good manners. which some people seem to think can be overlooked.

Because it's idiotic to tippy-toe around people's silly sensibilities. People should have more important things to get excited about and if they don't, there's something wrong with them.

Besides that political correctness is nothing but thought engineering, that sometimes results in trampling on our liberties.
 
personally, i don't see why anyone thinks being "PC" is wrong. if there's a chance that a person would think you were being rude, why not avoid that? for me, it's common courtesy, good manners. which some people seem to think can be overlooked.

she beat me to it
better to be politically correct than politically in error


back in the day, the use of 'oriental' was widespread and acceptable. so was the use of 'negro' to describe one's race
today, both give the appearance of bad form; a mark of ignorance, if you will

i find the use of the word 'jap' to be quite derisive, while many (often old) people use it freely. (most) with no intent to demean the japanese. our lexicon is rife with such distinctions ... to a degree, the choices reveal the users' level of sophistication
 
Because it's idiotic to tippy-toe around people's silly sensibilities. People should have more important things to get excited about and if they don't, there's something wrong with them.

Besides that political correctness is nothing but thought engineering, that sometimes results in trampling on our liberties.

I agree with apdst partially. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Of course, this also means that religious conservatives who are against gay marriage have to stop whining about their little notion of marriage being destroyed by gay folks because that's pure BS.
 
You're being very PC, because I bet you wouldn't normally make a reference to, "oriental", food vice, "Asian", food.

Meh, I've heard people use both. Usually people more specifically say Thai food or Chinese food, so it's not a huge deal.
 
Because it's idiotic to tippy-toe around people's silly sensibilities. People should have more important things to get excited about and if they don't, there's something wrong with them.

Besides that political correctness is nothing but thought engineering, that sometimes results in trampling on our liberties.

polite people respect others and their sensibilities.
 
I agree with apdst partially. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Of course, this also means that religious conservatives who are against gay marriage have to stop whining about their little notion of marriage being destroyed by gay folks because that's pure BS.

not really. i think as you age you will find more value in good manners. because really, what's the POINT of offending someone purposely?
 
polite people respect others and their sensibilities.

I agree, but people who are overly sensitive need to grow up, too.

My point is, political correctness has, in more than one instance, been used for thought control.
 
Usually people more specifically say Thai food or Chinese food, so it's not a huge deal.

Are you talking Hunan, Szechuan, Cantonese, or what?
 
not really. i think as you age you will find more value in good manners. because really, what's the POINT of offending someone purposely?

Sometimes they have to coming. Just sayin...
 
I agree with apdst partially. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Of course, this also means that religious conservatives who are against gay marriage have to stop whining about their little notion of marriage being destroyed by gay folks because that's pure BS.

that is something else entirely which might deserve its own thread
there is no reason not to distinguish between a marriage between a man and a woman and a civil union between individuals of the same gender
the civil union designation would be no less a legal union but it is not the same as a marriage of spouses of differing genders
 
personally, i don't see why anyone thinks being "PC" is wrong. if there's a chance that a person would think you were being rude, why not avoid that? for me, it's common courtesy, good manners. which some people seem to think can be overlooked.

An individual can choose what words to use for themselves and there's nothing wrong with that. It's when they start expecting everyone else to use the same terminology because they're convinced that nobody ought to be offended, ever, for any reason, that it becomes PC and extremely wrong. Make your own decisions, allow everyone else to do the same. Enforced group-think is wrong.
 
We have had a few discussions on the topic of politically correct topics lately, and it reminded me of a conversation on these boards from quite some time ago. I cannot remember what the discussion was about so the other person will remain nameless and hopefully unidentifiable. Who it is is not important. What I am going to ask is if I was being politically correct in this discussion.

Conversation: something about Asians, some one calls Asians "oriental", another person points out that properly, the correct term is Asian.

Me: I learned some time ago that Asian refers to people, Oriental to objects, so I always use Asian

Other person: You are just being Politically Correct.

Me: I don't think I am, it is effortless on my part to say Asian and I then don't have to worry about offending any one accidentally.

Other Person: Exactly, you are trying not to offend, so you are being PC.

Now, obviously this is somewhat paraphrased and condensed from a longer conversation. What I want to know though, is in the example I gave as I gave it, am I being Politically Correct to use the term Asian instead of Oriental?
No, it's not being politically correct because Asians aren't objects. It's just "correct".

Another point, I find it a bit annoying and even more damaging to society than actual political correctness that people are now referring to manners as political correctness seemingly as means to excuse themselves from the common courtesy of respecting people and being polite. I consider it much more damaging to go around saying things to purposely offend people than to use language that facilitates conversation.

It seems to me that most of the people who complain relentlessly about political correctness are just social retards who never learned the importance of language and don't want to take responsibility for the reactions they get from people.
 
An individual can choose what words to use for themselves and there's nothing wrong with that. It's when they start expecting everyone else to use the same terminology because they're convinced that nobody ought to be offended, ever, for any reason, that it becomes PC and extremely wrong. Make your own decisions, allow everyone else to do the same. Enforced group-think is wrong.

i never said nobody should be offended, ever, for any reason. i just believe a little consideration never hurt anyone. if you or others feel it's more important to use a word that could offend someone rather than to consider their feelings, so be it. i think most of the time, another word would suffice, and the only reason people use offensive words is too denigrate the other person AND to attract attention to themselves.
 
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