Words mean different things in different places. I reckon the OP must come from near where I live (somewhere in the UK), as we use the same terms. Asian = Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi. Oriental = Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese etc.
The reason is simply a way of defining people. Asia, correctly, would include everything from India to Japan, the Phillipines etc. I live in a very multicultural city with a very large Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Sri Lankan population. Because you can't really say "that Indian bloke", because he might be from Pakistan and therefore be rather peeved that you've said he's Indian, we use the word Asian. And obviously only if you need to describe someone. "The woman I came to see was... erm...." "Which one? The white one or the Asian one?"
Although it's most likely that an 'Oriental' person is Chinese, seeing as that's the largest population amongst Orientals in my city, it's not useful to say, "the Asian person", when you mean someone who's Oriental because it's too confusing. And so as not to call a Chinese person Japanese (cos they get annoyed by that for various historical reasons) or whathaveyou, if you need to describe someone it's easiest to say "Oriental". That way you're narrowing it down a bit so the person you mean isn't the Asian one. Or the black one. Or the white one. Or the mixed-race one. Or the Meditteranean one. Or the Eastern European one... you get the picture.
Some people have said, "My god, you can't use the words Oriental or Asian!" but I've never actually heard an Asian person say "Don't be calling me Asian!" And Oriental people don't get peed off cos they realise what you mean.
It's just people reclaiming words that have been used as insults/whatever/come loaded with historical baggage. In Australia, there's a large population with Far Eastern roots, so when they say Asian, they mean what people where I live would call Oriental.
Though I must say that I don't particularly like using the word 'Oriental' and I can usually work out which country they or their roots are from. Seeing as I can speak Japanese.
Erm... I'm being a bit too srzbzns for stupid_free, I know, but I just wanted to explain....
Because people only say "Oriental" cos they're not sure what else to say. I think people tend to say "Chinese" just because most of the... ahem... people of Pacific rim origin where I live are Chinese (or BBC, which I think is meant to be slyly ironic). So you run less risk of being OMG OFFENSIVE!
Re: I have heard this argument before.pettythiefApril 26 2007, 18:55:39 UTC
I would, but the trouble is it's not how everyone else where I lives uses those terms. Especially with most Asian people here coming from the northern states of India, they might think southern a bit odd! And then people might not unstand what each other's on about.... Argh... getting tied in PC knots...
Re: I have heard this argument before.mayaApril 26 2007, 19:01:55 UTC
south asia is a general term used to describe anyone from india and pakistan as the "south" part of it refers to the regions place within asia - not the individual's origin within the region. i've never heard of it being offensive - you can rest easy while using it.
Not where I live in Britain! It just seems that people use these terms to describe each other, and that's that. What countries does 'central Asian' refer to?
Quite interesting to see that no one can decide on exactly which bits refer to central Asia! Unesco seem to think it includes chunks of China and India, by the looks of it. Umm... which makes our job of finding handy catch-all terms for places and people even more confusing... *weeping PC tears*
Re reclaiming words: anyone want to tell this committee they're using the wrong word to describe themselves? (Sheffield Hallam University's Oriental Society)
The reason is simply a way of defining people. Asia, correctly, would include everything from India to Japan, the Phillipines etc. I live in a very multicultural city with a very large Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Sri Lankan population. Because you can't really say "that Indian bloke", because he might be from Pakistan and therefore be rather peeved that you've said he's Indian, we use the word Asian. And obviously only if you need to describe someone. "The woman I came to see was... erm...." "Which one? The white one or the Asian one?"
Although it's most likely that an 'Oriental' person is Chinese, seeing as that's the largest population amongst Orientals in my city, it's not useful to say, "the Asian person", when you mean someone who's Oriental because it's too confusing. And so as not to call a Chinese person Japanese (cos they get annoyed by that for various historical reasons) or whathaveyou, if you need to describe someone it's easiest to say "Oriental". That way you're narrowing it down a bit so the person you mean isn't the Asian one. Or the black one. Or the white one. Or the mixed-race one. Or the Meditteranean one. Or the Eastern European one... you get the picture.
Some people have said, "My god, you can't use the words Oriental or Asian!" but I've never actually heard an Asian person say "Don't be calling me Asian!" And Oriental people don't get peed off cos they realise what you mean.
It's just people reclaiming words that have been used as insults/whatever/come loaded with historical baggage. In Australia, there's a large population with Far Eastern roots, so when they say Asian, they mean what people where I live would call Oriental.
Though I must say that I don't particularly like using the word 'Oriental' and I can usually work out which country they or their roots are from. Seeing as I can speak Japanese.
Erm... I'm being a bit too srzbzns for stupid_free, I know, but I just wanted to explain....
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Because people only say "Oriental" cos they're not sure what else to say. I think people tend to say "Chinese" just because most of the... ahem... people of Pacific rim origin where I live are Chinese (or BBC, which I think is meant to be slyly ironic). So you run less risk of being OMG OFFENSIVE!
I'm a nice white person. Hai, so desu ne.
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Damn bloody confusing words... argh!
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By Central Asia I meant Kazakhstan etc. -- isn't it a term?
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although if wikipedia is to be believed about the countries included in middle asia, i shall simply refer to them as "THE STANS"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Asia
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