A Question for people with an asian backround

Just wondering what do you guys think about the word Oriental? like this Oriental man lives at my building. I don't know why but for me I just feel the word doesn't feel right or maybe the ways it's used. I'd rather be reffered to as Asian maybe i'm over sensitive but that's how I see it.

Another thing People always say to me you speak good english I always thought that was unusual since I've lived in America my whole life.

Another thing People I see out might start to talk Korean,Chinese, or Hmong to me and I don't know the language. So it's a little strange when that happens.

Just sharing some stories about things that I have encountered being asian.

Korian

i love the word oriental. it just has this mystique to it that makes me think of something so.. so... beautiful ? lack of a better word for my imagination right now. the term/word oriental is *supposed* to be offensive (so i've heard), but i don't see how it is if that's what we are. it's rarely used when refered to people, but commonly used for rugs, vases and other stuff.

i've never come across someone telling me i speak good english, but if it does i'll have a great stupid answer to that. maybe i have, i just don't remember it. and i've rarely come across people coming up to me speaking chinese like i know it. i can understand what they say, but i rarely speak. i do get a tad uncomfortable if that's what everyone is speaking.

the best things i love about being asian are the stereotypes. i dont't find them particularly offensive, but i find them hilarious. like when i'm talking to someone i've just met and they ask if i know martial arts just because. the things i'm annoyed by are those wack ass AzNs always sporting the tricked out car and the long ass bangs (AzNs may vary from area to area). i prefer to call them typical azns because that's the typical look for them in the area. i'm also annoyed by FOBs... but that's a whole 'nother story.

The word "oriental" is very offensive since it harkens back to the early/mid/late 20th century asian stereotype. I don't like it, and I'm sure many [asian] people on these boards feel the same way.

Nah, doesn't really bother me. It's not "chink," at least.

i'd rather be called a chink or oriental than be called AzN. but that's just me...

Since I live in Vancouver where about one third of the population has an Asian background, I feel like giving my perspective to this thread.

The term "oriental" has never been offensive where I live as far as I can tell. The term isn't used nearly as much as a decade ago but Asians and non-Asians would use the term all the time. So to me, it blows my mind that people find the term offensive since I have used it so many times and never with a negative tone.

Also, people with Asian backgrounds here vary so much that I doubt anyone would assume much about you. Many Asian people here are recent immigrants and have very poor English while many others were born here and no nothing but English.

Yea, I read up on that. Something to do with early 20 century stereotypes. I also remember reading that there was this stereotype about asian chicks having horizontally shaped/slanted vaginas(to match with the eyes). Hey, don't look at me.... I didn't start these hick rumors.

Doesn't bother me, but then again a lot of things don't bother me.

I am not Asian, but I think I can contribute something to this thread.

I grew up in an Asian community in New Jersey, just outside of NYC. I am not sure the exact figure but in my school 40% of my classmates were Asian. In fact, until I moved (when I was older) every friend I had was Asian (mainly Japanese but also Korean, Chinese, Indian, etc) with only one exception. So, I grew up in an Asian culture and in many ways it feels like "my" culture, far more so that "american" (I never considered myself that anyway, and I am even emmigrating right now partially for that reason).

Ahem, anyway, I always found the word "oriental" offensive. I grew up in a very diverse area and because of that I only rarely was exposed to racism, especially among other children. I find that happens a lot more often in less diverse areas. But my feelings pretty much echo yours Korian. I cringe when I hear people say something like your example. Depending on the situation sometimes I politely correct them and sometimes I just ignore it. I remember being 13-14 and I heard my uncle refer to people as "orientals", I was so pissed off and offended that I went and told my father about it and he told me to ignore him. :(

Anyway, I thought I'd add my 2¢ from a unique perspective.

Being referred to as Oriental or even as a Flip (slang for Filipino) doesn't offend me, really only the word Chink does, and I've been called that a few times in my life from a derogatory standpoint, and it isn't pleasant.

I think the word "Oriental" adds a little bit of mistake to the Eastern culture of that part of the word, and is pretty firmly engrained in our society. Though it is far more politically correct to just say Asian, Oriental is just used so commonly nowadays, to me at least, any negative racial tones it once carried don't really apply anymore.

Not only that, but I feel the word "Oriental" differs us a little more from the general term "Asian", which could also refer to people of non-Oriental decent like Russians and Indians, countries which are part of the region of the world referred to as Asia, technically making them Asians as well. But when someone is "Oriental", that pretty firmly places them as being from Japan, China, Taiwan, Philippines, or the Indochina region of the world.