First off, let me begin by apologizing if I offended anyone when I used this word in another thread. That was not my intent. I am not prejudiced or racist, and I always thought it just meant 'people from China', just like 'American' means 'people from America'. Now, I have to ask, if you do find it offensive, why? What is derogatory about that word? How did it become derogatory? What word should be used instead? -- droxford
people are way to caught up in labels and being "PC" and not being offended by what others say. if someone uses a racist word, it only exposes their ignorance and stupidity, it doesn't harm me in anyway. I don't become the racist word. So I could care less about labeling certain words as racist or offensive.
This doesn't make any sense: at first you say, By that statement, it sounds like you really don't care what people say. then, you say, Well, that contradicts your first statement. Now it sounds as if you do care about what people say, and that you feel that people who make 'racist statements' are stupid and ignorant. Then, you finish with After saying that 'racist words' make people sound stupid, you now say that you could 'care less about labeling certain words as racist or offensive'. HUH? -- droxford
three considerations: 1) context: where was it used, by whom and to whom 2) intent: what was your purpose in using it 3) audience: what's humorous for some is always insulting for others. joking about driving drunk might appeal to some, but generally not to mothers for lost kids to it... referring to your use of the term, analogies may be appropriate: "a million rednecks/white boys are gonna to vote for brad miller" "a million *****s are gonna to vote for shaq" "rednecks" and "*****s" may not always be used to demean, but i think you'll be walking a fine line regardless. i think the term "chinamen" is nowhere nearly as offensive as "chink" or "slant-eyes", just as "redneck" and "******" are not as offensive as say "po' white trash" or "jungle apes" simply due to relatively more prevalent usage in non-offensive contexts. nonetheless, it's a good idea to use terms like "chinese" or "asians" instead when in doubt.
Thanks for your reply Two things.... Does this mean that people can scream 'racist!' at me for ANY word if it's in a certain context?!?!? That's ridiculous I just used it to mean "people from China". I would think the Chinese would be proud and honored by it, as I am proud an honored when people refer to me as "American" rather than "a person from America". -- droxford
I did some searching on the net and it appears that the word was used by slave masters to refer to Chinese slaves or indentured servants. It was adopted by early citizens of this country to refer to anyone of Asian descent or even anyone who simply looked Asian.
ok i understand how what I said seemed confusing I should of been more clear and concise, but I've never have been good at expressing my thoughts into words I'll try again I think there are two seperate aspects to this issue: the words themselves and the people that use them. The words themselves I don't find offensive. They are only words and I have more self-confidence and self-assurance than to let someone else's words change that.
I think I understand your meaning. Offensive words really mean nothing to you, and you feel that people who are truly racist are ignorant and stupid. Fortunately, my use of the word was not meant to be delivered in a negative way at all. <br> <br> I still don't understand what parts of the word 'Chinamen' are offensive, though. Obviously, I will stop using it, by I still don't understand. -- droxford
Jeff wins the prize. it was used as a derogatory term during the cali gold rush and train era, just like the N word was used during slavery. of course asian rappers like Jin are using it more, that makes it another word that eminem can't say without getting blasted by the "source"
It is offensive. Only the bad guys on the Kung-Fu series would call David Caradine 'chinaman'. They'd usually laugh after they said it too, like they really burned him good.
droxford, when i first read your post [chinamen], i was just kinda like "okay.." but didn't think much of it. i'm not chinese, but i did find it to be kinda rude. i agree with Lil's post about the context. you didn't write much, so it seemed like you meant it in a different way. last year in my bio II class, a teacher came in to visit with my teacher. i go up to my teacher to ask her something, and the other teacher was like "oh look, you have an oriental girl in your class." He's said other racist comments to be funny before. I don't find them very amusing, because I don't know him. My other teacher occasionally uses the word "oriental." I'd rather be identified as Asian, but it doesn't really bother me when he comments about other "oriental people" because I know him and I know he doesn't mean to be rude or anything. I'm glad you clarified yourself before it became any worse
So you see no problems with the calling black people the N word, hispanics the S word and White people the C word? But in all honesty I agree it's only lables. I used the N word a lot in fifth and sixth grade because every one around me used it (my school had a pretty big black population), never used it as an derogratory way though. For the longest time, I thought it meant friends (immigrant learning the language and everyone used it when addressing you or talking to you) until I moved to the suburbs and people started to stare when I used it. But I don't use it anymore since I know it's true meaning, and that unlike my friends I had in middle school, a black person that I don't know would be offended if I used the word. The same holds true for Chinaman, Cracker, and Spicks, if people can find it insulting, don't use it.
Wow...if nobody RIPS YOUR HEAD OFF in this thread, it's gonna tell me a lot about the members of this site.
I dont want to be blunt, or rude, but how exactly is the word ORIENTAL racist. I mean I have had people flip out on me before for using that word, but tell you the truth no one ever gave me a reason. I find it even more racist when a person from oriental background flips out on a person from south asia who says that they are asian, its like they are saying You aren't asian you are INDIAN/ Terrorist/ paki or something to that effect. I mean IF they didnt have their head up their *** so high they would be able to realize that south ASIA is also part of asia and that the natives from these countries should be allowed to consider themselves ASIAN. I mean everytime i fill out a college application/work form/ anything that asks about race i double guess myself, I dont know if the Asian is relative to People from china,japan,vietnam etc, or people all over asia (many middle eastern countries included)
FYI, people from China are called Chinese... There aren't any Japanmans or Francemans. The word started out derrogatory and stuck in lazy tongue, but it's there for a reason and it wasn't to make the Chinese people feel privileged.
