[quote=harvey]BTW, why did “oriental” get replaced by “asian.” I never completely understood that one.
I say “asian” because it’s fewer syllables.
My mom still says “oriental” – many in her generation probably still do. I know she doesn’t mean any harm by it.
“Oriental” just means “eastern,” which is still used to describe that part of the world in other contexts.
Does this bill actually mention asians (or orientals) specifically?[/quote]
For some, “oriental” I guess has connotations to “objects”…instead of people…Personally, if someone who isn’t aware of this accidentally says “oriental man” (doesn’t happen as much these days), chances are they don’t mean it to be offensive to begin with. I think there’s a lot more ways a person can be intentionally offensive using much more PC/polite words….So for me, I wouldn’t make a big deal about it… It’s all in the context….
Example would be the botched newscast in SF after the Asiana flight crash…
