[CAUT] Odds & Ends - The ethnic angle - OT

David Skolnik davidskolnik@optonline.net
Tue, 18 Oct 2005 22:29:40 -0400


---------------------- multipart/related attachment

--Boundary_(ID_HSJBZs4iy9iUtq2CgyzLXw)
At 12:24 PM 10/18/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>List,

>  We have quite a few Orientals & probably some others that have fairly=20
> small hands & it could be especially useful for them.

>Avery

Hi Avery -
As you may not have a chance to order a new flame suit before the cauls=20
start coming in, I thought I'd insert this passage, quoted=20
from  freedictionary.com:

>o
>[]
>ri=B7en
>[]
>tal=B7ly adv.
>Usage Note: Asian is now strongly preferred in place of Oriental for=20
>persons native to Asia or descended from an Asian people. The usual=20
>objection to Oriental
>[]
>meaning "eastern"
>[]
>is that it identifies Asian countries and peoples in terms of their=20
>location relative to Europe. However, this objection is not generally made=
=20
>of other Eurocentric terms such as Near and Middle Eastern. The real=20
>problem with Oriental is more likely its connotations stemming from an=20
>earlier era when Europeans viewed the regions east of the Mediterranean as=
=20
>exotic lands full of romance and intrigue, the home of despotic empires=20
>and inscrutable customs. At the least these associations can give Oriental=
=20
>a dated feel, and as a noun in contemporary contexts (as in the first=20
>Oriental to be elected from the district) it is now widely taken to be=20
>offensive. However, Oriental should not be thought of as an ethnic slur to=
=20
>be avoided in all situations. As with Asiatic, its use other than as an=20
>ethnonym, in phrases such as Oriental cuisine or Oriental medicine, is not=
=20
>usually considered objectionable.

Frankly, I'm not sure if an ethnic Korean, for example, would be any more=20
(or less) insulted being referred to as an Asian than he or she might be=20
when spoken of as an Oriental.   What if "Asia" meant "Land to the East of=
=20
those "?  It would still be defining a population relative to some other=20
population.  If we, as "Westerners" could easily discern a Laotian from a=20
Cambodian from a Burmese or a Myanmarian, (:O), we would be less inclined=20
to employ such collective nouns.

So, Avery, here's your act of deep penitence: find out, from Admissions=20
Office the actual student population breakdown by nationality, and, for=20
added karma, measure and correlate their hand sizes.  :)   Well, I thought=
=20
it was funny anyway, but maybe I need a flame suit too.

David Skolnik




--Boundary_(ID_HSJBZs4iy9iUtq2CgyzLXw)
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/6a/18/e5/78/attachment.htm

--Boundary_(ID_HSJBZs4iy9iUtq2CgyzLXw)--

---------------------- multipart/related attachment
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 22dbbd8.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1095 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/07/8a/ca/ab/22dbbd8.jpg

---------------------- multipart/related attachment
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 22dbc07.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1107 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/c9/c8/2c/f0/22dbc07.jpg

---------------------- multipart/related attachment
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 22dbc26.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 965 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/ff/cf/7f/4f/22dbc26.jpg

---------------------- multipart/related attachment--

This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC