I had a rare encounter with a racist today.

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Mineshaft_Gap

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Something got under my skin today...

My roommate's dad came out to the apartment visit her, he and I were introduced to each other and somehow the conversation veered into the subject of my family, which led to race. Whereupon he used the word oriental to describe my family and I. At first I let it slide but then he kept saying it. I just sort of figured that maybe he didn't realize it was rude and rather than allow him to continue embarrassing himself I politely pointed out that "Oriental" isn't the acceptable nomenclature when referring to a person of Asian ancestry.

I was surprised to be met with some resistance. The guy started going on about political correctness and how it wasn't offensive. He went so far as to pull up the definition on his phone to support his argument. He gets down to the point where it says "sometimes offensive" and rather than lose steam he changes his stance from "It's not offensive" to "It's the word I grew up with." I didn't want to get into an argument with the guy but I said "that's the excuse racists use when they use the word nigger." He said I was full of shit and I excused myself from the conversation.

I don't think I was being overly sensitive. I didn't call him out to start an argument, I legitimately thought he just didn't know. I would want someone to tell me if I was saying something offensive without realizing it so that I don't find myself in a similar situation later on with someone who might get really pissed off. He's gone now but things have been a little awkward with my roommate since he left and I got back home. I don't know if it's reasonable for me to expect she should apologize on his behalf. It's kind of weird now knowing that the person I live with comes from such an ignorant background but I don't hold it against her. I just know if the situation were reversed I'd be positively mortified if I were in her shoes.

</bloggaf>
 
Man, that made me vex just reading. Especially hearing pulling the dictionary definitions and "polical correctness gone mad!!!!"

I recently had to deal with 3 racists dropping nigger and were gonna try jump me.

diamount said:
I thought 'gook' was the offensive term.
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Ya, cos theres only 1 offensive term for each race.......
 
That seems rather benign compared to what I've seen around here. But yeah, you were in the right.

My coworkers are all racist shitbags who make that fact known multiple times a day. My company hired its first black employee in a long time this past week, and I'm wondering how long the fake smiles will last.
 
Screw that "the dictionary says it's not offensive" bs. If someone tells you you're being offensive you change tack. Your flatmate's dad sounds like a prick.
Idk if I'd expect her to apologize for him either tho.
 
Oriental isn't as bad as chink or gook but it's not great. I sort of liken it to calling a black person a colored or negro. Maybe not so much said out of hate as much as it's said out of ignorance. Which is why I didn't initially take great offense. What pissed me off was that he'd argue with me over the fact that it's a bullshit term to use to describe a person. That makes me think he's an asshole dick bag. Just using the word in and of itself doesn't automatically make me judge a person as a racist, it makes me judge them as kind of dopey.
 
Well question..do you want them to ask where you are from or your ancestry is? Cause that is just as annoying..probably even more so.
 
Mineshaft_Gap said:
The guy started going on about political correctness and how it wasn't offensive. He went so far as to pull up the definition on his phone to support his argument. He gets down to the point where it says "sometimes offensive" and rather than lose steam he changes his stance from "It's not offensive" to "It's the word I grew up with." I didn't want to get into an argument with the guy but I said "that's the excuse racists use when they use the word nigger." He said I was full of shit and I excused myself from the conversation.
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Roommate's dad sounds like a gaffer
 
You can't just brand him a racist over using that word.. but I guess I'm about to be banned again! Poor usage of words, though. And you definitely have a right to be offended about it.
 
if you were offended then you were offended, i don't think you were being sensitive at all. No point in trying to rationalize with the person if he clearly had no interest in learning to be sensitive to a race.
 
I wouldn't have called him on it right on the spot like that, especially having just met. If anything, tell the roommate in private that the word is offensive to you, and let her inform her father later on.

My mother is in her 60's, and still uses "oriental" here and there and had no idea that it's an offensive term. I've corrected her whenever it happens but with something that you grew up with suddenly being not acceptable, it's hard to shake.
 
It's not her fault her father is ignorant, as long you and your roommate never had this sort of racial issue in the past you shouldn't hold it against her. Sometimes you gotta let things fly with ignorant old people, personally I would've just said hi and kept it moving to keep the peace.. Since like you said now there's an awkward vibe between you and your roommate, but I don't blame you for the your reaction towards him.
 
Ingueferroque said:
I agree with him. You can't just brand him a racist over using that word.. but I guess I'm about to be banned again!
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I never branded him a racist. The word is offensive in the context in which he used it and I politely corrected him figuring it was a case of simple poor judgement/ignorance. If I thought he was a legitimate racist I would have bailed immediately rather than get into an argument. He's also a British immigrant (although he's been here for like 30 years). That factored in as well. I thought maybe it's not the same in England.
 
Mineshaft_Gap said:
I never branded him a racist. The word is offensive in the context in which he used it, I politely corrected him figuring it was a case of simple poor judgement/ignorance. If I thought he was a legitimate racist I would have bailed immediately rather than get into an argument.
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You didn't? I must have read the following thread title wrong:

I had a rare encounter with a racist today.
 
Stinkles said:
It's offensive. And further, it's literally Eurocentric.
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It would be offensive in a way for a government to label someone as Oriental but if you're from South East Asia... aren't you technically an orient? Isn't it just a word to describe people, things, and places in South East Asia? I can see how if you go over board with it (like some legislation in some states did) can see as offensive but the technical use of the word? Or is it the same way way Indian is used?
 
Mineshaft_Gap said:
I never branded him a racist. The word is offensive in the context in which he used it and I politely corrected him figuring it was a case of simple poor judgement/ignorance. If I thought he was a legitimate racist I would have bailed immediately rather than get into an argument. He's also a British immigrant (although he's been here for like 30 years). That factored in as well. I thought maybe it's not the same in England.
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Your title says you had an encounter with a racist. I get that it was offensive but it just sounds he is a stubborn dick who doesn't like to admit he was wrong or that he offended you.

Edit: Just to be clear. You were not being overly sensitive in asking him not to say the word. You were completely in the right in asking him to stop.
 
Mineshaft_Gap said:
I was surprised to be met with some resistance. The guy started going on about political correctness and how it wasn't offensive. He went so far as to pull up the definition on his phone to support his argument. He gets down to the point where it says "sometimes offensive" and rather than lose steam he changes his stance from "It's not offensive" to "It's the word I grew up with." I didn't want to get into an argument with the guy but I said "that's the excuse racists use when they use the word nigger." He said I was full of shit and I excused myself from the conversation.
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Oh god, he's one of those assholes. People who jump to this argument are always insanely frustrating to interact with. Sorry you had to deal with that, OP.
 
I don't want to admit how old I was before I released that Oriental is indeed an offensive word due to its origins and now strive to be correct in my own nomenclature about it. I don't think you were being overly sensitive personally
 
I've always thought Oriental was an offensive word when used to describe people, but I've met a surprising number of people who I don't think are racist who use it. I get the sense that it's just a general lack of awareness. Some people are really touchy about getting called out, even if it's done gently, though.
 
OP you'd be surprised at how many people on neogaf that don't know oriental is an outdated term referring to asians.
 
I think the word 'oriental' is received differently in different places. If I am not mistaken, the word is used in the UK to identify East Asians as calling someone Asian would most likely mean you are referring to a South Asian .
 
If any kind of person says you are using a slur that offends him, at best ill shut the fuck up and believe the guy, at worst ill shut the fuck up and research it on google.

Ingueferroque said:
You can't just brand him a racist over using that word.. but I guess I'm about to be banned again!
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Whats why this kind of statements? its the second one I see today, someone got an unfair ban?
 
Mineshaft_Gap said:
I think your problem is that you have large gaps in your reading comprehension.

As in, you read the thread title but only glanced at the content of the OP.
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...I read the OP. But I also read the title. You say you did not call him a racist, but you clearly do in your thread title.

JDSN said:
Whats why this kind of statements? its the second one I see today, someone got an unfair ban?
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Eh, I got banned over the whole Zwarte Piet thing. Just trying to explain what it's like growing up in Belgium with that culture.
 
How long has it been? Just a day?

People are very sensitive about being called racists, whether explicitly or implicitly (and you did imply it). In some parts of the world, the police are even willing to let hundreds of children be raped for years rather than be possibly thought of as racist.

There's a chance this person didn't know "oriental" was a racist term to use when referring to someone, and thus got defensive at your implication. Maybe things will cool down and the apology will come. It takes time for people to reach that point, especially when it's in how they were raised. Self-reflection can be difficult.

Or, you'll never get an apology, and things remain awkward. If it goes on for a week without one you might want to bring it up to clear the air.
 
Think of "oriental" as similar to "colored" if you're having trouble fathoming how it's offensive.

It's quaintly racist, not bludgeoningly so, but then the roommate's dad's following behavior drove the nail in the coffin.
 
tokkun said:
He may have a point. "Oriental" does not exactly occupy the same place in American cultural consciousness that "nigger" does.
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Exactly. Despite the fact that Oriental is offensive to the OP, that doesn't make it a 'racist' term in and of itself. That's just diminishing the N word issue.
 
Mineshaft_Gap said:
I politely pointed out that "Oriental" isn't the acceptable nomenclature when referring to a person of Asian ancestry.
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Mineshaft_Gap said:
He's gone now but things have been a little awkward with my roommate since he left and I got back home. I don't know if it's reasonable for me to expect she should apologize on his behalf. It's kind of weird now knowing that the person I live with comes from such an ignorant background but I don't hold it against her. I just know if the situation were reversed I'd be positively mortified if I were in her shoes.
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She could but it's not reasonable to expect it. She's not responsible for her father's ignorance.
 
just curious, why was he consistently bringing up your ethnicity into the conversation? seems odd that he just met you and his conversation drifted and lingered on your ethnicity.
 
It's an outdated term with some weird connotations for sure. Can't believe it took you that long to leave the room though. Things are gonna get super weird with your roommate now.
 
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