sf wrote:
> On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:14:12 -0400, Tracy > wrote:
>
>> I thought carpets/rugs were "Oriental" and people were "Asian". I don't
>> think my Japanese SIL likes to be called an Oriental.
>
> Rugs from China are called Chinese rugs. You know what Persian rugs
> are - the area is debatable, but centers in Iran. Rugs from India and
> the surrounding areas are called Oriental, but tagged by country of
> origin.
>
> The people of Asia are called Asians as a whole or identified
> individually by their country of origin (if you know it). I'm an
> American first, a North American second, "of European ancestry" a
> distant third.
>
> I don't blame your SIL. Calling people Orientals reeks old fashioned
> Colonial attitude.
>
> Just my 2¢
>
>

Well that's what I meant. :-)

I just did a quick wiki search:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_rug

I have never heard the term "chinese rug" but I have heard "oriental
rug". Not that wiki is such a great fountain of wisdom but according to
the article Chinese rugs are Oriental rugs. Whatever. I just think that
in the US, people are usually not referred to as Oriental. My mother,
when she was on her death bed in a hospital in Boston's Chinatown said,
when asked, "do you know where you are"? she replied, "Chinkytown". Not
kidding. She was slightly delirious from pain killers, but, that was
totally her. Not the most PC person out there.

Tracy