On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:55:46 GMT, James Silverton wrote:

> Andy wrote on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:47:17 -0500:
>
>>> What is the problem with the term Oriental? Many markets even
>>> incorporate that into their name such as the "1st Oriental
>>> Supermarket" written in large red letters on their large
>>> canopy on the store on 6th and Washington in Philly.
>
>> George,
>
>> I was taught that it was a derogatory reference back in my
>> teens. I never used the term again.
>
> I've never seen anything wrong with "Oriental" as a synonym for "Far
> Eastern" tho' there are some uses that I avoid like "Wog" (even that is
> not too derogatory on the face of it.) There was a British nationalist
> speculation about where wogs began: Calais was traditional.

um, 'wog' has always been a derogatory, nasty term.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wog>

i'm not all that strong on 'asian' vs. 'oriental,' but some asians are, so
i would defer to them.

(but just between you and me, i usually say 'black,' not
'african-american.'

a long-ago girlfriend suggested 'blackamericans' (with equal emphasis on
all syllables), and i kinda like that, but it doesn't seem to have caught
on.)

your pal,
blake