In Defense of Joe Biden: Why is the word 'Oriental' a racist word now?

National Review ^ | 09/29/2014 | Josh Gelernter

[Perdogg]

I could never figure that one out either. Occidental is okay.

[skeeter]

All this new sensitivity has nothing to do with reacting to racism. It has to do with control.

[latina4dubya]

i do not know, but after working in Human Resources for years, i do not use it... anyway, Oriental is less specific than Asian... Orient, Asia...

[Cowboy Bob]

I wonder if the EU will ban the “Orient Express.”
Agatha Christie is a Racist!

[thorvaldr]

This is the way it always is. When one our masters breaks one of the arbitrary ridiculous rules we all have to live by, people say “but that rule is arbitrary and ridiculous”. Of course, this sudden attack of logic only lasts until the next time a peasant breaks the rule.
Laws unevenly applied are not laws, they are tyranny.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: I could never figure that one out either. Occidental is okay.

If the people in the Philippines were these sensitive, they would be changing the name of two of their provinces, both having DOUBLE racist names (according to the politically correct types).

The names of these provinces: NEGROS OCCIDENTAL and NEGROS ORIENTAL

[Sans-Culotte]

Frankly, I am surprised to see the return of “The Levant” as an acceptable description of the middle east.

[SeekAndFind]

The Orient means the East. It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Middle East (aka Near East) or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the Continent of Asia.

[newnhdad]

it’ll immediately become an insult when a republican says it .

[V_TWIN]

“Biden was criticized for saying “Orient,”

Let Ted Cruz say something like that and I doubt he would get by with merely being “criticized”

[SeekAndFind]

RE: I wonder if the EU will ban the “Orient Express.”
Agatha Christie is a Racist!

Whoever invented the sport of ORIENTEERING must be racist /s

[IronJack]

I think it’s because it’s only “oriental” — Eastern — if you focus on the West as being the relative center. Of course, that begs the question of what constitutes the “West.”

“Oriental” is a perfectly charming word. I think I’ll return to using it instead of the PC “Asian.”

[SeekAndFind]

RE: I could never figure that one out either. Occidental is okay.

OK, I should not lose my ORIENTation next time. Maybe I could lose my OCCIDENTation instead? :)

[SeekAndFind]

So, we should all be NIGGARDly with the use of words now?

[Madame Dufarge]

I wonder whether the Lo family, owners of the Oriental Jade Restaurant here in Bangor, is aware that they’ve been committing acts of racism against themselves all these years.

[Fiji Hill]

“Orient” and “Oriental” can include not only all of Asia but southeastern Europe and even North Africa.

[Yo-Yo]

Northwest Airlines chose to change their name by dropping “Orient” in the 80s.

[Iron Munro]

Or “Celestials”

[Fiji Hill]

If you live between the Bosphorus and the Bering Strait, you’re an Asian.