Somebody better tell them to clean up their website, (at: http://www.gaijininvestor.com/commentary/010301digitaltv.html) then!!
/sarc
However, gaijin is an insulting term, regardless of whether some Japanese hottie wants to use it to hit on you. The commonality of its use does not make it less of an insult, even if you decide to use it. Let me put it this way: you go to great lengths to point out the use of the terms "Japs" or "Nips" as insulting, but defend the use of gaijin as normal and non-insulting. "Jap" and "Nip" are just shortenings of normal words. "Gaijin" is profoundly more negative, on many levels. I pass the ball to you.
And by your definition, it would be perfectly OK then to use 'nip' or 'jap' to describe investment in the US by Japanese firms?
Check this out:
Definition: "Gaijin" : Non-Japanese investor in Japan. The Japanese refer to foreign competitors, on both the individual and institutional levels, as gaijin. In particular, the large, prestigious American and European brokerage firms that compete with the major Japanese brokerage firms, such as Nomura and Nikko, are called gaijin."
There you have it. What could be intrinsically 'racist' about a word if it is commonly accepted in the language of international business? The word 'gaijin' is even used in transactions by major American and other international investors in Tokyo on the TSE, etc. etc. Your argument does not hold up.
I have already told you that the word is used in a flattering sense as a young lady would, and can also be spat out as an epithet in anger. It all depends on the intent of the user. The word itself cannot be called intrinsically 'racist' and then extrapolate from that, that the widespread use of the word de-facto ascribes racism traits to the entire populace. Grow up.
Somebody better tell them to clean up their website, (at: http://www.gaijininvestor.com/commentary/010301digitaltv.html) then!!
/sarc