If you were truly an adult

[ramchop]

America does not own the English language (no matter how much Big Bird wants to call it "American" instead of English).

The US has a decent sized Japanese population, there's a regretable history of abuse especially during the war. The word "Jap" has a nasty meaning in America. I'm not denying it was used as a term of abuse in other countries, but nowadays it's mainly just an abbreviation.

What really interests me is how Japanese (not Japanese-Americans) view this term.

However, I'll concede I've learnt something from this forum and will be more careful in the future. But please forgive me if I continue to occassionally refer to a car as a "Jap import"

[DJEB]

Whoa. I am not asking if you literally have used racial slurs (i.e., called someone something to his/her face). I am saying I think a lot of people think in these slurs at least some point in their life. And, frankly, these slurs carry little meaning to the "speaker." They are just another form of insult rather than some insidious character flaw. My feeling is that virtually all of us carry this "character flaw." That is black, white, yellow, brown. We all have thoughts about the other that are linked to how we look.

I agree. I think that bigotry, in the negative sense, exists in some amount or another in everyone. I know it has and probably still does exist in me. But when I discover it exists, I work on stamping it out.

Addendum:
In me, my prejudicism has never included racial slurs, though. I'm talking more about how I might emotionally react on the inside, eg. feeling tense vs. feeling relaxed.

[ramchop]

The Yank is in too.

Any sensitive Americans find that term offensive?

[Crispy]

Nope. Let's see what all I am, I'm a yank, I'm a cracker, I'm an okie by lineage, and most would call me a geek, if not a nerd, and I have an interest in Japan that there are many words for.

[DJEB]

Nope. Let's see what all I am, I'm a yank, I'm a cracker, I'm an okie by lineage, and most would call me a geek, if not a nerd, and I have an interest in Japan that there are many words for.

Cracker is racial. Yank is not. Okie is sometimes taken as derogatory.

[GomiGirl]

I can't recall ever using a racial slur as it was never an issue in my house growing up. We lived in a multicultural city and I went to school with kids of all shapes and colours. I remember that the friendship lines were not based on race as we all used to hang out together. It was great as at weekends we were able to try all sorts of different food at various friends houses - Italian, Vietnamese, Russian, Lebanese etc..

Plus if I had ever used a slur or other undesirable language I would have had the stuffing whipped out of me.. my parents were very strict on the sorts of language that was tolerated around the house as what you say reflects on your own character and not the person you are speaking to.

So my opinion of people who use derogatory language towards others is that they are so small minded (and they know it) that they need to use bad language and slurs against others to make up for the deficiencies they recognise in themselves. JMO A happy, educated and well adjusted person doesn't need to use slurs and can deal with the world around them.

[Crispy]

Well, for some people, like my dad, racial slurs were a normal part of life when they were growing up, they were used like any other word, he didn't even think about it. He raised me different, but I have to remember that he is fighting his upbringing on that, and every once in a while slips up himself. I don't blame his dad either, he didn't only grow up using racial slurs, he was surrounded by them his entire adult life.

[Gaisaradatsuraku!]

I can't recall ever using a racial slur as it was never an issue in my house growing up. We lived in a multicultural city and I went to school with kids of all shapes and colours. I remember that the friendship lines were not based on race as we all used to hang out together. It was great as at weekends we were able to try all sorts of different food at various friends houses - Italian, Vietnamese, Russian, Lebanese etc..

Plus if I had ever used a slur or other undesirable language I would have had the stuffing whipped out of me.. my parents were very strict on the sorts of language that was tolerated around the house as what you say reflects on your own character and not the person you are speaking to.

So my opinion of people who use derogatory language towards others is that they are so small minded (and they know it) that they need to use bad language and slurs against others to make up for the deficiencies they recognise in themselves. JMO A happy, educated and well adjusted person doesn't need to use slurs and can deal with the world around them.

Pollyanna speaks! Please, at no point in your life did a racial slur even pop into your head? People like you are the functional equivalent of Catholic Priests. Holding themselves out as being celibate and committed to God on the one hand and banging kids on the other. Catholic Priests, like you, are trying to deny themselves of a fundamental human impulse. Sex, or the tendency to associate people with groups, is all quite natural. High time to remove the thought police and for us all to admit we are human and this is nothing but a natural response. We should, at the same time, talk about how little difference there is between us. However, we should not try to shame bigotry out of the human animal anymore than we should try to shame sex out of the same beast. Be true to yourself folks.

[GomiGirl]

Well wee disagree again.. I think that using racial slurs is a learned response.. young children don't exhibit bigotry.. they learn it from others.

[Taro Toporific]

The Yank is in too.

Any sensitive Americans find that term offensive?

"Yank" ... nope.

But "Jap" in clearly a no-no in the all press style guides.

I nearly got thrown out of grad school for writing a SIMS-type game that had "SlopesLand" as a small high-tech country on an alien planet. The simulation was for a class in game theory and SlopesLand got me on double probation.

[GuyJean]

Please, at no point in your life did a racial slur even pop into your head?

Um.. Why should it if I wasn't raised around, exposed to, or experienced racism?

By no means am I denying I NEVER think of another race negatively. But I can't recall EVER using a derogatory word to categorize them.. When I'm bitter about Japan, I say "friggin' Japanese", not "friggin' Jap."

While I think racism, in some degree, is a basic human trait, I don't think racial slurs are..

Catholic Priests, like you, are trying to deny themselves of a fundamental human impulse.

Again, I don't think racial epithets are 'fundamental human impulses'.

GJ

[Gaisaradatsuraku!]

Please, at no point in your life did a racial slur even pop into your head?

Um.. Why should it if I wasn't raised around, exposed to, or experienced racism?

By no means am I denying I NEVER think of another race negatively. But I can't recall EVER using a derogatory word to categorize them.. When I'm bitter about Japan, I say "friggin' Japanese", not "friggin' Jap."

GJ

Look, it doesn't matter the word that you use in your head. You have even admitted above that you think of the Japanese as a group when you are having problems.

By the way, if you didn't experience rascism growing up I can only assume that you are from a SMALL town in Oregon where the number of minorities is very small. Believe me, kids have no mercy and I experienced mini-versions of gang wars with races from around the globe growing up. Of course, NYC is a melting pot and not all of you have experienced this joy and wonder.

Catholic Priests, like you, are trying to deny themselves of a fundamental human impulse.

Again, I don't think racial epithets are 'fundamental human impulses'.

GJ

Let's not get too caught up in the racial epithet thing. I think it is a basic human impulse to think differently about people who look different and children do exhibit this tendency automatically. I remember vividly when I first saw someone from a different race (probably I had seen people of different races before but I was too small to register). I was about three years old and I was fascinated. With my fantastic memory I do recall these things (unlike you minions)!

By virtue of the fact that all you on this forum are interested in different cultures I think you are all racially charged whether you admit it to yourselves or not.

[GuyJean]

Look, it doesn't matter the word that you use in your head. You have even admitted above that you think of the Japanese as a group when you are having problems.

So 'grouping' any race when I have problems with that race is equivalent to calling them a racial name?

I think you misinterpreted my statement about saying "friggin' Japanese". I wasn't angry at ONE Japanese person, but rather the whole 'system'.. If I'm pissed at ONE person that happens to be of another race, I call them names, but never racial slurs.. It would show how ignorant I was.

By the way, if you didn't experience rascism growing up I can only assume that you are from a SMALL town in Oregon where the number of minorities is very small.

BINGO! There WERE other minorities, but they were all considered 'cool'.. My best friend was Philippino/Hawaiian, and I was always a little jealous of him because he was 'unique', while I was.. well, 'regular'.

Of course, NYC is a melting pot and not all of you have experienced this joy and wonder.

The joy and wonder of yelling racist names at each other?

Let's not get too caught up in the racial epithet thing. I think it is a basic human impulse to think differently about people who look different and children do exhibit this tendency automatically.

Agreed.. But this 'basic human impulse' can also be positive]With my fantastic memory I do recall these things (unlike you minions)![/quote]Are you grouping me?

GJ

[Gaisaradatsuraku!]

Look, it doesn't matter the word that you use in your head. You have even admitted above that you think of the Japanese as a group when you are having problems.

So 'grouping' any race when I have problems with that race is equivalent to calling them a racial name?

Yes, the concept is the same. You think in racial terms. You profile. There is no hop between thinking brownies are cool and non-brownies aren't.

I think you misinterpreted my statement about saying "friggin' Japanese". I wasn't angry at ONE Japanese person, but rather the whole 'system'.. If I'm pissed at ONE person that happens to be of another race, I call them names, but never racial slurs.. It would show how ignorant I was.

No, it would just show you are pissed off and don't care about how they feel. It would show that you want to strike them back. This doesn't show ignorance. Your public schoolteachers have just drilled that into your head.

By the way, if you didn't experience rascism growing up I can only assume that you are from a SMALL town in Oregon where the number of minorities is very small.

BINGO! There WERE other minorities, but they were all considered 'cool'.. My best friend was Philippino/Hawaiian, and I was always a little jealous of him because he was 'unique', while I was.. well, 'regular'.

So whitey ain't cool and it is okay for everyone to feel that way? I see, I understand. This is not rascism. No way.

Of course, NYC is a melting pot and not all of you have experienced this joy and wonder.

The joy and wonder of yelling racist names at each other?

It was epithets, rocks, progressing to knifes and cars. Still someone has not been caught for running over a friend right in front of me and dragging him a full city block and killing him.

Let's not get too caught up in the racial epithet thing. I think it is a basic human impulse to think differently about people who look different and children do exhibit this tendency automatically.

Agreed.. But this 'basic human impulse' can also be positive]

No. If there is a positive there is a negative. You aren't cool, after all, because you are just one of the whiteys.

[GargoyleTS]

Gai, you are the one getting "caught up" in the racial epithet thing. People here are claiming not to use those words and instead of actually making the point in your latest post, you called them liars in so many words.

Yes, people will group like things and it doesn't get much more like than Race. Or maybe religion as a close second. But the underlying reason for most mental groupings of social entities is exhibited group traits. Most complaints about a race or religion (or politic party) are based on actions of members of that group. Its when people start putting negative emotion into the words used to label these groups that Racism and such start. For Racism is indeed an INTENT, not a language. Words aren't bad until we make them so (thank you Mr. Carlin) and using short words is endemic of the American Language. Don't believe it? Try Ebonics. Listen to people from different places in America long enough and you'll find that American English is rife with "short words". We are a linguisitically lazy culture too impatient to even use entire words. And text messaging isn't helping this either. I think soon the American school system is going to start having more problems with illiteracy as kids use leet speak and text speak instead of normal literacy. The average reading level will fall even though more Americans than ever can communicate via a written medium. Enough of that though.

And GJ never said there was NO negative, I think he is just tuning into the fact that you refuse to see any positive from grouping people. Are Japanese truly a different race from other Asians? If so, then Jap *could* be a racial slur. If not, then its simply identifying a sub-group of a race. Like French, English, Italian etc.

[Gaisaradatsuraku!]

the point is we ALL think racially regardless of whether or not we use racial slurs out loud, to ourselves or even if we use the Japanese with negative connotations (as if they are all the same).

Puh-leeze!

[Gaisaradatsuraku!]

And GJ never said there was NO negative, I think he is just tuning into the fact that you refuse to see any positive from grouping people.

Excuse me, but if something is "right" about one race, by definition something is wrong with another.

[GuyJean]

You think in racial terms. You profile.

I don't think I ever argued that I WASN'T, in some way, racist.. I said I never used racial slurs.. That's it.

Like I said before]So whitey ain't cool and it is okay for everyone to feel that way?[/quote]Did I say I wasn't cool? I was; My friend was just uniquely cool.. And that's how I felt, not everyone else.

GJ

[GomiGirl]

the point is we ALL think racially regardless of whether or not we use racial slurs out loud, to ourselves or even if we use the Japanese with negative connotations (as if they are all the same).

This is just your opinion to which you are entitled.. However, you are falsely extrapolating onto others the delusions in your own head. Trying to make everybody agree with you will only send you further over the edge.

[Gaisaradatsuraku!]

the point is we ALL think racially regardless of whether or not we use racial slurs out loud, to ourselves or even if we use the Japanese with negative connotations (as if they are all the same).

This is just your opinion to which you are entitled.. However, you are falsely extrapolating onto others the delusions in your own head. Trying to make everybody agree with you will only send you further over the edge.

Public education is a dangerous thing. Nothing more dangerous than a "wonderful" person. I would much rather deal with people who understand their own mind/impulses.

[GuyJean]

Nothing more dangerous than a "wonderful" person.

Are you sure it wasn't you who hit your friend with a car and dragged him to his death? Jeeez, man.

Do you use your 'honesty' as a weapon in real life? Is your anger from your 'private' education?

I have to run... But had fun! :P

GJ

[Gaisaradatsuraku!]

Nothing more dangerous than a "wonderful" person.

Are you sure it wasn't you who hit your friend with a car and dragged him to his death? Jeeez, man.

Do you use your 'honesty' as a weapon in real life? Is your anger from your 'private' education?

I have to run... But had fun! :P

GJ

Not sure what you mean.

Later!

[GuyJean]

Not sure what you mean.

Nothing really. I was just commenting on how mean you can be. And if 'nice' is from public education, then 'mean' is obviously from private, New York education.

Later!

OK. Now I'm really gone..

GJ

[GomiGirl]

Not sure what you mean.

Nothing really. I was just commenting on how mean you can be. And if 'nice' is from public education, then 'mean' is obviously from private, New York education.

But then GJ, I am supposed to be nice (he obviously doesn't know me as well as he thinks he does ) and I had a private education..

I think that mean-ness is in the domain of the individual and the lack of character demonstrated by same.

[Naniwan Kid]

Gaisarada wrote:

the point is we ALL think racially

Really?

As a long time liver in Japan, who has met more people from more countries here than in my home state of Oregon (we'll get back to that later) I can say that my tendency to see people "racially" has been reduced the older I get.

I have met plenty of Japanese assholes.

I have met plenty of American assholes.

I met plenty of Korean assholes.

I could go on about Phillipinos, Brazilians, Englishmen, etc....

After the earthquake, I met plenty of Australian and New Zealand assholes who were imported in to do construction.

And for every asshole I met, there were 3 to 10 decent, friendly, open-minded folks to completely erase my need to stereotype about individuals from a certain country

***NEWS FLASH***

This just in....

Not everyone is racist like you.

[American Oyaji]

Let me throw in another bone to stir up the pot a bit.

I think it was Malcom X or Farrakhan, I'm not sure. But someone accused one of them of being racist. And the reply was, that yes, they were, because they loved their people to the exclusion of other peoples.

Something to that affect.

I don't care. Because of the way I was raised, I have "learned" to feel uncomfortable around certain groups of people.

I recently confronted my dad about his racism. He said he didn't realize it and Mom said everyone else around you does. He was stunned into silence. Which is rare for dad.

[Pizzicatoblue]

you are really hardheaded about this arent you.

Try going to the USA and call ANY black person nigger.

Make sure you have your will filled out first.

Amen brother!


By the way. Try to say any kind of bigotry in the south, and you'll be killed!:(

[Crispy]

Maybe because we don't want to get slapped?

[Big Booger]

I think if you assault someone after they call you an offensive name, the slapper goes to the slammer AFAIK.