"Curt Fischer" <crf3@po.cwru.edu> wrote in message
news:2qg4qpFtrr38U1@uni-berlin.de...
> Paul Blay wrote:
> > "Curt Fischer" wrote ...
> >> necoandjeff wrote:
> >>> Well, Brits are forgiven for using words like Oriental because they
> >>> say it in such a charming way. Plus there's no chance of being
> >>> thought of as some hick from the Midwest or the South.
> >>
> >> necoandjeff, earlier in the thread, also wrote:
> >>
> >>> Choosing your words based on how it may or may not make others feel
> >>> is the very essence of being considerate is it not?
> >>
> >> What is this huge double standard you have that makes it fine for
> >> British people to say "Oriental" but not for "hicks from the Midwest
> >> or South" to do so?
> >
> > British people are speaking English but "hicks from the Midwest or
> > South" are speaking American.
>
> Yeah but what Jeff wants to know is "what someone gains from continuing
> to use a word that some people may consider offensive?"  Why does it
matter
> where the some people that may consider it offensive are from?

If I were a Brit who relocated to California and determined that Oriental
isn't a word that is looked upon well by the people around me, I would stop
using it. Pretty simple isn't it?

Jeff