[JRogers]

Okay, I just need to make sure I'm not alone here. Honestly, I am not entirely sure.

I was at a party in Jersey the other day and this guy (the semi-date of a girl I was trying to....well that part is not terribly relevant to the story) is watching the Yanks-Sox game replay with me. Hideki Matsui gets up and the guy says, "All those Japs just want to be like Americans." At first I thought it was a joke but I was, unfortunately, wrong. Long story short, I told him that he was an idiot for making such a ridiculous statement and that "Jap" was not the preferred term anymore. I almost ended up kicking his teeth in over this after he decided to keep trying to argue with me and I left the room in anger 3 times.

Am I in the right here? I mean, I know that this is not on the level of other names for other ethnicities but doesn't "Jap" have certain connotations (as in the yellow, immoral, slant eyed, sneaky Japanese of WWII propaganda and racism that fueled the dropping of the atomic bombs and the burning of Tokyo)? He said I was just being "PC" but I thought otherwise...

 

[Toshi]

you're right, "jap" definitely has negative connotations especially when used in that context, but you need to learn how to address racial slurs without being all confrontational. being confrontational doesn't really help.

 

[JRogers]

you're right, "jap" definitely has negative connotations especially when used in that context, but you need to learn how to address racial slurs without being all confrontational. being confrontational doesn't really help.

Yeah, that was my mistake. It probably sounds worse the way I wrote it than it actually happened. I was pretty nice at first until he treated me like an idiot. I left and told him I was done talking about it but apparently he felt more argument was needed. Copious amounts of Bud Light may have been involved....

 

[Toshi]

Yeah, that was my mistake. It probably sounds worse the way I wrote it than it actually happened. I was pretty nice at first until he treated me like an idiot. I left and told him I was done talking about it but apparently he felt more argument was needed. Copious amounts of Bud Light may have been involved....

some people are simply jerks, and there's not much you can do about them...

 

[TheInedibleHulk]

"Dude, ['jap'] is not the prefered nomenclature, asian-american, please."

-walter

 

[genpowell71]

What ever happened to "Do unto others..."?

 

[urbanhuckbot]

"Dude, ['jap'] is not the prefered nomenclature, asian-american, please."

-walter

PC terminology makes me sick, so what, now we cannot call the british "brits"? or australians "aussie's"?
what do you call me now, a european american?ftw!

 

[Pedalist]

Is it worth worrying about? If you are that rattled by the whole ordeal go and square it away. Don't walk around with your @$$ dragging and lip stuck out.

 

[steve45]

PC terminology makes me sick, so what, now we cannot call the british "brits"? or australians "aussie's"?
what do you call me now, a european american?ftw!

i'm with you on this one, its got to the point where PC gets me just as angry as racism, to be honest i dont see any problem with the word "Jap" if used in the right context, there are a lot worse words you could use.

but unfortunatly in this situation it may be different, it seems quite obvious that this individual used it in a bad context.
but i dont see why you should get all worked up about it, just shrug your shoulders and that god that you are a more enlightened intellegent individual than this ass.

 

[binary visions]

Is it worth worrying about? If you are that rattled by the whole ordeal go and square it away. Don't walk around with your @$$ dragging and lip stuck out.

Are you just trying to be an ass?

It's clear from the post that he did square it away, by speaking with the offending individual, and that he was simply asking for confirmation of his feelings on the subject.

Back on topic, I'd say that these particular words ("Jap", "Brit", "Aussie", etc.) aren't necessarily offensive in and of themselves, but tone of voice and context can certainly make them offensive.

If you determined the tone and context to be offensive (which it sounds like you were correct about), and it bothers you, then good for you for saying something. If he hadn't intended it to be offensive, he would have said so when you confronted him and you two could have walked away happy. The fact that he got defensive about the use of the particular word tells me that you were right about his intent.

 

[JRB]

People are stupid. Once you figure this out and are not disappointed by them, you will be much better off.

 

[ummbikes]

Back on topic, I'd say that these particular words ("Jap", "Brit", "Aussie", etc.) aren't necessarily offensive in and of themselves, but tone of voice and context can certainly make them offensive.

I agree with your point of view, I know I have said stuff like, "Dude, Jap bikes are way better than Harley's" and not even have remotely been slandering the Japanese manufacturing process, the Japanes people, or any one of Japanese heritage.

But I don't think I would ever refer to a person as a Jap.

Hmm, interesting...

 

[golgiaparatus]

Next time someone says something racist and you feel the need to confront him/her... do this.

Walk up to the person and stare directly at ther shoulder and try not to make any eye movements... you want him/her to think you are blind.

Ask him, what's a jap and why do you hate them? Then he/she will have to explain their own racism. Its best done in a black white context because then another beiong from another country is not part of the question, but I bet it would still work.

 

[Pedalist]

I am not trying to be an ass. I am entitled to my opinion just as you and the creator of this particular thread is. I just felt that if he is this bothered by it he should do something about it.

 

[Ian F]

Copious amounts of Bud Light may have been involved....

There's you problem... politics + beer = never anything good...

 

[McGRP01]

Next time someone says something racist and you feel the need to confront him/her... do this.

Walk up to the person and stare directly at ther shoulder and try not to make any eye movements... you want him/her to think you are blind.

Ask him, what's a jap and why do you hate them? Then he/she will have to explain their own racism. Its best done in a black white context because then another beiong from another country is not part of the question, but I bet it would still work.

Golgi...like the new avatar!

 

[DamienC]

There's you problem... politics + beer = never anything good...

Agreed but since Bud Lite was involved, more like politics + watered down piss = never anything good...

I agree with the sentiment expressed above though in that it's more the context and sentiment in which such language is used rather than the actual language itself.