In a message dated 2003:10:18 03:23:55 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:

>On Fri, Oct 17, 2003 at 10:32:17PM -0400, J Y S Czhang wrote:
>>     It is not so much Political Correctness as geo-cultural accuracy
>- hence the National Geographic's current policy of using _Asian_ and _Asia_
>versus "Oriental" and "[the] Orient."
>
>Accept that Asia is a pretty big place, of which "the Orient" is only
>one part.  So it would seem to be a more precise term.

    No joke it's a Big Place :)

>>  Nowadays, use of the words "Oriental" and "[the] Orient" smacks/smells
>of exoticism and "Orientalism" - European conceptions and misconceptions
>of Asia and Asians.
>
>Well, misconceptions will persist no matter what they call their target.:)
>I don't think the increasing Western awareness of what the various Asian
>cultures are really like is due to a vocabulary change.

    Me either. BTW in many ways, New Age and WorldBeat are the "new
exoticism."

>> It also creates the false dichotomy of "Orient" and "Occident."
>
>"Orient" and "Occident"  are just "East" and "West" gussied up.
>How is that a false dichotomy?

    On the socio-cultural level it is a false (but-rather-convenient)
dichotomy...
Just like the false dichotomy of "good" and "evil."  ;)


In a message dated 2003:10:18 03:33:31 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:

>Naturally! Plus it's illogical - China being the
>Middle Country, it only stands to reason that we
>(Americans and Europeans) are the Orientals! ;)))

In a message dated 2003:10:18 04:27:55 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:

>Nah, Americans are North-Oriental, Europeans are North-Occidental, East
>Asians are Northerners (which still puts them in the middle of America
>and Europe). Learn your geography! :)

In a message dated 2003:10:18 01:40:45 PM, [log in to unmask] writes:

>Oi! Once you cross the borders, it's all
>barbarians and forners - what matters geography
>to barbarians!? ;)


    ROTFLMAO

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