Job Discussion Forums

cheryl · Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Posts: 119 Location: Japan

To: Whoever cares to read my post,

Can someone please tell me why some posters who are interested in, or are living in Japan feel that it's ok to use "JAP" as a term for Japanese folk? Am i being too sensitive or does "JAP" not have negative connotation attached to it? I thought it was as racist/prejudiced a word at that N word that we all know NOT to use.

I hardly think that Japanese is a word that's too long to write out in it's entirety.

Cheryl

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Some people are lazy. Some are racist, whether they like to admit it or not. I hate that word, Jap. I don't even use it in notes to myself when I am trying to abbreviate. Instead, I use J.

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

I have only noticed Sunpower using the word. He is in Taiwan.
It certainly is not a good word to use.

Brooks

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

I was offended it by it. You can see it under the thread "Where are the best women". If I want to shorten it, I use Jpe or J.

locagrl814 · Joined: 04 Jun 2003 Posts: 58

i think that the word does have a negative connation. However, I don't think everyone is aware of this.

Munchen · Joined: 29 Apr 2003 Posts: 76

I personally think it's a terrible word and reeks of the WWII era. One saw US newspaper headlines during that time, usually huge, all caps such as JAPS DEFEATED AT MIDWAY or some such. I was a grade school kid then and remember well hearing the word used among people in everyday conversations and even on the "radio" as well as newspapers.

As a kid and hearing adults say "Japs," of course, I never thought of it being a negative designation of the Japanese people, but sensitivity to other cultures increases with age and experience and certainly in onsideration of the Japanese nation's recovery, accomplishments and contributions to civilization since 1945.

Yes, for someone of my vintage that lived during WWII, I would not use it in any way, shape or form. One author in this form recently made a remark about using that racist word "Jap." Just bad, very bad!!

cheryl · Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Posts: 119 Location: Japan

Thanks to everyone who posted. Sometimes I feel as though I take the "politically correct" thing too far. At least in this instance I know my feelings had some sort of substantial ground to them.

By the way, I'm on JET and am going to Kashima city in Saga Prefecture!! woohoo!

kimo · Joined: 16 Feb 2003 Posts: 668

OK, OK, OK, flame me! But, you all seem very PC to me. Words have power because we let them have power.

I once saw a post from an Asian-American. He was trying to explain to someone why the word "oriental" was offensive. I never really got his point. In China, everybody uses it. There are Chinese owned schools with the word in it. They actually think they live in the Orient. I saw it used rather often when I was in Japan.

If someone types in "Jap" for short that's just the nature of using the internet and a keyboard. I am not going to read more into it than that. I cannot know his/her mind unless he makes other comments. How can I label him a racist? Usually the one doing the labeling has the problem. If it were me, I would be more offended by someone trying to figure out where the best women are, stereotyping them all as wanton, and then wanting to know how he can partake of the action.

You may correct me now.

nakanoalien2 · Joined: 04 Mar 2003 Posts: 52 Location: Nakano, Japan

Kimo - I understand your point about abbrev and the Internet, however, if the abbreviation itself is the offensive word, why not just avoid it? You'll see I abbreviated Japanese girls as J-girls. Isn't that easier and avoids the conflict. Just being pragmatic here. The reason "Jap" or variations of it are offensive have to do with how the words were used during the WWII era.

As for oriental, I have attached a description from the American Heritage Dictionary below. Nowadays it is generally used to describe things not people. Oriental rugs, Oriental cuisine, etc.

If you were confused by an Asian-American poster, let me make this observation, for which I will likely get flamed. I have lived with both a Japanese woman and a Vietnamese-American. I've worked with and befriended many hyphenated Americans. America is the land of PC. We are obsessed with it. It is sold to the American people and I have found that while Asian-Americans can be very race sensitive, you're average man/woman on the street in Japan or Vietnam is not. One reason is that Asian-Americans (again just my opinion based on exp) often live 2 lives, Asian at home and American outside and this can cause an ID crisis at a max and sensitivity at a min. I will never forget an arguement between my girlfriend and her cousin about who was more Vietnamese.

*****From the AHD:
Asian is now strongly preferred in place of Oriental for persons native to Asia or descended from an Asian people. The usual objection to Oriental�meaning �eastern��is that it identifies Asian countries and peoples in terms of their location relative to Europe. However, this objection is not generally made of other Eurocentric terms such as Near and Middle Eastern. The real problem with Oriental is more likely its connotations stemming from an earlier era when Europeans viewed the regions east of the Mediterranean as exotic lands full of romance and intrigue, the home of despotic empires and inscrutable customs. At the least these associations can give Oriental a dated feel, and as a noun in contemporary contexts (as in the first Oriental to be elected from the district) it is now widely taken to be offensive. However, Oriental should not be thought of as an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. As with Asiatic, its use other than as an ethnonym, in phrases such as Oriental cuisine or Oriental medicine, is not usually considered objectionable.

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

I'm not going to flame you Kimo.

Although I'm personally pretty careful with my word choices when I speak or write, I've not found the usage of "Jap" to be offensive on this board so far, especially since the poster in question has begun to put a period after the word to show it's an abbreviation and not a derogatory term.

After living in Japan, many foreigners become accustomed to being called a "gaijin." This word has derogatory roots, but in general now it is just used in lazy speech to identify a person or group that is not Japanese. There is often no negativity implied.

Why is it OK to say Brits, Yanks, Canucks, Scot's? At one time or another all of these words had negative connotation or implied meaning. Now they are just words. WWII was a long time ago. The racism has faded. I'd rather have an un-pc world than a censored world. This of course is just my opinion. Feel free to disagree.

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

I certainly do disagree. Lazy or racist or whatever. Is "Japanese" too long to type? I think not.
Jap certainly is a pejorative.
I have never heard it used in a positive way. I understand that some ex-soldiers had a bad time as P.O.W.s due to Japanese mistreatment, and some still have bitterness (especially British and Australians). Some Americans do too.
However,
I don`t plan on calling my girlfriend or boss a jap. If I felt that sort of hostility I would get out of Japan.
That said, I don`t like being referred to as a gaijin but getting Japanese people to stop using it seems well nigh impossible.

Brooks

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

"Jap" is seldom used in a positive way because people are sensitized to it being used in a negative way.

I don't use it for this reason.

That said, if you look at the word logically in relation to other abbreviations for nationalities it is not at all bad. There are no obvious racial or cultural barbs in the word. These are offensive; Mik's, guinies, frogs, krouts, gooks, chinks, towel heads, and the obvious N word. These are all dehumanizing words based on cultural or physical characteristics. In this context I don't find the word "Jap" to be offensive. Lazy yes. And perhaps the author does have some implied negativity, but since his posts never have any other stereotyping or bashing, I don't think he does.

I'm finished now. Just because you think you disagree with me doesn't mean I disagree with you.

BenJ · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 209 Location: Nagoya

could be a country-orientated thing - how many of you are yanks (sorry citizens of the United States of America)?

I don't find "Jap" offensive at all.

cheryl · Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Posts: 119 Location: Japan

I'd hate to be called a CAN. girl. hehe

Sherri · Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 5:37 am Post subject:

Ben J
I don't think it matters so much how you feel about it, it matters how Japanese people feel. I just asked my husband (Japanese) if he finds it offensive and he said "of course". I have been in Japan for 10+ years and have never seen "Jap" used in a positive way. As the mother of a child who holds a Japanese passport, I also find it offensive.

We also had this discussion at work once and everyone on the Japanese staff did not want this abbreviation used for internal correspondence.
S