Oriental (word)

The Orient and its cognates especially Oriental are terms that have traditionally been used in most European cultures to refer to a generalized notion of the "East," including the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia. In modern usage, it generally refers to those parts of Asia east of Afghanistan, but outside of the Indian sub-continent; this would include Burma, Cambodia, China, Japan, parts of Indonesia, Korea, Manchuria, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Tibet and Vietnam.

The word "Oriental"

See Orientalism

The adjective Oriental has a long and complex history. It originates in the Latin word oriens, the present participle of "orior": to rise, thus: the region of the rising sun, i.e. the "Far East." While the geographical term Orient is considered relatively neutral, the adjective and substantive forms are the subject of controversy, and potentially offensive. The reason is that the usage carries heavy baggage: a long tradition of exotic/foreign/inscrutable/mysterious connotations, which coincide with many of the stereotypes held of Asian Americans.

The adjective "oriental" has thus been used in "Western" societies as a term to describe cultures, countries, peoples and goods from the Orient. For example, Mizrahi Jews (native to the Middle East) are often referred to as Oriental Jews.

In the United States Oriental is considered pejorative, antiquated or offensive "in some instances". The American Heritage Book of English Usage explains:

Oriental is not an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. It is most objectionable in contemporary contexts and when used as a noun, as in "the appointment of an Oriental to head the commission". In these cases Asian (or a more specific term such as Vietnamese, Korean, or Asian American, if appropriate) is the only acceptable term. But in certain historical contexts, or when its exotic connotations are integral to the topic, Oriental remains a useful term.

Random House's Guide to Sensitive Language states "Other words (e.g., Oriental, colored) are outdated or inaccurate." This Guide to Sensitive Language suggests the use of "Asian or more specific designation such as Pacific Islander, Chinese American, [or] Korean." Merriam-Webster describes the term as "sometimes offensive," Encarta states that when the term is used as a noun it is considered " a highly offensive term for somebody from East Asia" While the term "Oriental" is clearly an example of Eurocentrism some conservatives endorse Eurocentrism.

Derivation

The term "Orient" is derived from the Latin word oriens, the present participle of "orior": to rise. The implication is that it refers to the rising sun. Thus, "Orient" describes the "land of the rising sun", i.e. the "Far East", and is exactly analogous with the Chinese (and Japanese) term for Japan. Similar terms such as "Levant" of French derivation and "Anatolia" from the Greek anatole, describe locations for the direction in which the sun rises. The opposite term "Occident" - derived from the Latin word occidens, from the verb "occido": I fall - was once used to describe the western world, i.e. the "land of the falling (setting) sun".

The creation of a polarity oriens/occidens originated in Roman imperial administration from the time of Diocletian and was taken up in Christian Latin literature. Despite this some scholars claim the term Orient did not enter Western European languages until the time of the Crusades

Oriental as an adjective and substantive

Although the adjective oriental is a relatively neutral term, the use of the word as a substantive, as in "I passed an Oriental on the street," is considered offensive by many persons to whom it might be applied. Part of the negative reaction is the term's conflation of quite different Asian cultures and regions, and another from its association with Western imperialism and racialized notions of Asian peoples in past centuries.

Controversial and non-controversial usage

Terms in common, non-controversial usage include species names ("oriental fuit fly") and cuisines ("oriental rice"), However "oriental medicine" is somewhat more controversial. It is a violation of Federal Fair Housing laws to use the word "Oriental" in housing advertisements. The Washington State legislature held that

the use of the term "Oriental" when used to refer to persons of Asian descent is outdated and pejorative. There is a need to make clear that the term "Asian" is preferred terminology, and that this more modern and nonpejorative term must be used to replace outdated terminology.

Numerous organizations have a legacy use of "oriental" dating back many decades and have not changed. Legacy usage includes the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge both have a Faculty of Oriental Studies that focuses on the Middle East, East Asia and South Asia. The Oriental Instititute at the University of Chicago has been a leading research center since 1919. Scholars in the field belong to the The American Oriental Society, founded in 1842.

Others legacies include the Oriental Food Association , Oriental Bellydancer Association , and the Shriners (from 1903). The American Association of Oriental Medicine and state associations of oriental medicine still use the term. The Oriental Martial Arts College and other martial arts organizations employ the term regularly.

The pornographic world uses "oriental" regularly to describe models.

Alternative terminology

Those who consider the term derogatory or archaic prefer to employ geographical terms for people and places, e.g., South Asia, East Asia, and South-East Asia. Although Far Eastern is considered less offensive than Oriental, East Asian is preferred because this term is significantly less Eurocentric. Other alternative terms include Asia and the Pacific or the Pacific Rim or the Pacific Basin. Terms such as these may also be preferred because they do not collapse East and South-east Asian peoples into the same group.