Re: Racist Slang

[Arun Rao <rao@pixar.com>]

Benjamin Weste Pearre wrote:
> 
> <vent>
> > About a year and a half ago, the QList decided it would be
> > better if contributors did not use racist slang terms such
> > as "Jap." 
>
> Oh jeez.  Calling Japanese "Japs" is much like calling citizens of the
> United States of America "Americans". 


	A closer analogy would be "Yanks", or "bl**y Yanks", as the
	Limeys might say.  Or "Chinks".

	Point is, these are indeed derogatory (to greater or lesser
	degrees) appellations dating back (at least) to WWII. I cannot
	think of a statement in which "Jap" would be used with a 
	*positive* connotation, unless it's in self-deprecatory
	humor. Indeed, in this thread, it has been used exclusively
	in criticism of Japanese engineering.

	Interpretation is everything: origin means little.

	-Arun 

	
--
Arun Rao
Pixar Animation Studios
Pt. Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 620-3526