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From: ellen@reed.UUCP (Ellen Eades)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: offensive??
Message-ID: <894@reed.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Feb-85 18:43:56 EST
Article-I.D.: reed.894
Posted: Mon Feb  4 18:43:56 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 7-Feb-85 03:25:26 EST
References: <204@unm-cvax.UUCP>
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Lines: 68

> 
> <I don't create the facts, I merely report them.>
> 
>      I have just been informed that "In our enlightened society, people of
> Japanese descent are highly offended by the adjective 'Jap'."  Let me say that
> I intended to offend noone (and this is not an apology, because there should
> be no insult taken), 

Ummm.  I am glad to hear that you *intended* to offend no one.
However, it reminds me of the old saying about ignorance of
the law.

> it was shorter than Japanese or Nipponese(sp), two, in WWII 'Jap' WAS the term
> used whether or not it was meant as an insult, 

This troubles me, for some odd reason.  Are you willing to
assert that, in the heat and noise of WW2, *anyone* used the
word "Jap" in other than a derogative sense?  Also, we are no
longer living in WW2 years;  and also, most ethnic terms which
are shortened are done so for their contemptuous overtones, not
just for brevity.

> If there is no hatred, there is no insult and if there is
> 'laughter', how can there be hatred?  

Cf. the above;  an appellation given in times of war can be
assumed to have at least a strong dislike behind it.  See also
"gook," "Hun," and "nigger."

>      Now, if I had said 'Commi' or 'Moonie', would I have been told that I was
> offending anyone?  How conceited we are!  

Yes, you would have been told.

>                                       Chris Wayne @ UNM
>                                       The "being serious" time is now over with.
>                                       <jap = just another problem>
                                        ** Right.  I'm really
laughing hard now. **

*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***
*** RIGHT AWAY, MR. SPOCK SUGAH ***

I don't venture to speak for the rest of the Japanese-American
community here, but when I was in grade school, "Jap" and
"Chink" were commonly tossed in my direction, and I think they
were not used with affection.  I think Alan Schmidt is correct
in pointing out that "our heroes" would not use these terms;
they never even used terms like "Rom" or "Klink."  It would
have been contrary to Federation ethics. In Star Trek III,
Sulu is not taunted for his *race*, but his *height*.  Oh,
well, you can't get rid of all prejudices at once.  

Let me, just for the sake of controversy, point out that I am
half Irish and half Japanese.  I grew up being taunted with
the term "Jap."  Last summer, visiting my Japanese grandmother
for the first time, I was called "gaijin" on the street.
Gaijin is a Japanese slang term meaning, essentially, honky.

So I guess what I want to say is ... think before you speak.
Many people are sensitive to ethnic slurs even if you don't
regard them as such.  Also, an ethnic joke delivered by a
member of that group is perhaps more of an in-joke, but may be
resented from a member of a majority nationality.

		Peace,
		-ellen