geoffropuff wrote:

i know a lot of you guys out there refer to japanese drama as jap drama or whatever, but the term jap is offensive. i feel kind of the same way that black people feel about the term "nigger", that its not okay to use it, but if anyone uses it, it should be the ethnicity at hand. so unless you are japanese, you shouldnt say jap. even japanese people shouldnt use it, because it might let other people think that it is ok, but if anyone is ok to use it, then its japanese people. i'm not saying that you guys are trying to be offensive or whatever because the natural abbreviation for the word japanese would be jap. however, since in the past it was used as a derogative term, i would appreciate not using it, as even myself, a japanese american person, tries not to use the term. just information to those of you who didnt know.

I understand where you are coming from. I myself am of Japanese decent. Personally I don't mind the term. I know many people find it offensive but it doesn't bother me at all. But that's only in my opinion. I have a favor to ask of you geoffropuff..... Could you please censor out your derogative "N" word term up there???!! I'm sure no one else appreciates that in this forum and possibly some who may not find the word "Jap" offenseve will find that word up there offensive. (Just as a precaution)

Oh and one more thing, we had a string of this topic going on already.

http://www.jdorama.com/viewtopic_22_0.html


Warii na Arashinokoto. I'm slow at typing so you must've got that reply up there before I finished this. Gomen na.

Hmm, I've pointed out to several people that "jap" is derogatory and shouldn't be used, but there are others that seem to use that term without knowing its offensiveness... I think we're all basically civilized here, so if you notice someone using the term, just kindly point it out without being belligerent and it should be okay...

Now let's get back to our favorite subject: Yonekura Ryoko.... Er, J-doramas...

this post is moved from the redundant thread that i created in my ignorance of this thread:

i know a lot of you guys out there refer to japanese drama as jap drama or whatever, but the term jap is offensive. i feel kind of the same way that black people feel about the term "ni****", that its not okay to use it, but if anyone uses it, it should be the ethnicity at hand. so unless you are japanese, you shouldnt say jap. even japanese people shouldnt use it, because it might let other people think that it is ok, but if anyone is ok to use it, then its japanese people.
i'm not saying that you guys are trying to be offensive or whatever because the natural abbreviation for the word japanese would be jap. however, since in the past it was used as a derogative term, i would appreciate not using it, as even myself, a japanese american person, tries not to use the term. just information to those of you who didnt know.

If you guys ever wonder why the term is derogatory... well the origins could go back to the americans (sort of) cos they created this word

back in WWII, propaganda against the japanese was everywhere...
so they had things like "Kill the J**s" etc... sounds more powerful than using the word japanese.. single syllable easier to remember and pronouce too...can scream the word out too when delivering a propaganda speech... dun think it would be as powerful if you had shout the word "japanese"

dun ever use it in front of a japanese who understands english they really dun like it

Hmm...I know it's been a while since Maya made her protest, but I wholeheartedly agree with her. The term is extremely offensive, and though she might have been a little harsh with her wording, it did get the job done, right?

Anyways, I think people need to understand the implications of the word Jap. It's a derogatory term originating from WWII, when Americans painted the Japanese (as well as Japanese AMericans) as a sly, buckteethed, rice-hat wearing, dishonest group of people.

And those stereotypes still largely exist today. People still call the Japanese "Japs," just as they call blacks "Niggers" and vietnamese "Gooks." The implied racism behind these terms will probably never go away, so it's probably best that we avoid using them at all.

And yes, I'm appalled that this site used to be called www.Japdorama.com. It's the equivalent of naming a black athletics site "www.niggersports.com." Just because there wasn't a racist intention doesn't mean that it's not racist.

Anyways, I know Genma has lots of love for the Japanese, but that sort of rhetoric gives people the impression that it's OK to call Japanese "Japs." Kudos for Maya.

This topic often comes up in other forums as well....I don't take any personal offense when people use the term "jap" because I know they don't mean it in a bad way, otherwise why would they be on this forum? However, being Japanese myself I do take offense when someone is directing this term towards either myself or anyone else of Japanese descent. Bottom line lets try to NOT use this term again

I've moved this thread here so that more people will be aware of this topic, and give their views.
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you know....generally, i look at the term as quite offensive. if someone were to call me a "jap," i wouldn't be the happiest camper. it would seem that the older japanese generation would take more offense to this due to the fact that they actually lived through a time where the term was widely used to condemn them. as for the website name "japdrama.com," it is obvious that the underlying purpose for this abbreviation is for the sake of simplicity. however, i do agree wholeheartedly that it is better that it was changed to cater to the general public because unlike me another person of japanese decent may take offense.
jya ne
-kazuichi

You think as the a head of a country, he or his peeps would know something about diplomacy, but then again, that's why Li'l Kim's land (also known as North Korea) foriegn issue are foreign to him. Here's an excerp of his diplomat calling the JPN's the "J-word".
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Here in the UK people say 'nips' as often as they say 'japs'. I think both terms are really offensive, it's in the way they are said rather than the words themselves.

niko thanks for that article, the statement that he made was that because they called our nation north korea so we called them japs was unbelievaby unprofessional, and i had to reread to make sure i was reading it correctly. north korea has no derogative meaning to it, its to the north of south korea. the term jap is a whole other story that was used as rasism towards japanese in the times of ww2, and is a term that people can put in the category of racist terms, or terms of hatred (this is what it was in the times of WW2, i am well aware that it doesnt have this type of impact today). to put it in the same category as calling the democratic republic of korea, north korea, is comical. thanks again for the article, n the unexpected insight on north korea's ways i wasnt much aware of be4.

EDIT: oops, my bad i mean the democratic PEOPLE'S republic of korea

Zoe wrote:

Here in the UK people say 'nips' as often as they say 'japs'. I think both terms are really offensive, it's in the way they are said rather than the words themselves.

Japs may be offensive, but it is no where near as offensive as Nips... heh funny words... Oh well i'll continue to call Japanese Japs and Nips till they start calling me Gaikokujin instead of Gaijin

malorum wrote:

Japs may be offensive, but it is no where near as offensive as Nips... heh funny words... Oh well i'll continue to call Japanese Japs and Nips till they start calling me Gaikokujin instead of Gaijin

Now that is a good one... I seriously doubt that there will ever be such a day when they stop calling you Gaijin.

malorum wrote:

Japs may be offensive, but it is no where near as offensive as Nips... heh funny words... Oh well i'll continue to call Japanese Japs and Nips till they start calling me Gaikokujin instead of Gaijin

You're right, I agree with you.

MixxDreamer wrote:

i kinda understand where she's coming from. its very similar to my nationally being called as "Flip" instead of just "Filipino/Pilipino", i dont found it very offending though but because i know there are some people think of calling the word is cool, or its just part of a slang language, i just dont see how hard it is to mention the whole word.

i agree too! partly because it's used sooo much in america.. like the asian slang. i hate how they use words like that just because they're part of the "asian clique" and use words like that and talk LyKe DiS because they're friends do it to...

and also when people mistake my nationality for.. chinese or something else. some people even have the NERVE to come up to me and try to make sounds like a foreign language... it BUGS THE HECK OUTTA ME....

eheheh i'm only 13 tho so there's prolly more evil out there that i don't know of..

CtrlV wrote:

niko thanks for that article, the statement that he made was that because they called our nation north korea so we called them japs

Are you from the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea"? Rather, are your ancestors from there?

-Don't take this in offense. Just wondering because I haven't ever stumbled upon anyone who's origins go back to the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea".

hehe no no.. when i said our i meant, from his words.. as if he was saying it.. "they call our nation this, we call them that". it has nothing to do w me, sorry for the confusion

I must be living in a hick town too long, but none of my chinese/korean friends have ever used that word. And bc there are hardily any Japanese people here (except the occassional exchange student at our school), I guess things relating to Japan or its people are rarely mentioned. I can see "Jap" as being offensive, but it could be individual. Just like if you called an African American the "n" word but you're another race... then yeah its offensive and politically incorrect... but if you are black, it seems to be ok... I think its the same in Chinese/Korean circles.

Hello!

I'm Japanese American and I wanted to contribute my 2 cents to this thread. I just want to say that the use of the term "jap" in pretty much any context is almost criminally offensive in the Japanese American community I belong to. This is because I live on the west coast and many of the people who were rounded up and thrown in internment camps during WWII are still alive here. While it is true that the term may be used on very rare occasions by those of Japanese decent it is still considered derrogatory and is only used by those people who were actually alive during the war. We, as a community, have tried to eradicate the use of the word rather than incorporate and assimilate it to take the pain out of it.

While I am aware that most people in the US are not aware that the term is a racial slur, let alone people in other countries, I still feel a jolt every time I read or hear it. I understand that it is not usually meant in a derrogatory way but that doesn't change the way I feel. So, I try to explain, whenever possible, why the term should not be used. I believe that if most people knew the emotional cost of using a word like that they would take pains to avoid it.

Although Jap is used in the context of an abbreviation on this forum....as another Japanese/American I must agree with Sarujin and say that it is indeed offensive.

It really should be wiped from everyones vocabulary as to not offend.....

Wait I have an idea! If we complain enough about people using it and get it where you hardly ever hear the word.... us Japanese could then pull a double standard and use it to refer to other Japanese in general street conversation. But only Japanese to another Japanese....You know kinda like African Americans do.
Im Jk