the chinese phuilosphy on nutrition

ORIGINAL: sandra_slayton
However, i see nothing wrong with calling  eople Orinetal or Asians any more than calling us "westerners" or even Yankees (but being from the south, I do prefer not be be called a Yankee LOL . 

 
I think the problem with the terms "oriental" or "asian" is that they are overly general- Asia actually consists of several different countries and cultures and lumping them into one big group can be considered a little ignorant.
e.g. Koreans and Malaysians are two very different races, but both would be called Asian.
I'm Chinese, and personally find the word oriental a little derogatory, just because of the negative connotations it has. I don't mind being called Asian so much.
 
I think Ron's post summarised the whole dog eating thing very nicely.

ORIGINAL: jennie_c_d

Everybody gets ALL bent out of shape about other cultures eating dogs. Ever wonder what Indian people (who will not kill RATS, and have a temple, for the rats) think about all of your disgusting habits?

Factory "farming" is a horrible, horrible practice. It is equally as horrible to ANY animal as it is to another. All life is sacred. The dog is no better than the cow.

Jennie, that's exactly how I feel. In fact, I get a little offended when people say derogatory things about a cow's intelligence, behaviour, smell, whatever. I spent a lot of time with cows in high school and learnt that they're thoughtful, intelligent creatures with loads of personality. And I melted more when a cow leant on me and wrapped its neck around me for comfort than I do when a dog does a similar thing, because you have to really earn that kind of regard from a cow. Sometimes the stroppiest beast of a cow would single me out from an entire class of kids and come over for a quick hello just because I'd spent some time battling with her over where we were going to walk to and who was going to take the lead and had come to some kind of shaky understanding.

Having learnt what I did from the cows, I try to be very understanding of other people's cultures wrt animals, now. I'm in no position to judge.

Oriental? That's racist and ignorant...
Oriental is a derrogative term.  It described an OBJECT from the Orients, not a person. 

ORIGINAL: CoCo Chanel

I do not want to junk up the thread but I'm not sure that explanation is clear.  It is certainly lost on me.  I thought it was potentially more insulting than enlightening.
 
Though the term Asian is used a lot more often these days than Oriental, it is a less specific term as Russians are Asian (for example).  African American is a less specific (and less accurate) term than black.  Theresa Heinz Kerry is an African American and most Jamaicans are not but are black.
 
There are Persian people and Persian rugs, Canadian beer, Irish beer et cetera as well as people. 

There's nothing wrong w/ calling people Asian. But it's rude to call people Oriental. Things are Oriental i.e. Oriental carpet, Oriental medicine. People are Asian.

Ok ok, back on topic people.......everyone shake hands and make up, it was just a misuse of words.

Oriental? That's racist and ignorant. That's like calling a black person a nigger or an Irish a Mick. (excuse my language, if you cringed, so did I at the word Oriental...I just wanted to bring out a point.)

 
I'd just like to point out that Dvet is almost 80 years old. Let's cut him a little slack. Calling Asian people Oriental used to be okay and normal. I found Wikipedia's article about it pretty interesting. [linkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental[/link]
 
Also, I'm Irish and don't get offended at the word "mick". I think some people are a little too sensitive sometimes, especially when it comes to things elderly folks say.

ORIGINAL: chelsea_b

Oriental? That's racist and ignorant. That's like calling a black person a nigger or an Irish a Mick. (excuse my language, if you cringed, so did I at the word Oriental...I just wanted to bring out a point.)

I'd just like to point out that Dvet is almost 80 years old. Let's cut him a little slack. Calling Asian people Oriental used to be okay and normal. I found Wikipedia's article about it pretty interesting. [linkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental[/link]

It's also commonly used in Britain/continental Europe (and they also say "can I bum a fag" to bum a cig.) But I don't think there's anything wrong w/ letting people know that it *could* offend some people elsewhere. I know *I* would rather learn here than to learn somewhere in real life where I could be really embarrassed!

Cultures aside, I find the eating of dogs repulsive.  If that makes me an evil person, so be it.