I was just polite and helpful to a man who called a Chinese woman, "some Oriental guy."
Of course, I have occasionally thought the word "Oriental" when thinking about Asian people, so I guess I can't really be horrified, though I have managed not to say it aloud -- nor do I really understand why "Oriental" is considered bad manners -- I would not be even slightly offfended to be identified as an Occidental woman, but I guess that's neither here nor there. Anyway, he was talking on a cell phone while driving, so there was a lot of background noise. I made him repeat the phrase "some Oriental guy," just to be sure, and to give him the chance to correct himself, but he just said it louder. Nor would I recognize the name Xiao as being feminine, if I didn't know Xiao, so I guess I'm just offended at the general attitude. He was clearly not very polite or mannerly, nor very aware.
Anyway, I think I deserve a raise.
No comments:
Post a Comment