The Orientals (Latin meaning “east” or “where the sun rises”) are to the East, as Westerners are of the West. The word was not originally used to insult but to distinguish people of the different hemispheres. In fact, it was originally used to refer to Eastern lands and people with riches history, culture, knowledge, and wonders. The meaning of words change according to perception and usage of a time. I believe in modern times it has been settled to refer to people with specific physical features. If I say I'm an Asian would you know whether I'm Arab, Indian, Middle Easterner, or a person with Chinese features? I hear and find it more insulting to call every person with Chinese features (lack of distinction is problematic), whether he or she is Koreans, Japanese, Thai, etc., as Chinese. It would have been more accurate to call such a person Oriental than arbitrarily labeling them Chinese. Oriental encompasses all ethnic group of people that share the same black hair, olive eyes, etc., features common in that geo location. Why should the “Chinese” be glorified or blame for all Oriental looking people’s actions?
I see Oriental referring to a group of people with features typical of those in and from a specific geo-location—it is not a class. Westerner is not a class--it refers to people with features typical of a specific geo-location. I prefer and it is more accurate when someone who do not know the ethnicity of a black hair, olive eyes, slight hint of yellow skin person not call him or her Chinese but Oriental, as Asians do not refer to just the Oriental people. When you stop looking at the word as an insult, maybe due to some past experience, and change the perception instead, then the word would not be you don’t like it to mean. How can change progress if we do not change what needs to be changed.
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