err. I meant south Asia, sorry. Yellow is more offensive because it was used in the past to say how Asians were dangerous(Yellow peril and such.) Brown isn't as charged because it hasn't been used like that, but I think it's just as offensive.

renegade_zerg

Korea (South)525 Posts

December 12 2008 00:06 GMT

#24

i find "yellow" more amusing than offensive.

SerVanT

United States19 Posts

December 12 2008 00:11 GMT

#25

Although they are offensive where I'm from we will use terms like yellow, brown, and other "racist" terms because that's the kind of humor that developed here. It's actually funny, we had a popular comedian over here who tried to become big in the mainland US. Of course no one got the jokes over there because everyone is so serious.

note: this is my first time responding seriously on any forum and Im surprised at how fast responses come up!

.risingdragoon

United States3021 Posts

December 12 2008 00:12 GMT

#26

Here's a suggestion: stick with the most neutral possible-sounding one, cus when you're wrong, and you're gonna be wrong, you're not gonna catch flak

himurakenshin

Canada1845 Posts

December 12 2008 00:12 GMT

#27

well in canada south asian people are commonly referred to as brown whereas east asian people are referred to as asian.

.risingdragoon

United States3021 Posts

December 12 2008 00:14 GMT

#28

asians in canada are canadians

what a concept huh?

I recently listened to NPR's program on the death of ethnic enclaves here in LA, been 2 decades in the making now

evanthebouncy!

United States12816 Posts

December 12 2008 00:19 GMT

#29

there's white n black. Yellow's fine. So should brown too.

eXigent.

Canada2419 Posts

December 12 2008 00:22 GMT

#30

I think refering to anyone by the color of their skin is usually the wrong way to go about it. Asians are not really even yellow, so I dunno why they are refered to as that. They range from tanish tope color to a greyish white sort of color (japanese). Calling east indians brown is also pretty offensive. Personally, if someone were talking about me to another person, and they refered to me as "that brown guy" I would be pretty upset about it. Same thing goes for african americans. Calling them blacks is kind of retarded. Why can't people just refer to another ethnicity based on where they came from? Like african american, or chinese / japanese / east indian / arab ETC. Are we that childish that we have to use color to distinguish between people?

zobz

Canada2175 Posts

December 12 2008 00:25 GMT

#31

Why not just call them east asians?

HamerD

United Kingdom1922 Posts

December 12 2008 00:26 GMT

#32

yeah, to further complicate matters even companies and the press use the word 'oriental' to describe east asians. Which is offensive in Yanksville apparently...I think you just have to call everyone asian, I really think yellow is just ridiculous tbh. Call someone that in england and you will get a lawsuit or a punch to the gob for your troubles.

meegrean

Thailand7699 Posts

December 12 2008 00:26 GMT

#33

Well, when I hear "Asian", I think of East Asian people. People who are brown are usually referred to as Middle Eastern or Indians. I think "yellow" sounds strange and is associated with the color of urine

Alizee-

United States845 Posts

December 12 2008 00:26 GMT

#34

Yeah well I'm white and people call me white, let's have a war. Get over yourselves and quit saying everything is offensive.

himurakenshin

Canada1845 Posts

December 12 2008 00:27 GMT

#35

ok btw everyone i'm south asian. I think a lot of people are assuming i'm non-asian and I'm wondering what to call them. It's more like I feel that I should refer to them as yellow as long as I'm referred to as brown.

SerVanT

United States19 Posts

December 12 2008 00:28 GMT

#36

On December 12 2008 09:26 Alizee- wrote:
Yeah well I'm white and people call me white, let's have a war. Get over yourselves and quit saying everything is offensive.

Or just look past the color and not call anyone anything. We're all human aren't we?

himurakenshin

Canada1845 Posts

December 12 2008 00:30 GMT

#37

On December 12 2008 09:22 eXigent. wrote:
I think refering to anyone by the color of their skin is usually the wrong way to go about it. Asians are not really even yellow, so I dunno why they are refered to as that. They range from tanish tope color to a greyish white sort of color (japanese). Calling east indians brown is also pretty offensive. Personally, if someone were talking about me to another person, and they refered to me as "that brown guy" I would be pretty upset about it. Same thing goes for african americans. Calling them blacks is kind of retarded. Why can't people just refer to another ethnicity based on where they came from? Like african american, or chinese / japanese / east indian / arab ETC. Are we that childish that we have to use color to distinguish between people?

some chinese ppl are really yellow, and some aren't. just like how some indian's are really brown and some aren't.

Signet

United States1718 Posts

December 12 2008 00:33 GMT

#38

On December 12 2008 09:22 eXigent. wrote:
Why can't people just refer to another ethnicity based on where they came from? Like african american, or chinese / japanese / east indian / arab ETC. Are we that childish that we have to use color to distinguish between people?

You don't always know where somebody comes from. Someone whose skin is black could also be from a Caribbean island, not just Africa. White - Europe or Russia (Caucasian = Caucassus, ie Russia/East Europe). Also at some point a term like "European-American" loses its meaning, say if their family has lived in America for 200 years.

Signet

United States1718 Posts

December 12 2008 00:34 GMT

#39

On December 12 2008 09:28 SerVanT wrote:
Or just look past the color and not call anyone anything. We're all human aren't we?

Also this.

.risingdragoon

United States3021 Posts

December 12 2008 00:35 GMT

#40

What about russians, are they asians, surly they're in continental asia?

What about people who are ethnic chinese but they're of turkish/etc. descent?

(T)