What is wrong with describing someone as Asian?

[ProudAS]

It's what the person is and not being used in a derogatory manner. My colleague felt he had to whisper though when describing another colleague to me.

I fail to see how describing someone by their ethnicity is any different to describing them by their gender.

[LyraSilvertongue]

Don't forget Canadians who are assumed to be American. They do not like that AT ALL.

[LyraSilvertongue]

My DP is Turkish and gets mistaken for Spanish all the time. He doesn't mind.

My point? Not sure I have one

[Jefferson]

Omygod. What is wrong with me!

Honestly and I hope I'm not being offensive but it seems a lot of the time it is white people making up these 'rules' and I get that obviously the fear of being accused of racism must be huge but really as long as you're not using the obvious derogatory terms I think most non-white people couldn't care less about the labels

[Jefferson]

Ooh yes Lyra. I had a Canadian colleague too.

[curlew]

"Bloody hell, curlew, let's hope you aren't ever called upon to give a statement to the police!!"

Well obciously under those circumstance I would use physical characteristics! It's just old fashioned good manners not to.

And I have no idea where the impression that I am uptight and have no non white friends came from.......

[mrsjay]

your point is lyra that it doesn't matter to you really, I think with turks or iranians id probably venture into saying Middle eastern , I have a feeling thats not right

[LyraSilvertongue]

Turkey isn't in the middle east but most Turks have that middle eastern look. Dark skin, black hair etc.

[LyraSilvertongue]

Actually, Turkey is mostly in Asia and a tiny bit is in Europe. So maybe it does count as middle eastern. I don't know.

[mrsjay]

I probably would put my foot it in then,

[LyraSilvertongue]

Wikipedia puts Turkey in the middle east. Shows how much I know

[Jefferson]

I'm afraid it's not right MrsJay and I'llhabe to contradict me earlier statement of saying most people don't care about labels by saying actually Turkish people wouldn't like being called middle eastern!

Disclaimer: not speaking for an entire country obviously

[Jefferson]

Really Lyra? Well shows how much I know...
The Turkish people I know would never refer to themselves as Middle Eastern.

[mrsjay]

because they are turkish I spose what i mean if i was describing somebody who maybe turkish if i didnt know for sure id say middle eastern,

[applepieinthesky]

DP is Iranian and wouldn't like to be called Middle Eastern. My understanding is Middle Eastern usually describes Arabs and he would put someone right if they said that.

[applepieinthesky]

He would much rather you call him Asian

[LyraSilvertongue]

Jefferson, DP is very proud of his heritage and would always describe himself as Turkish. But it wouldn't be unreasonable for someone who doesn't know exactly where he's from to describe him as middle eastern. Although he's lighter skinned than most Turks I've met, which is probably why he gets the Spanish thing a lot. Also he looks vaguely like Antonio Banderas

[GoodTouchBadTouch]

Curlew - it does sound a bit uptight to purposely avoid to describe someone by any distinguishing features apart from their clothes.

If you don't like to say black or white or tall or short, what about man or woman? Would that be ok?

[tedmundo]

curlew .. But that makes your remark earlier ...

Funny how there are always so many people with multi ethnic families and friendship circles on threads like this..........

Even more unfathomable? I actually felt quite insulted by your veiled insinuation that we are all a bunch of fantasists pretending to have family and friends from different backgrounds.

What was that all about if you yourself have friends from different backgrounds to your own?

[LyraSilvertongue]

Yeah, I still don't understand that comment either.

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

SarahBumBarer, it does seem weird to me, I have family in the Welsh Valleys, the type of place that years ago would call me a foreigner for being in a city yet even they have multiple ethnicities around them now

Fwiw, I have a Turkish friend who would rather be called Martian than Turkish.

[curlew]

"Curlew - it does sound a bit uptight to purposely avoid to describe someone by any distinguishing features apart from their clothes."

As I said- only if it can easily be done. Which it usually can.
Just good manners, in my opinion.

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Canadians and Americans, Aus and NZ...

Look a bit closer to home with the Welsh/scottish "English" people

[mrsjay]

I have a northern welsh friend and she would poke somebody in the eye if anybody called her English she does sound liverpurdian though

[stooshe]

The problem is that too many are prepared to get offended on behalf of the supposed minority. If i rob somebody you, please feel free to describe me as a medium complexion, slightly overweight, black woman. The police will then not go around looking for just an overweight woman of no particular race, ethnicity etc. The colour, nuance etc is being taken away from everyday conversations by people interpreting P.C in the wrong way. Yes, I do believe in not saying the first careless thing that comes out of one's mouth in order to feel superior, but I thought that politeness was the base of P.C, not turning everyday conversation into some long winded morse code. Rant over.........

[stooshe]

"I", not "i".