How is the expression ‘an Indian’ not offensive?

[Yellownotblue]

As in, an Indian take away or delivery meal.

I find it quite odd to hear one specific type of cuisine referred to like this. Would you say “ we’re going for a French tonight” or “he invited me to his place for an Italian”? Somehow it seems dismissive and disrespectful.

For full disclosure, I’m not Indian but my husband is of Asian ancestry and our children have dual heritage. I’m British (first generation migrant). I was born and brought up in North America and can’t remember the expression ‘an Indian’ ever being used as short for Indian food before I moved to Britain.

"Lesser" OP? Come now, that's 100% on you that you're seeing it that way.

Typical phrases you might hear used in my rather posh area of England, which has many restaurants and we could visit them all pre Covid -

"Shall we get a Chinese?"
"We're going for an Indian"
"Let's go for an Italian"
"I love a good Thai"
"Let's pop to the café for a full English"
"I fancy a Mexican"
"Do you want to see how the Brazilian is or do you fancy the French?"

We often say in our household ‘what do you fancy; an Indian, Chinese, Nepalese or Thai?’

I’m of mixed heritage (non of those) but I wouldn’t be offended if someone used my country of birth in that way...

“ Maybe it’s a class or regional thing. I literally have never heard anyone say ‘going for an Italian’. It’s just “lesser” (ethnic) cuisines that are referred to that way.”

There’s only one person being offensive here ......

PMSL at anyone thinking “fish supper” is an attempt at being posh

So I buy my food from what the sign outside says is an Indian restaurant but I'm not allowed to shorten it to an Indian. What a bizarre thing. Maybe your issues come from the fact that Indian is considered an offensive term for Native Americans?

People like OP are partly to blame for why the spotlight gets taken from real race and discrimination issues to piss about with this sort of nonsense.
OP needs to get off the ‘oohhh I’m so offended horse’. It’s far too attention seeking and transparent.

@KaptainKaveman.

To me “puff on a fag “. Means something totally different 😳🤣

@sst1234

People like OP are partly to blame for why the spotlight gets taken from real race and discrimination issues to piss about with this sort of nonsense. OP needs to get off the ‘oohhh I’m so offended horse’. It’s far too attention seeking and transparent.

This ^^ 100%. Bl**dy ridiculous.

Ditto! How fish and chips is described in Scotland.

Wow, the woke offense is strong with this one.
I say I'm going for an Italian, Chinese, Indian all the time. As far as I'm concerned it's short for I'm going for an Indian/Italian/Chinese type meal

But it doesn’t matter what your intentions are, it’s the receiver of the message that is offended and that’s what matters.

Who’s being a hypocrite now?

It’s only offensive if Indian people are offended by it - that’s the rule. If they are, it needs to stop. If they are not, and not said with any demeaning, diminishing way, then it’s a descriptor.

I hadn’t thought about it (and I am not white). The cuisine from my parents’ home country is often used in this way in the U.K. - “Italian”, “Chinese”, “Thai”, “Japanese”, etc and it doesn’t bother me. I often say it myself - is: “what do you fancy for dinner?” Answer “Japanese?”

However, something like “Paki shop” is absolutely racist and people who still say that need to think about it and stop.

@Yellownotblue

I’m specifically referring to abbreviating it to ‘an Indian’. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say they were going for ‘an Italian’. Maybe I’m wrong or it’s a regional thing?

I’m from the south of England and we’d say “an itilian” it’s just a British way of saying what food, you’re being OTT and don’t really understand the place/culture you’ve moved too.

Surely some irony in there...

*ie not is

I do feel that op has jumped to the conclusion that if there is a difference between UK and us usage then it’s most likely to be explained by racism on the British side. That I do find offensive.

Yes that is strange.

Especially given the truth lies more in familiarity and a melding of the two cuisines, to give us our peculiarly British version of Indian cuisine and its apogee, chicken tikka masala as the nation's favourite dish, a decade or two ago.

(Not that there wasn't a whole lot of racism before, during and since - but no more than in other countries and not indicated by our grammar).

This is political correctness gone mad.

Even the restaurants have names and the the cuisine next to them for example

“Mr Li’s - Chinese take away”
“Ask - Italian take away”

Nobody actually means you get to take away a person.

DH said he was going to get an Indian takeaway last week
Imagine my surprise when instead of some tasty spicy food he came back with a man of South Asian Heritage.

Hold on, we've just finished watching Better call Saul. Set in New Mexico, USA.
Every episode Saul asks Kim what she wants for dinner; Thai, Indian, Chinese, Mexican etc.
So it's not really a British thing to be offended by, is it.

Are we going to be in Daily mail?👀

I wouldn't say it.

It is a term. We need specific terms to describe a lot of things. If people want to take offence, they will; no matter how hard you try. Is it really necessary to reprint tons of documents and letters changing mothers to birthing parents? It beggars belief! There might be 10 cross overs out of a million birthing people. Is it really worth wasting our effort and taking people to court? Freedom of speech should be upheld as long as it is not set out to offend. We use the term Indian to differentiate between different races and the term conjures up an image which helps communication.

When I say “let’s get an Indian” I am abbreviating the sentence “let’s get an Indian takeaway”

I don’t say “let’s get Indian” because “let’s get Indian takeaway” isn’t the way I talk.

“A(n)” is the article of the sentence. It means one of many (takeaway options). It’s correct to use A(n) in this manner.

It’s just “lesser” (ethnic) cuisines that are referred to that way

Sod that! An Indian is food of the gods!

Lesser than my arse.

I’m just interested in how the article (a/an) gets added. I think most people in Britain have a stereotypical idea of a Chinese/Indian restaurant, in a way that markedly differs from the stereotype of a French/Italian restaurant. And that’s where the article comes in, for many people.

You're 'just interested' OP? That's a relief, there was me thinking you'd started a deliberately goady (and pretty unkind) thread. Phew.

Many, many of us have very varied backgrounds and if this is really the biggest issue you could muster when it comes to the complexities of that, I despair.

You posted on AIBU and have had pretty clear answers, yet your responses show that you don't think there's the slightest chance of you being even remotely unreasonable, so I'm not sure why you posted on AIBU at all.

*AdelaideK

We say a full English. Is that ok?*

Yes, unless you've woken in a haze and forgotten you're in Ireland
And then as instant karma the full Irish is bean less I do love my beans!!