Is oriental racist? Alternatives?

[Bramblethorn]

Originally 'Orient' referred to places like Iran. Thus the 'oriental rug' that gets people confused all the time because it means a rug made in the Persian style.

By the original "Aryans", at that.

 

[EmilysRopes]

For example, years ago, I remember there was a motion in EU parliament by a Swiss parliamentary to stop using the word "mother" because it was allegedly a symbol of women's subservience, a symbol of a woman who gives birth to kids, stays home and looks after them, cooks and cleans for her husband and so on. Imagine that. I remember it vividly although I can't seem to find the news about it as I can't recall the name of that Swiss parliamentary. It's that kind of idiocy I was talking about.

A quick bit of pedantry but maybe it shows the unreliability of memory and/or sources. Switzerland is not in the EU so it is unlikely that a Swiss parlimentarian would have been addressing the EU parliament and certainly not raising a motion.

On the other hand I have seen regular scare stories that various public bodies want to ban 'mother' and 'father'. Further investigation usually shows that they were draft suggestions and normally dismissed as daft suggestions.

On the OP, I wouldn't use oriental about a person.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

A quick bit of pedantry but maybe it shows the unreliability of memory and/or sources. Switzerland is not in the EU so it is unlikely that a Swiss parlimentarian would have been addressing the EU parliament and certainly not raising a motion.

Good point. it was likely The Council of Europe then, as I am pretty sure it had been a Swiss parliamentary member.