I see it often on message boards and comment threads. I know these people don't say it to be offensive; it's just a convenient way to write three letters instead of eight, right? Well I'm here to tell you that laziness isn't an excuse for dropping the J-bomb. It's never acceptable to do so, and there are other ways to type it!
Take the recent Olympics for instance. Did you hear the announcers commenting on how fast the "Japs" were at swimming? Or about how the "Japs" were doing on the leader boards? No. That's because the abbreviation used is JPN. That is not accidental. If the tournament organisers used the other abbreviation, it might have caused an international incident!
Accidental racism is not confined to message boards either. The last time I was back in the UK I stepped into a bakery and saw a "Jap Biscuit" (a cookie to US readers). None of my friends seemed bothered by it, but when I asked "What if it was called a Chink Cookie?" they suddenly got my point. Some people don't realise that both of those terms are equal in their disgusting bigotry.
Living in Japan I am made more aware of this of course, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to stop this kind of accidental casual racism so prominent back in my own country - and on the web.
In fact, if you trace the origins of the term "Jap" it's an outdated derogatory World War II term. It's something an old bigot might use when talking about the Japanese, but hardly something appropriate for a message board comment.
There is some good news, however. Certain online gaming stores have recently changed their game labelling from JAP/USA to NTSC-J/NTSC-U, a positive step indeed.
In closing, the next time you want to big up a new Japanese game or comment on how crazy the Japanese are, try these accepted abbreviations:
Japan - Jpn, Jp
Japanese - Jpse, Jpnse
Japanese RPG - J-RPG, Jpse RPG
Let's show our love of Jpse games without hating on the people of Jpn!
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Nonsense. It's a simple abbreviation, like using Brit for British, or Aussie for Australian.
I only think it's racist if it has a racist connotation,, if the user intends for it to be racist.
I only think it's racist if it has a racist connotation,, if the user intends for it to be racist.
There is some good news, however. Certain online gaming stores have recently changed their game labelling from JAP/USA to NTSC-J/NTSC-U, a positive step indeed.
I find the term "jap' to be the most interesting in regards to racial slurs. At its core it is really only an abbreviation, in fact before WWII it was used quite often but it didn't hold any negative connotation. Really I cannot think of any other racial slur that is just an abbreviation.
I'm half hispanic EasyCure and that is the first time I heard that term.
About this topic:I agree with GP.These terms are really only relivent in the time period that spawned the word.Sure there are cases where it is used now but those are few and really only used by people that want to keep the derogatory term around.
Let me pose a question to all of you arguing against the validity of this blog post...
Let me take your side for a second and assume that very few people are actually offended when someone abbreviates Japanese as "Jap". Let's throw a number on there. Say that 1 out of every 100 Japanese people are offended and become depressed when they are called that.
Is it really too much of a sacrifice to make to start typing Jp instead of Jap just to make that single person's day a little better?
It sounds wrong, because it IS wrong.
So is the word "Jap" to a lot of people that lived through that. It doesn't get as much play in the West, that's for sure, but in the East I'm sure it's still a big no-no.
The context of WWII is still with us today. I mean, it's still a relevant context. We aren't talking about the big band era here. We're talking about a war that still effects policy and feelings. Why do you think swastikas are outlawed in Germany? Because the context of WWII was so powerful that that symbol is still meaningful. So is the word "Jap" to a lot of people that lived through that. It doesn't get as much play in the West, that's for sure, but in the East I'm sure it's still a big no-no.Irrelevant argument, the French Revolution, the American War of Independence or the Napoleonic wars also still have effects on policy to this day. And even bigger then WWII (some European countries still use the Code Napoleon in their city-policy and such, the American constitution has been unaltered to this day). But I don't think the negative slurs then are still being seen as insults now.
I hope people who used to say it read this say "oh, fair enough, I didn't know that, but I see the point" and spread the word to other forums.
What I didn't expect to see was people actually defending the use of the word!
Let's not argue about "how racist" or "how offensive" this word is, when or when not to say it or how "bad" it is compared to other words - these are all irrelevant points, if it's offensive to a certain group of people, we should strive to not say it, right?
I think if you said this to one of my Okinawan coworkers or friends, they would have a different perspective. Or I guess you could just stroll around one of our many American bases here, eat some spam, go to A&W.... An "if you don't like it, it's your problem" attitude on this subject isn't all that productive.The context of WWII is still with us today. I mean, it's still a relevant context. We aren't talking about the big band era here. We're talking about a war that still effects policy and feelings. Why do you think swastikas are outlawed in Germany? Because the context of WWII was so powerful that that symbol is still meaningful. So is the word "Jap" to a lot of people that lived through that. It doesn't get as much play in the West, that's for sure, but in the East I'm sure it's still a big no-no.Irrelevant argument, the French Revolution, the American War of Independence or the Napoleonic wars also still have effects on policy to this day. And even bigger then WWII (some European countries still use the Code Napoleon in their city-policy and such, the American constitution has been unaltered to this day). But I don't think the negative slurs then are still being seen as insults now.
I left my dad when I was 4 years old when we were in Alabama.
Also, I have to wonder if the term is more offensive to Japanese-Americans than Japanese citizens....Just a hunch with no proof to back it up, but it seems like that would add another layer on it, implying they are not American (which in fact was what they were accused of). I mean, how often did Japanese citizens hear the term "Jap" in a negative connotation compared to a Japanese-American?I suspect this could be true. My grandmother spent time in an internment camp, one of the US/Canada's worst racist moments, yet probably also one of the least remembered. The rural location where I grew up was full of racist people that I had to deal with, but I believe it was more out of ignorance than true malice.
Also, I have to wonder if the term is more offensive to Japanese-Americans than Japanese citizens....Just a hunch with no proof to back it up, but it seems like that would add another layer on it, implying they are not American (which in fact was what they were accused of). I mean, how often did Japanese citizens hear the term "Jap" in a negative connotation compared to a Japanese-American?I suspect this could be true. My grandmother spent time in an internment camp, one of the US/Canada's worst racist moments, yet probably also one of the least remembered. The rural location where I grew up was full of racist people that I had to deal with, but I believe it was more out of ignorance than true malice.
I accept that the term may be used as a slur and would prefer not to offend people. I don't think anyone is arguing that people might use the abbreviation and not know what it means, of course that is going to happen, I think the point is that you should be cognizant of the term and know not to use it because some people might take offense. Why is this so complicated?
I think everyone is making good points as to how people can understand the context and learn to be less offended by it.
My beef, as James C. mentions in his blog post, is that it isn't that hard to change your habits when it comes to typing it. I'm pretty appalled that some just can't be bothered to do something so insanely simple.
Well I guess I may be misunderstanding some people's stance then, but I was getting the impression that people were basically saying "It's dumb for them to be offended so why should I change the way I type it."
JPN, PEOPLE, THAT'S ALL YOU NEED.
Let's show our love of Jpse games without hating on the people of Jpn!
JPN, PEOPLE, THAT'S ALL YOU NEED.
Isn't that an abbreviation for Japan? It just doesn't sound right if used in the context of the people.
Solution: just assume everyone is Asian and avoid saying anything offensiveBetter solution. Don't try and make black and white rules for a gray world. Balance sacrifice with benefits and then make the best decision for every instance.
And to compare the French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, and American War of Independence to WWII in terms of cultural relevance is absurd. We're still chasing war criminals from WWII for crying out loud...the effects are still being felt. Culturally, all of those other wars now have negligible impact besides their effect on laws, which we aren't even talking about in this discussion. It's not like people are using slang terms against an ethnic group that were used during the Napoleonic Wars. Not unless you have a time machine.It's not absurd in the argument that Jap is still a negative word because of the relevance of the cultural significance of WWII to this day. I countered this by using all those 19th century events because the cultural significance they still have (even laws have cultural significnace because they inderectly determine social norms and cultural behavior). The French Revolution opened the floodgates of democracy in the whole of Europe and later the world...that is less of a cultural significance today then chasing after WWII-criminals? France as a country is so drenched in the values of the French Revolution in such a way that if you mention that Europe is based on christian values to a french person, they will punch you in the face (this is not a attempt to make the discussion religious or political, just an example of the major cultural significiance of the French Revolution to this day).
And Kashogi..every time i read your name i read Kashogi E Stogi(as in spanish "y" for "and"). What does the Y. stand for?
I think everyone is making good points as to how people can understand the context and learn to be less offended by it.
My beef, as James C. mentions in his blog post, is that it isn't that hard to change your habits when it comes to typing it. I'm pretty appalled that some just can't be bothered to do something so insanely simple.
At what point would it become worthwhile for you to make the change? If your co-worker was offended by it? What about your good friend? Your best friend? Your girlfriend?
And if I'm misunderstanding you, and you actually do plan to make that change, you are just speaking about the racism issue as a whole, then we shouldn't be arguing anymore.
Again... This is not a black and white world.It's a white world.
that statement wasn't a racial statement. Probably a poor choice of words given the topic.Yeah I know. I didn't actually mean to direct the link specifically at you either, it's for EVERYONE.
yea you may have offended someone with that. i believe the correct term would be, its not a African American and European American world.The intended target of offence is actually white people who think that racism doesn't exist and that affirmative action (and other racial policies) put white people at a disadvantage.
that statement wasn't a racial statement. Probably a poor choice of words given the topic.Yeah I know. I didn't actually mean to direct the link specifically at you either, it's for EVERYONE.yea you may have offended someone with that. i believe the correct term would be, its not a African American and European American world.The intended target of offence is actually white people who think that racism doesn't exist and that affirmative action (and other racial policies) put white people at a disadvantage.
For those who didn't bother reading the link I offered. Here is a song (http://members.westnet.com.au/rabelford/whiteworld.m4a).
English Speaker A: Heal me... HEAL ME... I'M POISONED! COME ON YOU ARE THE WHITE MAGE!
Japanese Speaker: (Doesn't heal them.)
English Speaker B: He's Jap man, talk like this...
English Speaker B: {{White Mage}} -> {{Thief}} {{Please Help!}}
Japanese Speaker Leaves the Party and quits.
Its not derogatory in the UK or Australia, and I'm not sure if it is or not in Canada.
Its not derogatory in the UK or Australia, and I'm not sure if it is or not in Canada.
It is used in a derogatory sense in Australia.
None of my friends seemed bothered by it, but when I asked "What if it was called a Chink Cookie?" they suddenly got my point.
The word "Jap" is racist.
It sounds wrong, because it IS wrong.
What I didn't expect to see was people actually defending the use of the word!
if it's offensive to a certain group of people, we should strive to not say it, right?
I'm confused, someone says, "Hey, this term is construed as a racial slur by some people," and we're arguing that they are wrong?
I accept that the term may be used as a slur and would prefer not to offend people. I don't think anyone is arguing that people might use the abbreviation and not know what it means, of course that is going to happen, I think the point is that you should be cognizant of the term and know not to use it because some people might take offense. Why is this so complicated?
I think I can clear up the problem here. This entire debate rests on the fact that words have meaning.
Let's look at the meaning of "racism"
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.
Can anyone tell me how someone abbreviating "Japanese" as "Jap" is, in any way, shape, or form one of those three things? Is one race superior because another race calls the second race by an abbreviation?
I think I can clear up the problem here. This entire debate rests on the fact that words have meaning.If you want to read about the origins of the ethnic slur (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jap)
Let's look at the meaning of "racism"
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.
Can anyone tell me how someone abbreviating "Japanese" as "Jap" is, in any way, shape, or form one of those three things? Is one race superior because another race calls the second race by an abbreviation?
That doesn't really help.
That article explains how, 60 years after "Jap" was used in London, some people started using it in a derogatory way.
Likewise, people have been using the word "white" to describe individuals for years. It's not racist. But if a group of non-white individuals from a mostly non-white community went and picked on a white individual calling him "white boy" in a snide manner - then THEY are being racist. But that suddenly doesn't make every single other use of the word "white" into a racist slur.
It's possible, just like any word has the potential to take on derogatory meanings.
Maybe I'm missing your point, but I don't believe the intent of this original blog post was to say, "Never use the word 'Jap' because it's evil and racist." It was simply trying to explain that the word has a history of derogatory use and that for some, those old connotations still carry some weight. The point is that we all should be mindful of and responsible for the words we use. Your choice of words is still up to you.