CunobelinusStrange 0 Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 It's just a word though - they are not thinking it literally means "outside" "person"... just a word. HArdly any Japanese would think about it deeply like that. Link to post Share on other sites
Oyuki kigan 0 Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 thats the problem Link to post Share on other sites
ShinyDiscoBall 2 Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 Oyuki kigan - do you think and analyse all the English words you use?? Link to post Share on other sites
Oyuki kigan 0 Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 if they can posibly cause offense to some dip-shit, then yes Link to post Share on other sites
Dean 0 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 I agree that there are many things in English we dont think about when we use. For example Australians calling English people 'POMS' I dont use it anymore because some of my English friends get offended. But surely it should be pointed out just how offensive it is a word to use to describe people. If I went around in Oz calling people Japs or something similar, I could be taken to court. Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 If you think all Japanese are being racist when they say gaijin ---- you must get really tired and stressed out! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 When my boy is at his football school and the heat is on in games, the other kids yell at him "Gaijin, pass! Pass!" As we educate him not to be small-minded and easily affronted, he doesn't get offended by it. Link to post Share on other sites
Dean 0 Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 O11 I suppose its a case of the 'bigger man' thing eh? I dont get offended so to speak, just shake my head and roll with it. Like someone said before you just take the good with the bad. I just wonder if there will ever be an 'education' of the true meaning of the word, even though it is not usually used to offend. Maybe except in FT case Link to post Share on other sites
Curt 1 Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 When I was in the uk, I heard people referring to Pakistanis living nearby as Pakis. When they said it, they were not meaning to be racist - they just didn't think about it. I think the "gaijin" thing considerably more "innocent" than that. It only becomes offensive when it is used with that intent. It usually doesn't bother me at all. Link to post Share on other sites
Bonio 0 Posted October 30, 2005 Share Posted October 30, 2005 Referring to pakistani's as 'paki's' as far as I'm concerned is deemed to be racist in all of the UK. I have a few pakistani friends and they would clout me if I used it. Were the people using it British themselves? because it is commonly accepted now that using the word is very much not politically correct and those using it are being racist and aware of it. You may get people of older generations using it without even thinking about it but I believe that is because racism was culturally permisible when they were growing up. I certainly agree with you that gaijin is less offensive though Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 If in the UK "paki" is deemed racist, but many people use it - then what hope is there for things to change in Japan with the not deemed racist "gaijin"? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 99% of the time I dont care if people say gaijin. Its the 1% where the speaker is purposefully being condescending/arrogant/@sshole where I get upset. Link to post Share on other sites
HoTRoD 2 Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Me too. It's the way it is said. Same as tons of other words. Link to post Share on other sites
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