I agree. Don't be so sensative. It's an internet web site... take everything with a grain of salt.

 

Is this an "Evo" forum or a "John Kerry let's make a change" forum?

 

Every part of the country is different and the environment we each were raised in is different. We need to stop calling people ignorant because they use a diifferent word than many of us would use. Perhaps in the area they are from this is an accepted term. The east coast, weat coast, midwest and south each have their own cultures within the US, much like different countries have different cultures. I know just from going to California to Northern Arizona for five years, that many things were different including the use of descriptive words such as "Jap." If it is used in a negative way we should address it but other than that leave it alone. You cant shape this whole country to be as one person.

 

the latter!

seriously though, not everyone will understand the feeling of the word, and that's fine.. but to degrade somone simply because they have a problem with it? that's not cool.

personally i think it's a bad word... i've said it, i'm sure, but i actively try not to and respect a person's opinion on whether or not he or she feels it is racist. i do feel it is racist and i wish others would take that into consideration.

 

If someone is using a word to offend, then I find it offensive. If someone's just ignorant, I usually let it slide. Like my grandma (born in 1907) used to always say "Look at those Negro boys" and we'd always laugh as kids at her, but that's the word she knew. My wife is Hispanic (1/2 El Salvador & 1/2 Spanish) and she doesn't mind when I call her "Spic & Span", but if my brother calls her "Mexican" she gets PISSED. The thing is, when I say spic'n'span, she knows I'm not trying to insult her - just joking around, but for her "Mexican" is derogatory because of the way it's generally used in the US - to often insultingly describe ALL Latinos, and she reminds everyone that she's not Mexican. It's just one issue of the US being so diverse. sigh...

 

Let's cut the crap and start talking about Evo's now.

 

Big difference, "jap" to japanese people is the equivalent of "n*gg*r" to black people. Some of the younger or less educated people do not realize this. You have to know the history of how the word "jap" came about to understand.

 

wow. take it all in context, i mean really. if someone says something about a jap car, you know what they mean for crying out loud. if they say you are a no good jap, then you have my permission to get offended. just try to remember THIS IS THE FREAKING INTERNET! most people on the net aren't even real.

 

or you can learn to live with it. i personally could careless. Everyone is so caught up in words...words. We worry about minor details and let small things ruin a good thing. I cant blame you, thats your environment...but, i see no point in banning a word. I have yet to see someone use it in a belittling way.

Jap on this board is def being used for short.

 

Yes, but black people are not the race of Ni**er. Japense has JAP in it. BLACk does not have NIG in it. Thus, im almost positive if a Japanese person was reading a post by so and so, stating, "When does the jap spec evo comeout"...blah blah blah.....im pretty sure they arent going to be offended.

That could just be me, but im pretty sure. Sorta like black people call one another nig*er and its ok.

 

Actually, the term "yank" or "yankee" has been used in a derogitory manner for quite some time. Not so much today (well over seas yes) but especially during the civil war, this was a very degrading term used to identify a northerner.

I'm not trying to start a flame war, but really it's just a word. Don't be so sensative about a word that someone who has no idea who you are says!

 

I was just going to mention the the use of the word yankee : ) but anyway, does this mean i am not allowed to say "ricer" or any form of?

 

Does this mean i could possibly get banned? Kreme pointed this out to me. I'm not japanese, but i got the nickname cuz i love japanese things. The connotations to it are a lot less harmful then the other slurs mentioned in this thread already. Most of the ways we use jap on this forum seem to be for shortening purposes, so I don't see any problems with it. As far as i know, the japanese members we have don't seem to mind, but I'm usually in OT, so i don't really see the other parts of the forums. IMO, seeing "Jap" as a racial slur is a lot less damaging then ***** or gook or slant-eye or something.

EDIT: I guess i have to add I'm vietnamese, cuz I don't think the people in here that don't venture into OT know that. Being asian, for the majority of my life i've been called chinese, but that doesn't bother me.

 

oh I didn't know this is the internet {sarcasm} I guess that means we should just let all racial slurs slide cuz this is the internet and anything goes. It's not about me being sensitive I'm not even japanese but I can see how someone who is japanese being offended. I bet none of you people saying it's okay to use the word are actually japanese, it's like a white person saying it's okay to use the word "n*gg*r". Anyway I think I've said enough about this subject in a car forum, back to your regularly scheduled programming....

 

Context is everything. If someone is asking about the Jap-spec Evo, it's almost certainly a case of shorthanding Japanese-specification Evolution. Given the nature of the board (Japanese company, Japanese made cars, high number of Asians and Asian-Americans), almost all of the uses of the word "Jap" are going to be shorthand. If this was a board for an American or European make, it might be different - you'd see more "I won't drive a Jap car" attitudes.

I understand being referred to as a Jap is very offensive, and if you see a poster using it in a manner that is clearly not shorthand for Japan/Japanese, use the report post button or PM the individual. Censoring the word does not solve anything.

My 2 cents, of course.