Use of the word "JAP" in gaming

I see this in auctions and threads a lot, and I was wondering what the gaijin in Japan think about it. It seems like an offensive word to me. I know people don't use it in that manner for their auctions, but it still makes me shake my head a little.

Does anyone here use that in their auctions? If I need to shorten I just use JP.

I'm not into the thought or speech police or anything. But, I'd imagine people use it without really thinking of what it means to others, especially Japanese, so maybe letting them know will convince them on their own to use something else. If they choose to still use JAP, then so be it, their choice.

 

Oh we had a discussion about Jap and how its considered a derogatory word by Japanese. No one ever says Jap anymore when referring to a Japanese person, only their games in auctions. Also, JAP would be more recognizable as something Japanese than just JP in listing an auction. I never really sold any Japanese imports on ebay, well I have once, but I don't think I labeled it as a Jap or JP, just Japan.

 

We should all use JPN ! That's what airlines use or anything official. I use JPN too.

Yakumo

 

Nope, it's used only as an abreviation of Japanese. It's stupid to be offended by it, especially in this context.

How is JAP less offensive than JPN? How is JAP less offensive than Brit? It's not the word, it's the context which contains it people should find offensive.

Example. "I love all my Jap games, i think they are the best!" NOT OFFENSIVE.
Now, "These fucking Japanese shouldn't be allowed in my country". It doesn't matter if I write JPN, JAP, Japanese, people of Japanese ancestry etc. it's still offensive.

Racism isn't the words you say, it's the thought that lie behind them.

Sometimes I think people just look for ways to be offended, it's getting quite ridiculous. It'll esculate to the point where we can't talk about anything.

Tony, a Scot, Brit, 'Tally.

 

Agreed, "Jap" is probably not offensive at all in this context. (gaming)

However I know for a fact that some of my Japanese friends would be very offended to hear the term at all. Regardless of context.

Silly, perhaps, but I would not use the term just in case someone was offended by it. Jpn or Jp was not used as a derogatory term in the past so I would use that instead, it hardly takes any effort to make that change.

I know that on this board nobody intends to use the word in a derogatory fashion but I would hate to think that I was offending anyone. Best to play it safe, I'm just not an antagonistic person.

 

Of course, if I was freinds with a person who said they found JAP to be offensive I would not use it in their company.

However there's few words that are universally offensive regardless of context, and I don't think JAP is one of them. People make a concouse decision upon which words they will find offensive, and if find it very silly that anyone could be offended by it in the context we use it in.

Actually I think the Japanese DCs have JAP printed on the bottom...

 

Thats what i use,

Funny though as when i used it people on here just dived all over me.

 

http://assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=421

 

The problem with the word JAP is that most people DO use it as a racist insult which is why it's offensive. The Japanese know this. The word Brit is not used as an offensive insult to British so of course we don't give a shit about people using it but call an American a Yank and I'm sure some will take offence due to the word Yank being used by many as an offensive racist word.

We could go on all day about how JAP is not or is racist, so I think we should look at it from the eyes of a Japanese person. They don't like it so we shouldn't use it. No where in the world officially uses JAP. All official terms are JPN.

One that always did puzzle me is why can black people call each other nigger but if I said it, it would be classed as racist. Not that I am in any way. It's just something that puzzled me.

Yakumo

 

Hey Kyuusaku: I have missed you

 

That's the real issue. If some otherwise fine word offends a large number of people, out of respect for them I'm not going to use it.

 

That's bullshit, the totally wrong way to look at things. Something the majority of people think does not make it correct. This is why Americans now have to teach 'Creationism' in some states, the mob has spoken, now everyone must follow, right or wrong.

Blaspheme offends most Christians (a shit load of people), does that mean we should stop that? Jesus, no.

I have never, in my life, heard someone use Jap as a racist term. Perhaps it's different in America, but that doesn't change my stance. I'll use it all I want.

I am more than open to peoples views on this subject, I just need something concrete to change my mind. When I use the term Jap it means, of course, Japanese. All it is is cutting a few syllables from a word or a saving a few characters.

 

I'd like to see you use it to my wife. She'll throw a big kitchen knife at you if you did. Believe me ! Anyway, Have you been living under a rock or something ! Everyone knows JAP is a racist term. Even the fucking north Koreans used it as an insult during a political meet last year. It was all over the news :nod:

End of line is that JAP is a recognised racist remark towards Japanese. No trying to change that fact.

Yakumo

PS: by the way, what is the racist term for English people? A Chinese friend once said we were called "Wide eyed people" in Chinese of course.

 

I didn't say it made it "correct", where did I even imply that? I said out of respect for them I wouldn't do it to their face. If I'm in the company of a devout Christian (doesn't happen often), I would try not to blaspheme to them. It has nothing to do with censorship and everything to do with respect for other people.

Bottom line is, if one person finds a term extremely offensive and someone else deliberately uses it in full knowledge, the latter person is an asshole. You wouldn't do it in real life, don't try and pretend it's some issue of free speech when you're online.

 

Hours of fun,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_slurs

And yes Jap is in there and quite a few for English people as well.

 

How is it racist? What does it imply about the Japanese?

rac·ism Pronunciation (rszm)
n.
1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

That's exactly what it's about. I shouldn't have to change my views or expressions just becuase someone else chooses to find them offensive. How about this; I am offended by your use of the word "it". Please don not use that word when I am able to read your posts. Doesn't make much sense does it?
And of course I'd use it in real life, why else would I try to defend it?

 

A question for those who are more familiar with Japanese culture; is the word "JAP" sometimes used among the Japanese towards one another, similar to the "N" word in different cases?

 

Look Jap to Japanese is exactly the same as Paki to Pakistani. That is how it is derived and historically it was used as a negative term.

Now you can deny this all you like, but for the sake of those who do find it offensive just modify your use of the term. Is that such a big deal?

Mark30001 - No, I have never heard that used! For a start the hard P is hard to pronounce.
However the term is still used with zero meaning like - http://13b.power.ne.jp/jap/. Some Japanese people don't know what the term originally meant, but for those who do it can be offensive. Basically it is an odd word, I would just play it safe and not use it.

 

Argument still stands. How is Paki offensive? It's only racist here in the UK becuase morons use it for people who are not Pakistani, but decend from Pakistani origins.

My uncle and his family, who was born in Pakistan, are fine with the term Paki. They happily use it to describe themselves and others.

Perhaps they have the sense to know IT'S ONLY ABBREVIATIONS.

The only difference between Brit and Jap is that the Japanese have chosen to be offended by it.

 

OK, I don't want to argue about the way the world works and how people are "allowed" to be offended. Infact I don't like to argue at all.

I will just end by saying - perhaps the reasons "Jap" may be offensive where "brit" is not, are potentially illogical. However, I don't think that proving a point about that lack of logic is worth offending someone over.