Is the word Jap and Japs racist?
In the english language? Or just in context with that era?
shareIt was proper context in 1943 (and up to 2003 when speaking with my Grandfather)
share
MovieChat Forums > Windtalkers (2002) Discussion > Is the word Jap and Japs racist?
"Jap" is racist, even in the time period. However, it was "acceptable" racism, as most Americans of the era viewed the Japanese as vicious animals, rather than human beings. Much of this comes from the Pearl Harbor attack, but it was prevalent well before the attack.
It would be comparable to the same usage of the word *beep* during that period, and seen in the same light in terms of acceptability.
Compare to the modern usage of the term "Haji" used to describe those of Middle-Eastern descent, particularly Iraqis.
What trims said.
Yes: It is considered racist.
Yes: Since the US was at war with Japan. Anti-Japanese racism was not only tolerated but encouraged.
(BTW: Christian Slater's line about the two countries becoming friends in the future would never have been thought let alone voiced aloud.)
That degree of racism was so acceptable that a great number of Japanese and Americans of Japanese descent were packed off and herded into a number prison camps for the duration of the war.
You might have heard of a few of the people who some spent time in them:
• Noryuki "Pat" Morita
• Goro Suzuki, known to audiences as Jack Soo
• George Takei
For the crime of being Japanese.
[Okay, Frumious. Get off the soapbox.]
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.---
— Isaac Asimov
I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.
--- share
Ya, it is racist. The first word you wrote.
Cult Leader my mind's frightening, I drink blood from a human skull like a Viking
I dunno. My Dad was a WWII PTO veteran and he said it but he would not tolerate the n-word from anybody. He and his company worked with Sony a lot postwar and he wore a seiko watch in the 50s. And he spoke very highly of them. Accordingly I thought of it as an abbreviation for Japanese like Brit. I was disabused of that notion when I called an exchange student a Jap during a hotly contested game. It had never occurred to me that it was racist or particularly hurtful.
shareSuch an interesting post which I can relate to as well. My dad was
also a veteran of WW II and he graduated from the Philippine Military
Academy in the country's class of 1944. Which was patterned as a
carbon copy of our US Military Academy at West Point and for many
years after the war both my dad and his brother also wore Seiko
watches which my uncle would purchase during his many business
trips to Japan & Hong Kong. My uncle told me that Seiko were priced
much less in HK than in Japan since these watches were manufactured
in Japan. And these watches wore always sold at a discount price
in HK though were full priced in Japan. Now off topic-my uncle
spoke Japanese for many years and during WW II after the return
of Gen. Douglas McArthur to the Philippine Islands, there were
many enemy soldiers and officers who were taken as pows by our
troops. And there were almost no American service members who
could speak their language. So then McArthur asked for any local
Filipinos who would be willing to be interpreters and translators
to assist in interrogating Japanese prisoners of war. Therefore
my trusty Uncle Oscar was nearly fluent in Japanese so he worked
in an official capacity to assist interrogating the enemy at
the young age of 20! He was born in 1924 and this was in 1944
when McArthur made good on his promise that, "I shall return"
to the people of the Philippines. Just thought to share.
Lawrence Sunny California
Call me a sailor or a swabby just don't call me a squid!
Like the other posters have already mentioned here, the use of the
word "jap" is considered racist in today's politically correct
times. And I shall add two others, in the 70's classic television
show 'Kung Fu" the main character of Kwai Chang Caine who was
played by the late David Carradine was often called and referred
to as a "china man" by many white folks. And back in the old
west of the 1880's the use of the term wasn't racist nor even
considered derogatory by non Asians though I'm certain that
the Chinese people of those times did not care for being
labeled as "china man" or "china men." And I'm half Filipino
and half white and I have never been called a "flip" though
back in the day the term was derogatory and insulting to any
flipinos whether they were native born from the Philippines
or Filipino-americans like myself.
Lawrence Sunny California
Call me a sailor or a swabby just don't call me a squid!
I wrote 'Japs' in a book report in the mid-70s and my teacher corrected it to 'Japanese'. Based on that, it was frowned upon in my area. Northern Illinois
Love's turned to lust and blood's turned to dust in my heart.
[deleted]
Jap is just a shortend form of Japanese.
There isn't anything racist or bigoted about it.
Your feeble skills are no match for the power of kittens.
It depends who you are, like the inward. It's not racist when I use it because I don't see race.
If you put me on ignore, then how can I notify you when I win the lottery?
[deleted]