Dear Readers,
For the past 10 years, I've been called many derogatory words. I'm sure many of you have been called something horrible once in your life. I'm sure some of you have called another human being something of the sort as well, I as well am guilty.
Have you ever once thought where those words actually originated from, and what they actually mean? I was shocked to find out , these words come from horrible context. I was shocked to the point where my body just ceased to function for about 5 second to swallow the insanity of it all. I've always brushed my shoulders of when they called my chink, zipperhead, gook and etc... Thinking, that the words generated from the way we speak our language, the shape of our eyes, and the likes. However, I discovered I was completely wrong. These Derogatory words should not be tolerated any longer...these are the following definition of the words I presented you. Use it only for educational purposes.
Zipperhead- At first I thought it was to make fun of my eyes. Being Asian we are told we have slanted eyes, so I naturally put two and two together, and thought okay... I guess my eyes look like a close zipper to them. No.
Back in the korean war, the us army used to run over Koreans... with their jeeps. When they do run them over , they will leave a tire mark on their face,or heads. The jeeps tire mark made their heads look like a closed zipper... thus calling them "zipperheads"
Another definition. When they shoot a asian person in the face during the war with a high powered rifle, it blew their head open making it look like a open zipper. Horrible. just utterly horrible.
Gook- Back in the Korean war, The american soldier would tease and make fun of Korean citizens... and the koreans would get furious and tell them to leave them alone. The word for "American" sounds like "mee-Gook" in Korean. So the American soldiers thought they were saying " I am a gook" (me, gook). So they started calling them gooks.
Also in the Vietnam war, they started calling the viets, gooks as well... why? because the Americans said, "same shit"... same shit , different country. So now, they still call, koreans and viets gooks. Also, did you know, "gooks" sound like soup in korean? So when they call us that, older koreans often say, they are they calling us soups?
Chink- This word also originated in the korean war. This is a shorten way of saying, "chinese North koreans" CHI(chinese)N(north)K(korean). A very offensive word now to label all Asians as One entity. They also use this word to symbolize we all look chinese.
Their are alot of word that derived from negativity... and the worst part of it is, they don't know where it orginated from. People say, gook, zipperhead, chink and etc without even know the true meaning. Calling someone a person runned over by a jeep leaving a mark on their corpse? Who in the right fuckin mind says anything like this? People should seriously research what the fuck they are saying, before they open their mouths... because its an open grave. Their tongue practice deceit...
Now you know. Don't you dare use it.
-Tenchi-
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I learned something new today. I had no idea. But it really sickens me that small minded people use those words to degrade people. People like that are just bullies and in my book bullies are cowards.
ReplyDeleteAll I got to say is they will be held accountable.
Ignorant bullies i hope.
ReplyDeleteOmg, if only more people knew about this. Its a disappointment these words are still around even so long after the war..
ReplyDeleteImma flykick some sense into the next person who says these words.. and then make them read your blog.
Wow.
ReplyDeleteThose are terrible words and I hate they were created.
Just horrible.
Wow, that really opened up my eyes...not that I've used any of those words. Just saying it was very informational. It's terrible where these words originated from...
ReplyDeleteI just saw your vid on youtube I made a comment and I have to admit I was kind of angry when I wrote it lol. Its just that there are subjects that really get to me and racism is at the top of the list. Sometimes its just really boiling inside, and im fighting myself not to curse! How can they use these sad, horrible events as a way to hurt someone? makes no sense to me. its crazy...and sometimes we tend to forget them but truth is they are here. The only thing we can do, as you mentionned it, is to raise our children in a proper way, teach them how to love!!!
ReplyDelete( I listened to some Bob Marley and finally calmed down lol)
ONE LOVE!
Hey, I've heard many people use these words, witnessed discrimination toward Asians, and became interested in this subject after my Asian teacher made me aware of the depiction of Asians in the media.
ReplyDelete--I've been attempting to make others aware, but I stumbled upon an Asian blog that was basically the opposite of yours. He was putting down Ethiopians and blacks in general (seemingly unaware that his race gets that same treatment, he tried to make the case that East Asians are the "master race")
--Needless to say, I made a lengthy comment of polite outrage and tried to make him aware that he was feeding into stereotypes and racism while I am here attempting to get people to stop doing the same to Asians (he did not reply yet but I am definitely looking forward to hearing what he has to say)
Visit and comment on my blog
http://reallifetweets.blogspot.com
That is seriously messed up if a person called you any of those offensive words. I remember when some one said something that was offensive about my race. I told them about themselves and how it was racist. The person claimed that they did not know (idiot) and said sorry. Some people really dont know when they are being racist so tell them about it. Later on in the year that person never said anything racist in front of me again.
ReplyDeleteI go to a school that is really diverse (like seriously we have EVERYONE in my school), but i noticed there is alot of subliminal racism. You know the i kid- i kid kind of racism. White people speaking "black" and black people trying to pretend they are white, every hispanic is a Mexican joke, and Indians are terrorist jokes. Asians aren't excluded in this stupidity.
Last year this Korean guy was inside of my psychology class. He was the only asian inside the class. Some kid decided to nickname him Ninja (his real name is Khoa). Everyone thought it was funny except for me (i dont know alot about Orientals, but i do know Korea doesn't = Ninja). Even the teacher called him this. From then on it got worst people made Ninja jokes,and the teacher encouraged it because her child is half asian. This guy even said "Ching Chong". Khoa always laughed but deep down I knew he was upset. Maybe that is why he tried to talk to me because I never laughed at the stupidity (or b/c I'm SUPER hot).
Yes it is sad; the only way to stop the popular use of deragotory words is to take it seriously even if it is a joke. (Goodness, that was long, I totally invaded your blog! Sorry!)
By the way, "oriental" is a derogatory word as well.
ReplyDelete"oriental" is a Politically incorrect term used in place of "Asian." Correct usage should be an adjective for things like inanimate objects, not humans.
Correct usage: There's an Oriental rug store on Derbe Drive.
or
Are you going to the Oriental market?
Incorrect usage: Is that dude oriental?
or
Orientals are known to be bad drivers.
The definition of any word is a perception of one’s faulted mind. Trying to make a person into what lesser value we hold for ourselves. Some rely on the muddy perfection of what is shown on TV or blasted through the world wide web. But the truth of the matter is that our imperfection is God’s gift of perfection. Your character sets you apart from the closed minded people which you should only want to educate not only to see their faults but to recognized we are all ONE. It’s terrible that we have not learned enough to know that in this day and age.
ReplyDeleteI'm Asian. Just for the head's up. Also, I've never heard anybody use the term Zipperhead. Online and in real life.
ReplyDeletePersonally, where some of the derogatory words come from is absolutely terrible and if someone truly acts racist, don't stand for that BS. However, to me, it's how you say it and what you mean behind that. It used to bother me, when people over the internet would look down at me for my race (Though usually, you know how "Gook" is used for Koreans, "Chink" is used for Chinese.. or all Asians, and otherwise, people would get the "derogatory" word for what my ethnicity is), I'm not really bothered so much by it now. Hey, if they want to be racist fools and look like assholes as well as being ignorant, that's fine by me.
And some people use it, not in the sense where they are making fun of someone, but in the sense of asking, why? What's the point? In songs, where they don't like it, among other things. And though yes, it did start off with a bad meaning and how some derogatory words got started is absolutely terrible. To me, it's more of how you say it (and sometimes act) than it is the word itself.
I mean if you use it to me in a non-racist but joking way (And I know you're joking), I'm not going to get all offended or up in your face about it or upset about it. Unlike Khoa, I wouldn't really care deep down inside. If it's literally supposed to be offensive, I'll care and probably be in your face but otherwise, no. Not really.
And I wouldn't be surprised if Korea had it's own Ninja's (Just the word for what they are is different than what it is in Japanese).. not to Tenchi. But as typed. It's more of the way you say any words than it is the word itself, for me.
Also, you should listen to Mr. Sun Cho Lee (You can find it on Myspace).
I saw your video about the same thing, and I gotta admit that I was pretty angry, too. But then you started talking about how you wouldn't want your son to have to live in a world like this, and that really touched me. I work with kids and I'm always in awe of how innocent and sweet they can be. One of my kids once told me that she liked my skin because it reminded her of chocolate ice cream, lol. That comment came from a very pure place, and I hate to think that someone, someday, could spoil that by introducing her to the different stereotypes and bigotry that we have to deal with. I don't want anyone to steal from her the kind of innocence that makes her see someone's skin color as beautiful, even if the color is different from her own.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for offending you. I told you some people are ignorant to derogatory terms (like me in this case). Thank you for informing me about that word because I thought it was the correct thing to say. Now I know and will never forget. I will also correct others about that term.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you wrote this because it's serving to shed some light on things that most don't think about. A lot of people remain in the dark bc they don't feel like getting into the history or they're just really unaware. I think the only way to somewhat diminish the use of these words is through education. My sentiments are similar concerning the use of the N word, which I am sure will be debated for years to come. I mean really how are we supposed to move forward together if we still use words that separate us?
ReplyDeleteWhatta bunch of bastards!
ReplyDeleteKeep truckin' Tenchi, keep truckin.
People are so ignorant. Using such words to refer to a person in a negative way is horrible. It's even worse when they think they're actually being considerate of your feeling by using such words (i.e. oriental or negro), because they are showing you that like most people they are not educated on what these words actually mean. Their ignorance is clearly shown. Like today I was in the library and this kid next to me was talking about Lil Wayne and how he hopes he gets punch in the face while he's in jail. This girl that was sitting next to him then says "You shouldn't say things like that" the guy asked her why and she responded with "Because he's a negro people might get offended". Now considering that I was the only African American in the vicinity I could understand that she was trying to spare my feeling, but 1.)The first thing that comes to mind when I hear someone talking smack about a black person isn't WOW they're racist! and 2.) How did she think that saying negro would be better than talking bad about Lil Wayne someone I don't even care about? Anyways thanks for educating us Tenchi hopefully people will think and do their research before they use such hurtful words.
ReplyDeleteI hate when people say something they think is kinda racist, and then add "no offense" on the end. 1) Not everything you say to someone is racist, even if its about their skin color or their eyes or culture (ie, that dress is too brown for your skin- I am not offended by this, if its true). 2)If what you said was offensive, adding "no offense" behind it doesn't make it any better. I think some people just don't know how to talk to people of other races- its like they forget that we're just people too.
ReplyDeleteTricia I said I was sorry girl, so calm down. I truly and honestly didn't know that the O-word was offensive. I really was being considerate, I just was sadly ignorant. Case freaking closed.
ReplyDeleteP.S: You can't judge because you are not God and you don’t know me.
Tricia ~ I'm Asian(Japanese and Okinawan) and I've used the term *Oriental. Personally, it's not really all that offending, especially if someone doesn't know what it means. Such as I didn't and still don't really care but I usually don't call out people for being Asian, or whatever race they are.
ReplyDeleteTori: I wasn't tyring to say anything bad about you. I'm sorry it came off that way. After reading Tenchi's posted definition of the word oriental I just decided to use it as an example, but I guess that was a bad idea. I wasn't trying to judge you. I myself thought that referring to someone of asian decent as being oriental was polite although personally I've never done it if I'm not sure about an asian person's race I politely ask so that I don't offend them by assuming they're something that they're not.
ReplyDeleteTori: Again I wasn't trying to offend anyone I was trying to make a point and apparently I used an example that I shouldn't have. I was basically trying to say that a lot of the words that people use to describe race or ethnicity have meanings that most of us don't understand and can be offensive to certain people. Again SORRY for any misunderstandings. No hard feelings?
Sorry that first one was supposed to say CharmEspuet:
ReplyDeleteHi TenchiJK I lurked around your blog and youtube but don't comment. Anyway I find it very interesting to find out where the sterotypes and words come from.
ReplyDeleteAs for oriental I found out a couple of years ago that that was offensive becasue I like in LOndon and there is a place here called Oriental City
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_City
And when people refer to Asians they usually mean South Asians Indians, Pakistanis etc. Then refer to East and South East Asians as Oriental.
I forgive you, Tricia. I'm just one of those type people that take everything to heart (hint: I am a Pisces, most of us are sensitive to almost everything!). No hard feelings. Have a beautiful day!
ReplyDeletethank you for clarifying use of the word oriental! I hate when my mom use's it to describe Asians and the like. I correct her (i try) and it doesn't work as her generation used that to describe people and objects.
ReplyDeleteHey Tenchi,
ReplyDeleteSorry in advance if my response is long, but this post was very informative to me as a person. For a long time I try to understand racism and what does it still exist in the world. The thing that dawned on me was human pride. This is one of the things God clearly states he hates the most. Pride of one person is better than another person just by their skin color is senseless. It's not just pride but vanity- an excessive belief that the world revolves around them. They use this as a way to bring others down. I also wondered why there are so many people write books on how to solve racism, but this is not just a world issue, but it is a heart issue. The best thing we can do is to teach our children to see people as individuals not be sterotypical of others.
Be strong Tenchi!!
Teresah
hey tenchi... i know you speak korean... so i wanna ask if you speak japanese too?
ReplyDelete