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As Smart as an Asian...

Dan From Smithville

What's up Doc?
Staff member
Premium Member
The medical world can do wonders. I hear they're even working on a procedure to surgically remove clowns from threads.
They are years away from successfully doing that. All they can do right now is chase them off, but clowns are only easily startled and they are soon back, and in greater numbers.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
Okay, I am going to be a little racist here, but I tend to think Chinese babies are cuter than most other babies. Sue me if I am wrong
 

Saint Frankenstein

Wanderer From Afar
Premium Member
Yes it is. Yes, there are Asian cultures that stress learning and excellence, but there are other cultures in other groups that do the same (some Semites, for example). But it is the hard work involved that makes some Asians "smarter" (i.e. better read and educated) than some in other cultures, not the fact of being Asian, or Semitic, or whatever.
Yup. But that's a double-edged sword as the stress such high expectations paired with an honor culture makes people fall into deep depressions and kill themselves if they feel they've failed. Some East Asian countries have a high suicide rate due to it.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
The 'smart' stereotype isn't actually 'smart', but more work ethic. Some cultures and peoples do bring in a larger sense of work ethic. Personally, I think it's related to poverty, and is a known method to reduce the chances of poverty on an individual level.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
No it's a common stereotype. Asian isn't a race.

True, although in common parlance, "Asian" usually refers to East Asian and its non-Caucasian inhabitants. I've never heard Saudi Arabians or Israelis identify as "Asian," even though they too are inhabitants of the Asian continent.

Part of the reason for this is that "Asian" was picked as the term to replace "Oriental," which (for reasons which were never really made clear) was declared to be "offensive." Same for terms like "Yellow" to refer to a race (although "Black" and "White" are still okay). You can still say "Frenchman," but you can't say "Chinaman" anymore.

Political Correctness is weird.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
True, although in common parlance, "Asian" usually refers to East Asian and its non-Caucasian inhabitants. I've never heard Saudi Arabians or Israelis identify as "Asian," even though they too are inhabitants of the Asian continent.

Part of the reason for this is that "Asian" was picked as the term to replace "Oriental," which (for reasons which were never really made clear) was declared to be "offensive." Same for terms like "Yellow" to refer to a race (although "Black" and "White" are still okay). You can still say "Frenchman," but you can't say "Chinaman" anymore.

Political Correctness is weird.
I prefer “cheese eating surrender monkeys”.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Ok, my second question, for those that feel this statement is racist,

Is any positive statement about a race then also racist?

The dictionary definition of "racist" might indicate that it is:

Definition of racism
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2a : a doctrine or political program based on the assumption of racism and designed to execute its principles
b : a political or social system founded on racism
3 : racial prejudice or discrimination

I would say that any blanket generalization about an entire group, whether positive or negative, could be considered "racist" - or at least (depending on how one defines the concept of "race" itself), "prejudiced," "biased," or "discriminatory."

I've noticed that the main focus of current dialogs on race and racism seem to revolve around what racism isn't, as opposed to what it is. One side wants to tar the other as "racist," while the other side counters that "we're not racists, you're racists."

This is coupled with the fact that nobody ever actually admits to being racist, and nobody wants to be labeled as such. As a result, the argument degenerates into something no longer about racism, but more of a psychoanalytical examination as to whether or not someone is a racist. It requires a great deal of research and digging - going back to high school yearbooks from 30-40 years ago, perusing the media over the span of decades to find something - anything they can get. Analyze the inflections and hidden meanings - "what do you think he meant by that remark?"

That's what strikes me about this topic whenever it's brought up. It's more like a game of whack-a-mole than any kind of serious discussion on race relations.

I think what we need is a citizens committee which will make official declarations and pronouncements as to what/who is racist and what/who is not. No one among the hoi polloi would be allowed to label someone a racist without checking with the committee first. Political Correctness is often criticized for being arbitrary, random, and frivolous, but with a citizens committee with defined standards and due process, it might be considered fairer. The committee would be chosen much in the same way jury duty is conducted.
 

Shad

Veteran Member
True, although in common parlance, "Asian" usually refers to East Asian and its non-Caucasian inhabitants. I've never heard Saudi Arabians or Israelis identify as "Asian," even though they too are inhabitants of the Asian continent.

It is the US's superficial ideas about race.

Part of the reason for this is that "Asian" was picked as the term to replace "Oriental," which (for reasons which were never really made clear) was declared to be "offensive."

Some 19th and early 20th century writers tended to include ideas about being exotic, separate and lesser than

Same for terms like "Yellow" to refer to a race (although "Black" and "White" are still okay). You can still say "Frenchman," but you can't say "Chinaman" anymore.

Political Correctness is weird.

Bingo.
 
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