Is calling someone “chinaman” racist?

[Anonymous]

Would he use that term to the kid’s face? No? Why not?... racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am Asian American. While it’s not hostile-level racism, the term is certainly offensive enough! You win this argument hands down. You don’t want your son going around using that word. I would be fuming mad if I heard my child referred to in this way. Why did your DH even think this was funny?

+1

I’m mixed but look more Caucasian, as do 2of my kids. DH is Asian. If I heard a parent or classmate using this term, I would say something and we definitely would not socialize with you anymore. That your husband is defending this just reeks of white priviledge.

I’m Korean American and if I heard your DH saying this to your son I wouldn’t say anything but would actively avoid your family.

[Anonymous]

Totally inappropriate. But why was your son crying? And did you really read a dictionary entry on racism to your son?

[Anonymous]

How is this even a question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kind of funny but not nice.

Kind of funny? You have a sick sense of humor.

[Anonymous]

1. Totally racist
2. Your husband tried to cheer your son up by making fun of someone’s appearance. Your husband is an asshole.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely a racist term. My white MIL, born in 1949, used to use it and I, an Asian American, set her straight quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I haven’t heard that term since my dad died a few years ago.

At age 90.

It’s a term from a far more bigoted time.

That was my thought too..."Chinaman" is a term I'd expect to hear from someone born before 1920. How old is OP's dh?

Yeah, "Chinaman" is up there with "Oriental," which is what my grandmother said.

If the person was actually Chinese, that *might* be one thing, but I doubt your husband knew that, and most likely, the person was an American of Chinese descent--or Korean descent, or Thai descent, or whatever. So definitely racist and inappropriate.

Also, in general, making fun of someone to make yourself feel better is pretty awful, so that's not a coping strategy I'd be on board with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Also, Dude, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please."

This. It's racist in the sense that the term was used in a derogatory fashion in the early 1900s to describe anyone that looked of Asian descent. Since race is really an arbitrary color-line anyway, hard to say that Chinaman is "not about race" unless the only "race" you see is between black and brown and white folk, and even then, really?

Perhaps this is a learning opportunity for that person and not necessarily an opportunity for condemnation and reproach. I know that my much older mother never realized that "Oriental" was a derogatory term for people until I sat down and explained it. She never uses the term now (thank goodness).

[Anonymous]

Chinaman, Englishman, Frenchman etc. Are all racist and sexist words. The PC term is 'person' or 'bully'.

[Anonymous]

racist. Even my 90 year old grandaparents call "them" "Orientals".

[Anonymous]

That word may have been the standard, just like colored person/Negro, in the past, when people who used these terms were not necessarily considered racist. That was then. This is now when your husband knows that Chinaman is the wrong word and used it deliberately to be derogatory towards the Asian kid. Yes, your husband was being racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Totally racist
2. Your husband tried to cheer your son up by making fun of someone’s appearance. Your husband is an asshole.

I think it's fair. When my kid was being bullied, I supplied some words to use as weapons to fight back including '4 eyes', Dumbo, pig nose, etc. These words turned the table on the bully and stopped the situation. Fight fire with fire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. Totally racist
2. Your husband tried to cheer your son up by making fun of someone’s appearance. Your husband is an asshole.

I think it's fair. When my kid was being bullied, I supplied some words to use as weapons to fight back including '4 eyes', Dumbo, pig nose, etc. These words turned the table on the bully and stopped the situation. Fight fire with fire.

Wow, I hope you have bail money set aside for your kid or at least money for therapy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:racist. Even my 90 year old grandaparents call "them" "Orientals".

My Dad still calls Japanese, Tojo's. He is a WWII vet and good luck changing him.