Date:  Wed, 13 Mar 1996 11:41:21 -0500

From:  Ronald Butters <amspeech[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ACPUB.DUKE.EDU>

Subject: Re: Asian and "PC"



"Asian" seems to me to be broader in scope than "Oriental" had become

before "Oriental" fell from grace.



I still refuse to use the term "PC" until it is applied to euphemisms

across the board and not just used for euphemisms that Pat Buchanan would

sneer at. For example, why doesn't anyone call "prolife" a "PC" term that

replaced the much more accurate "anti-abortion"? Euphemistic language

games are at least as much a part of right-wing political endeavor as of

the left, but only the left takes the hit when the term "PC" is employed.

"PC" is in this sense in itself a right-wing "PC" term.





On Tue, 12 Mar 1996, Ron Rabin wrote:



>Subject: Asian



>Has the meaning of Asian changed recently in American English?

>When Oriental became no longer PC, Asian was substituted.  Does Asian

>now mean what Oriental used to mean whatever Asian used to mean before

>this substitution?

>Ideas?

>Ron Rabin

>Buffalo State College