On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:14:12 -0400, Tracy > wrote:

>I thought carpets/rugs were "Oriental" and people were "Asian". I don't
>think my Japanese SIL likes to be called an Oriental.

Rugs from China are called Chinese rugs. You know what Persian rugs
are - the area is debatable, but centers in Iran. Rugs from India and
the surrounding areas are called Oriental, but tagged by country of
origin.

The people of Asia are called Asians as a whole or identified
individually by their country of origin (if you know it). I'm an
American first, a North American second, "of European ancestry" a
distant third.

I don't blame your SIL. Calling people Orientals reeks old fashioned
Colonial attitude.

Just my 2¢


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West