But apparently no one told the North Koreans that. This, from the UN General Assembly debate on the annual International Atomic Energy Agency report:
[North Korea's deputy ambassador] Kim Chang Guk attacked Japan for referring to his country as North Korea instead of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or the DPRK.
Kim said that showed “sinister political ulterior intention and disdain on my country… The Japs are now turning the whole society to (the) right to resurrect militarism and fascism with a view to reinvade Korea.”
The derogatory reference to the Japanese and two others like it drew a rare rebuke from General Assembly President Julian Hunte.
Hunte then called for the vote and immediately afterward Kim walked out of the General Assembly chamber - before Japan’s deputy U.N. ambassador Yoshiyuki Motomura had a chance to reply.
Motomura explained that Japan used North Korea and South Korea as “a geographical concept,” and no offense was intended.
“But actually ‘Jap’ in the English sense is regarded as derogatory terminology which I’d like to ask the delegate from the DPRK to change,” the Japanese envoy said.
Hunte asked Kim to “desist from using this kind of language in this honorable house,” saying he was “alarmed by the level of the debate in terms of calling names.”
But Kim was not in the chamber to hear the assembly president’s rebuke.
Now, this is nothing new for the Norks, who frequently use racist and derogatory language in their official media, but for them to do so in the UN is a bit unusual. I’ll be interested to see if this gets reported in the South Korean media at all - so far, I’ve only seen the Yonhap report on the UN vote, and no mention of the North’s derogatory language toward Japan was made. I could only imagine what the press response would be if the Japanese had turned around and used an ethnic slur to refer to the North Koreans - every time Shintaro Ishihara runs his mouth off, it generates a wall of media solidarity in South Korea the likes of which are rarely seen. But who needs ethical consistency, anyway?
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12 Comments
Hankyoreh has it on the front page, but not Chosun.
http://www.hani.co.kr/section-.....46004.html
Chosun has it buried deep in the NK pages.
http://nk.chosun.com/news/news.....amp;page=1
What can we trust in this world anymore?
http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/ne.....127K5.html
What is the Nork take on the fact that the SOUTH Koreans refer to the DPRK as ?쨋???흹, and not as ?징째?????쩌??쩌??쩌?????쨍??쩌?쨀???™??짯?
Those gooks have a lot of gall.
Can someone explain to this cracker / whitey / caucazoid who is also a goddamn yanqui imperialist ‘murkin why “Jap” is considered derogatory? Sure it’s brusque, not really polite, kind of like “Gringo.” I guess it is associated with WWII lingo - referring to an enemy. Certainly it shouldn’t be used at a diplomatic function.
But it is just an abbreviation and not as bad-sounding as “Nip”. Calling someone a “Brit” is not particularly derogatory and can even be seen as a sign of affection and familiarity, rather than formality. It reminds me that a decade ago some people, like Michael Crichton in his book “Rising Sun,” tried to promote the notion that the word “Gaijin” was derogatory and a signal of Japanese racism. This was ridiculous as it is extremely common and it’s just an abbreviation for “Gaikokujin”. The best translation is that it’s like saying “foreigner” instead of “person from another country”.
Getting touchy about what you’re called is a sign of real insecurity. I personally love terms like “gringo” and “yank” and often refer to my fellow countrymen that way. My latino friends refer to themselves as wetbacks and cholos in jest. If terms like “Kiwi” “Ozzie” etc. are stylish and cute, why not “Jap”?
In this case, however, the DPRK ambassador did not use the term “Jap” as a sign of affection - it was intended to by offensive, and one can only imagine he figured it was the closest English equivilent to the Korean term “?짧쩍?째흹??쨈,” which is most certainly not a word used lightly. Moreover, as you point out, it’s not a word used in diplomatic discourse.
As far as its use outside of official circles is concerned, I’ve always considered it an offensive term (I don’t use it on this blog, that’s for sure), although I admit I’m not an authority on political correctness. Perhaps if Justin Yoshida is reading this he can give us a ruling on the word.
Well, I suppose you’re right. I just can’t think of another good nickname for the Japanese and making up new labels and lingo like “Nork” (that is a recent development, isn’t it?) or “(Barking) Moonbat” or “Righteous Fisking” is half the fun of blogs.
I have a few points to make, but before starting, I’d like to state that I have occasionally used the word “Jap” in my writing. However it was used, it was intentional - I wouldn’t use the word lightly.
1.
Used in reference to a Japanese citizen, this is definitely a derogatory term, and as the Marmot’s post illustrates, usually used in a hostile and/or disparaging fashion. As John states above, this is due to its wartime use. Although it is heard less often, the word “Nip” to me is not any more or less derogatory.
2.
Used in reference to an American of Japanese ancestry, it is especially offensive.
Why? Well for me, this is because I grew up hearing my relatives talk about the war and having to sell all of their land and possessions before being hauled off to “relocation centers” in hellholes like Manzanar, Crystal City, or Tule Lake. In spite of this a lot of the menfolk volunteered for service and many fought in the 442 Regimental Combat Team which became the most decorated unit in US military history. In Italy, in 1945, my grandfather’s best friend jumped on a grenade to save his buddies, and succeeded at the cost of his own life (he was later awarded the Medal of Honor). These brave soldiers came back to civilian life - in many cases only to be greeted with open hate and discrimination in their hometowns. “Dirty Japs,” “Kill the Japs,” “No Japs Allowed” - you can clearly see the (intentional?) lack of distinction between enemies of their country and true patriots. These are the roots of the reason why “Jap” is such a despised term.
3.
Used as an adjective, it is sometimes less offensive or completely innocent in some cases IMHO. If I heard motorcycle enthusiasts comparing “Harleys” and “Jap bikes”, I wouldn’t bat an eye because the intended meaning is “domestically manufactured bikes” and “all the rest (that count).” Also, “Japanese” is an awfully long adjective sometimes. I think that “Jap” just fits into a sentence better sometimes in all truth.
The problem is that many people perceive my use of the word “Jap” as being OK because I am the one who should be offended (because of my ancestry and appearance), whereas they might call a gringo who used the term “racist”. There are always people who want to be offended.
4. Japanese people do not refer to themselves as “Jap” or “Nip” because the ones who can speak English know the negative wartime connotations and this would override any temptation to use it affectionately or in jest, I think. Japanese- Americans don’t either. We are not Japanese, so it wouldn’t make sense. We do refer to ourselves as “Buddhaheads” (or at least the older generation does)- but that’s another story.
In summation, “Jap” is derogatory in reference to a person and possibly not as an adjective, but people will jump on you for it anyway. My advice is to tread lightly. As with any sensitive terminology, the difference is in your tone.
Japanese, Jap, Chokpari
what’s the fucking difference?
If the North Koreans have to apologize, why not make the Japs apologize for their atrocities/crimes during WWII?
Justin, thanks for the clarification. I’ve never actually used it (before the post above) but I have seen WWII era propaganda posters with the cartoon Japs and they are pretty shocking and hurtful. But I have seen recently a few uses and reactions that went over the top in trying to make it sound worse. I remember seeing a preview for a Beat Takeshi (Kitano) movie where he’s a Yakuza who goes to L.A. and fights some American gangs and mafia to avenge something or other. They showed one scene where he blows away some low-life punk/mobster for saying somthing about “f&*#ing Japs.” But this scene seemed quite unrealistic and struck me like one of those cases you mentioned where some people want to be offended -manufactured outrage trying to equate J*p with the slur n*&#er. Takeshi makes some good movies but I never saw this one and frankly I wasn’t interested since it looked like a cheap Tarantino imitation. Interestingly, Takeshi has a TV show in Japan that features a lot of foreigners and Japanese arguing raucously about such issues. The show is good because it airs these arguments in a very frank and un-PC manner but the main drawback is that the arguments usually degenerate into pointless shouting matches and grievance mongering among all the different nationalities on petty topics, such as this one.
Anyway, I will attempt to invent another nickname. It has to be a term that does not insult the memory of Manzanar and the 442nd. It can’t be too sensitve and unoffensive or it wouldn’t be any fun - some stereotypes are less harmful than others. It also cannot sound too awkward and contrived. Any suggestions?
How about “Samurai Puppets of Zion?”
Then again, as Dave Barry might say, that would make a good name for a rock band.
Can’t see what’s wrong in calling people what they are. The japs ARE the japs.
You commit hell of a lot of evil atrocities, refuse to apologise and WHAT? DEMAND RESPECT??!!
KRRRAAAA… PPHUI~!!!!!