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In 19th century academia, some works in "Oriental studies" contained inaccurate information that Westerners then used to justify colonization of these countries. Some 19th and 20th century Europeans and Americans who used the term are thought to have held a patronizing attitude toward the region. Many of "these people" saw "the East" as backwards, while the West was seen as logical, rational and more modern. This view was first, and most famously, put forward by [[Edward Said]] in his [[Orientalism]].  

In 19th century academia, some works in "Oriental studies" contained inaccurate information that Westerners then used to justify colonization of these countries. Some 19th and 20th century Europeans and Americans who used the term are thought to have held a patronizing attitude toward the region. Many of "these people" saw "the East" as backwards, while the West was seen as logical, rational and more modern. This view was first, and most famously, put forward by [[Edward Said]] in his [[Orientalism]].  

While the term is clearly an example of [[Eurocentrism]] some people do not think Eurocentrism is undesirable. Additionally, many scholarly works in the 19th and 20th Century were riddled with errors, but the outcry to replace words and phrases has not be even-handed or uniform. For example, according to the [[Encyclopedia Brittanica]] and Tim McCaskell of the Toronto Board of Education, the works of [[Charles Linnaeus]], [[Charles Darwin]], [[Francis Galton]] and others have been used to justify many atrocities, including slavery, colonization, and racial genocide. Despite the fact that evil acts were justified by the works of these men, phrases such as the "[[Origin of Species]]"; the "[[Theory of Evolution]]"; the "[[General System of Nature]]"; "[[survival of the fittest]]" et.al., are still in use today. <ref>http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9108541/philosophical-anthropology</ref> <ref>http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jonmorro/race.html</ref> <ref> "A History of Race/ism", Prepared by Tim McCaskell, a representative of the Toronto Board of Education</ref> <ref>http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/victorian/history/empire/Empire.html</ref><ref>http://www.mediamonitors.net/harunyahya37.html</ref>

While the term is clearly an example of [[Eurocentrism]], some people do not think Eurocentrism is undesirable. Additionally, many scholarly works in the 19th and 20th Century were riddled with errors, but the outcry to replace words and phrases has not be even-handed or uniform. For example, according to the [[Encyclopedia Brittanica]] and Tim McCaskell of the Toronto Board of Education, the works of [[Charles Linnaeus]], [[Charles Darwin]], [[Francis Galton]] and others have been used to justify many atrocities, including slavery, colonization, and racial genocide. Despite the fact that evil acts were justified by the works of these men, phrases such as the "[[Origin of Species]]"; the "[[Theory of Evolution]]"; the "[[General System of Nature]]"; "[[survival of the fittest]]" et.al., are still in use today. <ref>http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9108541/philosophical-anthropology</ref> <ref>http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jonmorro/race.html</ref> <ref> "A History of Race/ism", Prepared by Tim McCaskell, a representative of the Toronto Board of Education</ref> <ref>http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/victorian/history/empire/Empire.html</ref><ref>http://www.mediamonitors.net/harunyahya37.html</ref>

===Serious Opposition to Textbooks and Sensitivity Guides ===

===Serious Opposition to Textbooks and Sensitivity Guides ===

===Allegedly Banned Words and Thoughts===

===Allegedly Banned Words and Thoughts===

Author and historian [[Diane Ravitch]] has documented how far political correctness has intruded into the American educational system by documenting banned words, images and thoughts. In addition to banning the word, the following words are considered inappropriate and therefore banned from usage in modern textbooks when refering to Orientals or the Orient:

Author and historian [[Diane Ravitch]] has documented how far political correctness has intruded into the American educational system by documenting banned words, images and thoughts. In addition to banning the word, the following words are considered inappropriate and therefore banned from usage in modern textbooks when referring to Orientals or the Orient:

::*Exotic

::*Exotic

::*Sneaky<ref>http://www.freewebs.com/bannedwords/</ref>

::*Sneaky<ref>http://www.freewebs.com/bannedwords/</ref>

The reader may be suprised to learn that the following depictions are banned from US references and textbooks:

The reader may be surprised to learn that the following depictions are banned from US references and textbooks:

::*Asians as very intelligent, excellent scholars  

::*Asians as very intelligent, excellent scholars  

::*Asian Americans playing only with toys from the mainstream culture or only with toys from their own culture

::*Asian Americans playing only with toys from the mainstream culture or only with toys from their own culture

::*Chinese people living and working only in Chinatown or in China working in rice fields  

::*Chinese people living and working only in Chinatown or in China working in rice fields  

::*Asian Americans shown with eyes as single, slanted lines; look alikes; straight black hair with bangs; buck teeth  

::*Asian Americans shown with eyes as single, slanted lines; look-alikes; straight black hair with bangs; buck teeth  

::*Modern Chinese males wearing pigtails and classes  

::*Modern Chinese males wearing pigtails and classes  

::*Modern Chinese women wearing high-collared cheong dresses  

::*Modern Chinese women wearing high-collared cheong dresses  

===Alternative terminology===

===Alternative terminology===

Those who believe the term is derogatory or archaic prefer to employ geographical terms for people and places typically desribed by ''oriental'', e.g., ''South Asia'', ''East Asia'', and ''South-East Asia''.  Although the ''Far Eastern'' is considered more politically correct than ''Oriental'', ''East Asian'' is preferred because this verbiage is significantly less Eurocentric.  Other politically correct alternative terms include ''Asia and the Pacific'' or ''the Pacific Rim'' or ''the Pacific Basin''.

Those who believe the term is derogatory or archaic prefer to employ geographical terms for people and places typically described by ''oriental'', e.g., ''South Asia'', ''East Asia'', and ''South-East Asia''.  Although the ''Far Eastern'' is considered more politically correct than ''Oriental'', ''East Asian'' is preferred because this verbiage is significantly less Eurocentric.  Other politically correct alternative terms include ''Asia and the Pacific'' or ''the Pacific Rim'' or ''the Pacific Basin''.

==Current Usage of Oriental and Related Depictions ==

==Current Usage of Oriental and Related Depictions ==

===References and further reading===

===References and further reading===

* [http://www.umich.edu/~aos/ The American Oriental Society]

* [http://www.umich.edu/~aos/ The American Oriental Society]

* [http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/default.html The Oriental Instititute] at University of Chicago

* [http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/default.html The Oriental Institute] at University of Chicago

* [http://www.modelminority.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=183 On ''Asian'' and ''Oriental''] Model Minority posting by Alan Hu

* [http://www.modelminority.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=183 On ''Asian'' and ''Oriental''] Model Minority posting by Alan Hu

* [http://www.freewebs.com/bannedwords/ Banned Words] For comparative analysis: a list "banned" words (including ''Oriental'') as documented by Diane Ravitch.

* [http://www.freewebs.com/bannedwords/ Banned Words] For comparative analysis: a list "banned" words (including ''Oriental'') as documented by Diane Ravitch.