Term East Europe(And Middle East to, right or wrong to use!?
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 5:42 am
Well, I know you tried to explain nicely how many ways you can define what East Europe is.
But still it bothers me, no so much of embarrassment, but because simply Counties in what people think East Europe is are so different. And still in private conversations or media, people constantly use the term East Europe to somehow put all countries in the same context. Some people will argue, Communism is the common factor (for more less 20-40 years or more depending on country)and did have an impact, but how about 500 or Ottoman rule, or Austro-Hungarian?
How about that Romanians or Hungarians are not Slavs, and Hungarians have more in common with Finland that Russia?
I love that your book is helping people realize Serbia has much in common to Latvia, as Portugal has to Sweden.
I have notice several big stereotypes in the USA, about different regions, nations, races, ethnicity...
East Europe is the one...but the other one that bothers me is Middle East.
In Europe, most countries use the term "NEAR EAST" for the region of SOUTH WEST ASIA, including Israel, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Iran...
Last several years media overused the term "THE MIDDLE EAST"(region, look, food..) for the same region.
USA media and public use this, even for the NORTH AFRICAN countries, such as Egypt,Libya or even Morocco(NORTH West Africa), central Asian countries, like Afghanistan...
I believe that most people use the term "The Middle East" want they refer to the Arabic countries, no matter where are they located.
This takes me to the term "Asian Look" winch referrers to the people who have slanted eyes from the FAR east regions of Asia, such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, China...even tough lot of people form Asia do not have eyes like that. For Example, people from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Israel...
Same goes for the belief that all people in Africa are black.
Is it possible to call Americans with Egyptian or Libyan origin as African Americans, since they are from Africa? Can people from Pakistan , be called "Asian Americans".
And what about Hispanic people, referred to as a separate race, even dough, they are originally from Spain.
And one of my favorites is "Eastern Europe", used do describe any former communist country, no meter where geographically located in Europe.
What do you think?
But still it bothers me, no so much of embarrassment, but because simply Counties in what people think East Europe is are so different. And still in private conversations or media, people constantly use the term East Europe to somehow put all countries in the same context. Some people will argue, Communism is the common factor (for more less 20-40 years or more depending on country)and did have an impact, but how about 500 or Ottoman rule, or Austro-Hungarian?
How about that Romanians or Hungarians are not Slavs, and Hungarians have more in common with Finland that Russia?
I love that your book is helping people realize Serbia has much in common to Latvia, as Portugal has to Sweden.
I have notice several big stereotypes in the USA, about different regions, nations, races, ethnicity...
East Europe is the one...but the other one that bothers me is Middle East.
In Europe, most countries use the term "NEAR EAST" for the region of SOUTH WEST ASIA, including Israel, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Iran...
Last several years media overused the term "THE MIDDLE EAST"(region, look, food..) for the same region.
USA media and public use this, even for the NORTH AFRICAN countries, such as Egypt,Libya or even Morocco(NORTH West Africa), central Asian countries, like Afghanistan...
I believe that most people use the term "The Middle East" want they refer to the Arabic countries, no matter where are they located.
This takes me to the term "Asian Look" winch referrers to the people who have slanted eyes from the FAR east regions of Asia, such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, China...even tough lot of people form Asia do not have eyes like that. For Example, people from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Israel...
Same goes for the belief that all people in Africa are black.
Is it possible to call Americans with Egyptian or Libyan origin as African Americans, since they are from Africa? Can people from Pakistan , be called "Asian Americans".
And what about Hispanic people, referred to as a separate race, even dough, they are originally from Spain.
And one of my favorites is "Eastern Europe", used do describe any former communist country, no meter where geographically located in Europe.
What do you think?
