The figure pictured above illustrates the difference between depiction of a historical occurrence and usage of an offensive term in current language. One is acceptable, the other not.
The harm in using an offensive term "innocently" or without "malice" is that when repeated it becomes commonplace. I have experienced this firsthand on more many occasions, from childhood to college to adult life.
Yes, the world has moved on: offensive terms are no longer acceptable.
I completely agree with Jazz and Zach. The figure is in an historical context and is part of what we study here. I think it is perfectly reasonable, although I do cringe as I think of how the US treated its citizens of Japanese descent. Especially, after the example of many of their men fighting so bravely and effectively against our enemies.
I also find it interesting the reactions, since I raised it as a legitimate question. I did not scold anyone, I just asked, "Should we use this term?" We have to be able to ask this type of question, even on a toy soldier forum.
What I write below is not to compare our use of "Jap" to the experience I had at university, but to show why I think it is important to ask the question even if others don't like it. This will be my last comment on the issue. Not my job to control others, but it is to ask the question.
I am absolutely of the dominant culture in the US, and was raised by parents from the South primarily on military bases around the world and in the US. When I attended a university that was predominantly Irish Catholic from the Northeastern part of the US, I received a small taste of what it is like to be the "minority." On day one at football camp I heard the first joke about having sex with my mother and sister, then farm animals and by the end of the day I was asked if I was part of the KKK. At first, I played all this stuff off as jokes, and even enjoyed the attention when the entire school had heard of the "hick" or "redneck." When I got back to my dorm one day and there was a large drawing of me dressed in the garb of a KKK member burning a cross I knew I had to do something. That was when it stopped being a joke and I tried to stop it. Of course, I was told to "lighten up", it was only a "joke" and I was taking myself too seriously. Then it got worse and more malicious. From this point forward, especially on the football team, I would rarely be called by my name, I was just "stupid hick," "dumb redneck" or "insert farm animal here"-f***er. Almost every time I walked into a room I would hear a chorus of, "Hey Redneck! Who won the big war! We kicked your inbred a$$3$ then and we'll do it again!"
While there were a few other southerners at the school, few wanted to get to close to me. One confided that they didn't want to become collateral damage. They were teased as well, but did not want to end up like me. It was only in my junior (3rd) year that some of my regular classmate and younger members of the football team started noticing and getting concerned by it. I had all but erased my southern accent, dressed impeccably and had shown that in fact the "stupid hick" was smarter than most of my peers, so all the teasing seemed absurd to them. So, they started asking, "Why do you tease him about this? The last thing that comes to mind is that he is a redneck." Most of the time they were told to "relax," "lighten up" or just "STFU, he is a stupid hick and we all know it." But the questions from others were what helped the most. They helped me, but it was what finally turned the tide and by the end of my senior year the comments and jokes had become pretty rare. Usually only when people were really drunk.
For me the lesson was not lost. When I tried to ask people to stop what had gone from teasing to abuse it only made matters worse. When the other Irish Catholics / rich Northeasterners started questioning it then the behavior began to change.
It also ignited a passion in me to help others, especially young men from cultures that are thought less of in our society. One of these young men, who is covered in gang tattoos, is now on his way to Columbia University to study economics. He likes to joke about how often he is asked if I am his lawyer.
Ok, I am done. Back to toy soldiers.
