Use to describe things and not people. This term has been used in the past to describe people from Asia and those of Asian descent but it is widely considered offensive. It is appropriate to refer to Oriental medicine, a centuries-old system of medicine still practiced today, as well as Oriental rugs or art.
The term has its origins in oriens, the Latin word for east.
In 2016, President Barack Obama signed legislation (HR 4238) that replaced the term Oriental with Asian American in federal laws.
Updated February 2021
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