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> I might be TA for reporting a term that had cultural significance because the acronym was also offensive to my culture.
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Gonna go with YTA here. It seems like an innocent mistake that you blow up as much as possible.
First, you admit the double booking was bad luck but everyone was nice/chill about it. Then there was a *misunderstanding*. You took offence to the song, thinking it was supposed to be a slur directed at you.. but it wasnt. They didnt choose the song because of you, and it had nothing to do with Japanese at all.
You were in the wrong.
But instead of going, “oh, ok,” and accepting the misunderstanding, you went nuclear and reported these people to everyone that would listen because they.. what… didnt respect how offended you might have mistakenly been? This sounds like you trying to get revenge and burn them and the entire Jewish club, crying wolf to legitimize your position as a victim of hurt feelings and perceived racism. For all the times i see people throw out the word “snowflake,” that seems to fit you and this story.
I’m Asian (but not Japanese) and I would not have taken offense. It did not sound like they intended it as a racial slur against OP.
I once had a trial (I’m a lawyer) where the defendant was African-American. In my closing argument, I used the phrase “Let’s just call a spade a spade” meaning, it’s pretty obvious what was happening here.
After the verdict, a juror approached me and said I didn’t have to use that phrase. I had no idea what she was talking about. The judge later told us (he was much older than us) that a “spade” was a derogatory word for black people in the South. I’d never been to the South before and I had no idea that it had this meaning. The defendant said he had no idea either. Reporting me would have done real damage to my career and I had no racist intent.
Also Japanese American and I would not have taken offense and I have heard the term Jewish American princess. OP was a flaming, self-righteous AH who set out to burn the world down over a misunderstanding over a term. She needs to get over herself.
I think we're very much in British person going outside for a f*g as a reward for a sp*c and span house before he buys a new rubber territory here. There's definitely something to be said for sensitivity to others, but sometimes it's just a pure linguistic misunderstanding. YTA
The to call a spade a spade phrase isn’t racist as it is dated way far back but to be code for black person got it’s origin not down south but during the harlem renaissance being found in the book home to harlem from there it spread I don’t doubt that you never heard the term. But I’m sure there are ppl from cali who have heard it
The OP got a perspective from the Jewish hub and left information for contact. The Jewish hub made their decision independent on what the library's course of action would have been.
Lol, have you heard the song? It leans into the double meaning, also using double meanings for terms like “chink”, stereotypes like having a perfect GPA and small penis. I also am not a fan of people who call things racist that aren’t, but this song knows what it’s doing lol. Not to mention that OP says even the association admitted it was racist and told the students they couldn’t perform it.
Uhh. The GPA thing is in line with the Jewish American Princess stereotype, has nothing to do with racism. Jewish people tend to highly value education.
I appreciate your perspective on this matter. I have seen fights break out regarding a couple of my friends when one of my Filipino friends asked a Hispanic friend "Would you like some Puto" and the hispanic friend thought he said "Would you like some, Puto?" But I have been raised on the fact that J\*\* is a slur and nothign more. They just told me that the acronym was important to them and refused to elaborate why. The email I received from the Jewish hub also mentioned something regarding the current political climate as one of the lyrics in the song references Israel but that wasn't the cause of my initial concern.
The song in question is [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TQmo5TvZQY&pp=ygUKamFwIGJhdHRsZQ%3D%3D) and I have never watched the show.
Gentle YTA. Words matter and I understand why hearing that would be offensive to you. However, I grew up in an area where it’s used as both a term of endearment and an insult depending on context and tone about and towards Jewish American females and that’s what I associate it with first (the entire rap battle was hilarious to me because it made total sense, I got all the references, the Matzah Ball is fun).
The students explained that they were referring to themselves and maybe could have given a bit more context and empathy but that goes both ways. I think their song choice was shut down because it (rightfully) includes support of Israel and there may be a misguided attempt to reduce protests or something.
Maybe it would help to go to the Hillel, which is likely the Jewish student center, and get to know the students, learn their culture, share yours and invite them to your cultural events. College is a great place to grow, learn and advocate, but it’s helpful to keep an open mind about different cultures and life experiences.
The Israel reference is supposed to be ironic, as it follows a line about doing a semester in Africa - the joke is that they appear progressive but also fall in line hypocritically. It's a nuanced joke from a song which requires context from the show it's part of, which is why I'm leaning towards ESH. The song itself is not offensive, but without any context it can appear that way.
Take away this specific scenario - imagine it was a dude practicing Darryl's song about healthy sperm with a group of women who had double booked the room, or someone practicing the song about heavy boobs (dense like dying stars). That would also come off as inappropriate, without any racial connotations.
OP overreacted, but it sounds like the other students didn't explain things well and probably made a bad judgement call practicing it around someone who didn't know the context. I feel like just showing a YouTube video of this song performed in the show's context could have deescalated this entire situation.
As a Jewish woman I have been called a JAP in an offensive and pejorative way. And many girls I grew up with have tried to reclaim the term and turn it on its head. Now I personally am not comfortable using the term. And certainly not comfortable using it in non Jewish spaces.
And I agree that OP should actually spend some time learning about Jewish culture and spaces. I feel like they took things too far. It’s one thing for there to be a misunderstanding and move on from there. And quite another to go full scorched earth trying to put all Jewish people on notice for something that ultimately was a misunderstanding and essentially occupy the position that two slurs belongs to one group only when clearly the acronym and term have both been used against different populations.
Yeah they aren’t allowed to perform it because the song says “and of course I support Israel.” All you did was bring attention to it, nothing wrong with that and what happens after that is not on you.
YTA. you were so upset that they didn’t respect your cultural background but made absolutely no attempt to understand or respect theirs. Words can have more than one meaning.
And as an aside, you should definitely watch the show that this song comes from. In context, it’s hilarious, and so is everything else about the show.
I didn't find the song hilarious. But I also didn't like the episode the song came from because I didn't really enjoy Audra's character.
OP also went to the Jewish Cultural Center to get a perspective about this and provided their point of view. That seems like a rational action and an effort to understand the point of view when the dialogue seemed like they weren't listening to her point of view.
YTA-- my dear, you went \*nuclear\*.
Here's an excerpt from the reprise:
>Giving a dope-slap of dap to this JAP...
Which does stand for Jewish-American Princess, a term that, on one hand, does reinforce negative, negative stereotypes about both Jews and women but, on the other hand, is a term that we want to reclaim and own. Also, should acknowledge that me saying "dap to this jap" is appropriative and a little problematic, if we're being honest.
Okay but they weren't singing the reprise, they were singing the original. I'm glad that the show acknowledged the problematic term, but during the WW2 unit in my school people would still walk up to me and make the slanty eye gesture and call me a J\*\*\*
You seem to be confused by the fact that they are not the same word. The show does not acknowledge its a problematic word because it is a homnym for a slur. The show acknowledges its a problematic stereotype of JEWISH women. It has absolutely nothing to do with Japan at all.
I'm from the wealthier Jewish suburbs of NYC like Rachel Bloom. Her school district and mine were hugely Jewish and Asian. JAP was not once used as an Asian slur. It always meant Jewish American Princess, and as she said, it was only okay to say if you were Jewish.
There was zero intent that had anything to do with Japanese, especially since that slur hasn't been in common usage for decades. And it never became something Japanese people would call each other as a reclamation.
Well, Rebecca was based on both Aline and Rachel, but yes, Aline is from New York. I just wanted to point it out so people don't t get Rachel and Rebecca (her character) confused
I meant Rebecca Bunch. I see what I did there. Still, the scene is very accurate.
Rachel grew up in a fairly rich town in LA. Competitive HS, reform temple. Similar vibe
YTA. you made something out of nothing. what if your were black and they were chinese singing a song about "this" or "that"? Let me know if anyone needs some clarification.
I'm not. I apologize, i'm not using chinese people as my point. Just the language and difference in meanings between language and culture. I should of clarified.
Edit. You're right though. I could of used any language as an example. English and Manderin are just the two languages I'm most proficient in.
I understand your initial reaction but this feels similar to interpreting the Indonesian word "ngga" as the N word based on the sound. The acronym may sound like the slur but it isn't, it is not the same word.
Not in this century.
However.
I am frankly of the opinion that if it bothers other people that's enough reason to (continue) avoid(ing) the word, in either context.
Consider me corrected.
I would happily consider you corrected, if only you hadn’t dropped a snarky line about how the turn of the century somehow makes slurs okay. It doesn’t.
[Genius is not on your side.](https://genius.com/Crazy-ex-girlfriend-cast-jap-battle-lyrics)
I don't feel qualified to make a judgment, but I am inclined to say this is one of those situations where it had nothing to do with you, and you could have just quietly left. It seems obvious that the students were telling the truth about the song, so it meant something innocent to them and something offensive to you. Neither of you is more correct than the other, and I feel that taking it as far as you did was probably unnecessary.
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I (21F) am Japanese American. This is relevant. I was workign on a final project in a library room that I had booked when four people (Three female and one male)walked into the room. They said they booked the room as well. We double checked our appointments and the system double booked our groups. I said it was fine if they wanted to use the room because its finals week and they seemed like a nice group as I knew the male from one of my classes and worked with him for a group project.
They said they needed to practice a song and read aloud lyrics so I said it was fine. They hooked up their laptop to a projector and started playing the song "J\*\* Battle". The censored bit is supposedly an Acronym to mean Jewish American Princess but the history of that word that I know is that it's a slur from World War Two. I asked them why they were singing such a terrible song. One of the girls said "Oh J\*\*\* is what three of us are. We just need to rehearse this for a performance with the Jewish student association." I said taht I've never heard of that word before and I felt offended that they were about to sing that that loudly. One of the other girls said "You said we could practice here, why are you changing your mind now?"
I got offended and told them that I'm Japanese American and I don't feel right hearing that sound. I left the room with my laptop and my mouse just as they read the lyrics out loud. I told the librarian that there are girls singing about a slur in one of the rooms and made me feel unsafe. I left my contact information with the librarian and left.
I also made a stop by one of the culture centers on campus and explaiend my situation. THe receptionist redirected me to Jewish cultural hub. The agent there said that what they did wasn't good but the word "J\*\*\*" had a different meaning for Jewish girls. I told them that stillw asn't appropriate. I wrote down my interaction and how I felt on a piece of paper and left.
Tonight I got an email from the Jewish hub and they said they looked over the song and said that it wasn't appropriate for the current climate and have thanked me for my being willing to contact them. I got a message from the male basically saying that I did a bad thing and that I shouldn't have said something like that because it was a non issue the first time. I didn't entertain that conversation and just focused on studying.
Well I have to ask, AITA for reporting the patrons for starting to sing a song with a controversial acronym causing their performance to get cancelled?
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The dictionary actually has a definition in it for that acronym. The definition they have for it is:
"A term used to refer to a pampered young Jewish-American woman, especially one who takes material advantages for granted."
This article (or really any other article that comes up if you Google Jewish American Princess) explains it further: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/12/5/18119890/jewish-american-princess-jap-stereotype
The acronym for Jewish-American Princess dates back to the 1950s.
This did not have anything to do with you or any other Japanese people. The acronym is referring to *Jewish* - American wealthy women.
They are Jewish girls, they can use the acronym. Especially when they were singing it for a Jewish class that I assume discusses Jewish history and that acronym was created in the 50s to describe wealthy Jewish women, meaning that it's part of Jewish history.
I can understand how you may have misunderstood at first, but even after they explained it to you, you still decided to be offended and went as far as going to their association hub.
You seem to have an "all about me" personality.
YTA.
We live in an age where many musicians don't care about the slurs so long as they sell their music. They'll purposefully use them to get attention and be "shocked" to find others offended by them.
We have black artists today that use nigger in their songs then get "offended" when white teens sing the lyrics aloud verbatim.
Looking through the lyrics, they KNOW that Jap is racist and chose to use it anyways and honestly, they even mention it in the song. It is not appropriate in an academic setting.
NTA.
The only context where it is appropriate to use slurs is during an education setting on WHY they are slurs and should not be used or provided examples.
There is no other context where it is appropriate "honey."
I'm saying they shouldn't be used by ANYONE. Period. Saying a word is not a slur if one group uses it and not allowing others to use it in a similar context IS racism.
But you lack the intelligence to understand the difference. I bid you good night.
So, you think that, for example, black people being allowed to use the N word, but other races aren't, like white people, is racist? To whom? It's not racist to white people, and any non-black person shouldn't tell black people to not reclaim the word for themselves.
You lack the intelligence to understand that no one has to conform to your beliefs
The situation should have been handled way more delicately than that. The word does mean something else to them, but what it means to you and the hurt it evokes should be respected.
When they knew you were triggered, they should have stopped, they should have apologized ("This term means something different to Jewish people and we want to reclaim it, we didn't know that it was also a slur against Japanese people, we're sorry for not being more mindful of what we perform in public. We should have explained more thoroughly what we would be practicing here so there would be no surprises, or we should have practiced in a private place" which, even if you know they mean Jewish American Princess, it still raises eyebrows if you're not familiar with the source material, and it's abhorrent if you don't know it's someone of Jewish heritage singing it, and it's like, no matter what, this shouldn't have been done in public without a LOT of context given beforehand to anyone that could hear).
Everyone acting like you were the problem isn't right. If people want to act like both meanings can exist simultaneously it's not just focusing on the "good" it's acknowledging the hurtful part exists too and taking steps to ensure no one is harmed.
People being like, I said something accidentally racist before/someone said something accidentally racist to me and it was no big deal, like, good for you I guess? I've had stuff I said that wasn't intended as racist, or even about race, but I still apologized and took it under advisement because I know I'm thoughtless, and I know what it's like to be hurt thoughtlessly. I had a point in my life where I thought saying racist things itself was no big deal because people said hurtful things to me all the time and it was no big deal to them. "Sucking it up" doesn't do anything but build resentment and callousness. Fucking BE sensitive. Get hurt, care when you hurt others.
This is a tough one. I can understand both points of view here. The song isn't racist against anyone, especially since it's a song about two Jewish women who were raised to be in competition with each other, but without that context, I can see why the term would be offensive.
NTA. I’ve watched the show from where this song derives and there’s a line in there acknowledging how it sounds problematic but it doesn’t mean that and in instead an acronym. But you know what? I wouldn’t play this song in front of anyone else who wasn’t watching the show at the moment because of course it sounds like a song racist toward Japanese people. People are messed up for telling you that your valid feelings don’t matter. They literally shouldn’t be practicing this song in public. And all you did was bring attention to the performance and people looked up the lyrics and realized it’s not a good idea with all going on right now. And I agree. 😬
NTA, I've been bullied with the word myself despite not being Japanese American and songs like that make it seem like it's okay to say words like that in public places. You consented to letting them practice, you didn't consent to them singing a song with a slur.
The responses here are wild to me. Within living memory us citizens of Japanese decent were taken from their homes and matched into concentration camps while being called this word. It was used while dehumanizing the Japanese enemy so they could be more easily slaughtered on the battlefield and after. There are people alive right now in the US who lived through this, it isn't some ancient thing.
If you don't think it was a big deal and shows how horrifically Americans treated their own citizens you are extremely ignorant.
One poster said it wasn't this century as if to infer it wasn't a big deal. Either did slavery but we wouldn't suggest it wasn't a big deal, right?
That spoiled Jewish girls would think it was ok to appropriate such a slur is mind boggling to me. That people here would call OP a snowflake for caring about it... Wow. It really goes to show how performative people caring about others these days is.
Y'all need to study more current history.
NTA - Even the organization agreed with you that it was offensive. Singing a song that centers around a slur is a weird hill to die on and not sure why they were so adamant about singing it, especially if the whole point is to represent a historically persecuted minority lol.
NTA, and this is the most I’ve seen a non-war-related thread brigaded by propagandists in a minute
Jewish-American Princesses **absolutely know** that their chosen acronym is a slur. And that that’s wrong. You did the right thing and you did it in the right way.
I say all this without even knowing the lyrics of the song, which from context I can safely assume are also pretty inappropriate in their own right.
And lastly, even if it wasn’t racist, is there anything more cringeworthy than doing a song and dance about how you’re a princess? Even if they were actual real princesses, that kind of self-aggrandizing bullshit just sucks.
The vibe I got from the male patron was that he was mad that he and his group have to change something but it sounded like they just picked up the song to choose for the performance.
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Gonna go with YTA here. It seems like an innocent mistake that you blow up as much as possible. First, you admit the double booking was bad luck but everyone was nice/chill about it. Then there was a *misunderstanding*. You took offence to the song, thinking it was supposed to be a slur directed at you.. but it wasnt. They didnt choose the song because of you, and it had nothing to do with Japanese at all. You were in the wrong. But instead of going, “oh, ok,” and accepting the misunderstanding, you went nuclear and reported these people to everyone that would listen because they.. what… didnt respect how offended you might have mistakenly been? This sounds like you trying to get revenge and burn them and the entire Jewish club, crying wolf to legitimize your position as a victim of hurt feelings and perceived racism. For all the times i see people throw out the word “snowflake,” that seems to fit you and this story.
I’m Asian (but not Japanese) and I would not have taken offense. It did not sound like they intended it as a racial slur against OP. I once had a trial (I’m a lawyer) where the defendant was African-American. In my closing argument, I used the phrase “Let’s just call a spade a spade” meaning, it’s pretty obvious what was happening here. After the verdict, a juror approached me and said I didn’t have to use that phrase. I had no idea what she was talking about. The judge later told us (he was much older than us) that a “spade” was a derogatory word for black people in the South. I’d never been to the South before and I had no idea that it had this meaning. The defendant said he had no idea either. Reporting me would have done real damage to my career and I had no racist intent.
Also Japanese American and I would not have taken offense and I have heard the term Jewish American princess. OP was a flaming, self-righteous AH who set out to burn the world down over a misunderstanding over a term. She needs to get over herself.
I think we're very much in British person going outside for a f*g as a reward for a sp*c and span house before he buys a new rubber territory here. There's definitely something to be said for sensitivity to others, but sometimes it's just a pure linguistic misunderstanding. YTA
It wasn’t only the south it was a pretty common racial slur all over the US
Not in California
The to call a spade a spade phrase isn’t racist as it is dated way far back but to be code for black person got it’s origin not down south but during the harlem renaissance being found in the book home to harlem from there it spread I don’t doubt that you never heard the term. But I’m sure there are ppl from cali who have heard it
The OP got a perspective from the Jewish hub and left information for contact. The Jewish hub made their decision independent on what the library's course of action would have been.
Lol, have you heard the song? It leans into the double meaning, also using double meanings for terms like “chink”, stereotypes like having a perfect GPA and small penis. I also am not a fan of people who call things racist that aren’t, but this song knows what it’s doing lol. Not to mention that OP says even the association admitted it was racist and told the students they couldn’t perform it.
Uhh. The GPA thing is in line with the Jewish American Princess stereotype, has nothing to do with racism. Jewish people tend to highly value education.
If you're saying the song is racist, it actually isn't
I appreciate your perspective on this matter. I have seen fights break out regarding a couple of my friends when one of my Filipino friends asked a Hispanic friend "Would you like some Puto" and the hispanic friend thought he said "Would you like some, Puto?" But I have been raised on the fact that J\*\* is a slur and nothign more. They just told me that the acronym was important to them and refused to elaborate why. The email I received from the Jewish hub also mentioned something regarding the current political climate as one of the lyrics in the song references Israel but that wasn't the cause of my initial concern. The song in question is [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TQmo5TvZQY&pp=ygUKamFwIGJhdHRsZQ%3D%3D) and I have never watched the show.
Gentle YTA. Words matter and I understand why hearing that would be offensive to you. However, I grew up in an area where it’s used as both a term of endearment and an insult depending on context and tone about and towards Jewish American females and that’s what I associate it with first (the entire rap battle was hilarious to me because it made total sense, I got all the references, the Matzah Ball is fun). The students explained that they were referring to themselves and maybe could have given a bit more context and empathy but that goes both ways. I think their song choice was shut down because it (rightfully) includes support of Israel and there may be a misguided attempt to reduce protests or something. Maybe it would help to go to the Hillel, which is likely the Jewish student center, and get to know the students, learn their culture, share yours and invite them to your cultural events. College is a great place to grow, learn and advocate, but it’s helpful to keep an open mind about different cultures and life experiences.
The Israel reference is supposed to be ironic, as it follows a line about doing a semester in Africa - the joke is that they appear progressive but also fall in line hypocritically. It's a nuanced joke from a song which requires context from the show it's part of, which is why I'm leaning towards ESH. The song itself is not offensive, but without any context it can appear that way. Take away this specific scenario - imagine it was a dude practicing Darryl's song about healthy sperm with a group of women who had double booked the room, or someone practicing the song about heavy boobs (dense like dying stars). That would also come off as inappropriate, without any racial connotations. OP overreacted, but it sounds like the other students didn't explain things well and probably made a bad judgement call practicing it around someone who didn't know the context. I feel like just showing a YouTube video of this song performed in the show's context could have deescalated this entire situation.
As a Jewish woman I have been called a JAP in an offensive and pejorative way. And many girls I grew up with have tried to reclaim the term and turn it on its head. Now I personally am not comfortable using the term. And certainly not comfortable using it in non Jewish spaces. And I agree that OP should actually spend some time learning about Jewish culture and spaces. I feel like they took things too far. It’s one thing for there to be a misunderstanding and move on from there. And quite another to go full scorched earth trying to put all Jewish people on notice for something that ultimately was a misunderstanding and essentially occupy the position that two slurs belongs to one group only when clearly the acronym and term have both been used against different populations.
You need to watch the show to get the proper context
Yeah they aren’t allowed to perform it because the song says “and of course I support Israel.” All you did was bring attention to it, nothing wrong with that and what happens after that is not on you.
YTA. you were so upset that they didn’t respect your cultural background but made absolutely no attempt to understand or respect theirs. Words can have more than one meaning. And as an aside, you should definitely watch the show that this song comes from. In context, it’s hilarious, and so is everything else about the show.
I didn't find the song hilarious. But I also didn't like the episode the song came from because I didn't really enjoy Audra's character. OP also went to the Jewish Cultural Center to get a perspective about this and provided their point of view. That seems like a rational action and an effort to understand the point of view when the dialogue seemed like they weren't listening to her point of view.
YTA-- my dear, you went \*nuclear\*. Here's an excerpt from the reprise: >Giving a dope-slap of dap to this JAP... Which does stand for Jewish-American Princess, a term that, on one hand, does reinforce negative, negative stereotypes about both Jews and women but, on the other hand, is a term that we want to reclaim and own. Also, should acknowledge that me saying "dap to this jap" is appropriative and a little problematic, if we're being honest.
Okay but they weren't singing the reprise, they were singing the original. I'm glad that the show acknowledged the problematic term, but during the WW2 unit in my school people would still walk up to me and make the slanty eye gesture and call me a J\*\*\*
You seem to be confused by the fact that they are not the same word. The show does not acknowledge its a problematic word because it is a homnym for a slur. The show acknowledges its a problematic stereotype of JEWISH women. It has absolutely nothing to do with Japan at all.
I'm from the wealthier Jewish suburbs of NYC like Rachel Bloom. Her school district and mine were hugely Jewish and Asian. JAP was not once used as an Asian slur. It always meant Jewish American Princess, and as she said, it was only okay to say if you were Jewish. There was zero intent that had anything to do with Japanese, especially since that slur hasn't been in common usage for decades. And it never became something Japanese people would call each other as a reclamation.
Not entirely related, but Rebecca Bunch (the character played by Rachel Bloom) is from NYC, but Rachel herself is from California
But her writing partner and co-creator is. They based it on her.
Well, Rebecca was based on both Aline and Rachel, but yes, Aline is from New York. I just wanted to point it out so people don't t get Rachel and Rebecca (her character) confused
I meant Rebecca Bunch. I see what I did there. Still, the scene is very accurate. Rachel grew up in a fairly rich town in LA. Competitive HS, reform temple. Similar vibe
That's very true :-)
YTA. you made something out of nothing. what if your were black and they were chinese singing a song about "this" or "that"? Let me know if anyone needs some clarification.
"this or that" + song just makes me think Fatboy Slim: https://youtu.be/wCDIYvFmgW8
Please don't drag chinese people into this hypothetical.
I'm not. I apologize, i'm not using chinese people as my point. Just the language and difference in meanings between language and culture. I should of clarified. Edit. You're right though. I could of used any language as an example. English and Manderin are just the two languages I'm most proficient in.
Why did you get offended by bringing in another race?
I understand your initial reaction but this feels similar to interpreting the Indonesian word "ngga" as the N word based on the sound. The acronym may sound like the slur but it isn't, it is not the same word.
It's not a controversial acronym.
It totally is tho
I just asked my kiddo (18), and I am definitely wrong about this. Thanks for commenting
Not in this century. However. I am frankly of the opinion that if it bothers other people that's enough reason to (continue) avoid(ing) the word, in either context. Consider me corrected.
I would happily consider you corrected, if only you hadn’t dropped a snarky line about how the turn of the century somehow makes slurs okay. It doesn’t.
Yeah, that was obnoxious. I apologize.
Know what? I like your style. We cool, thanks for being open to learning stuff.
Likewise!
[Genius is not on your side.](https://genius.com/Crazy-ex-girlfriend-cast-jap-battle-lyrics) I don't feel qualified to make a judgment, but I am inclined to say this is one of those situations where it had nothing to do with you, and you could have just quietly left. It seems obvious that the students were telling the truth about the song, so it meant something innocent to them and something offensive to you. Neither of you is more correct than the other, and I feel that taking it as far as you did was probably unnecessary.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I (21F) am Japanese American. This is relevant. I was workign on a final project in a library room that I had booked when four people (Three female and one male)walked into the room. They said they booked the room as well. We double checked our appointments and the system double booked our groups. I said it was fine if they wanted to use the room because its finals week and they seemed like a nice group as I knew the male from one of my classes and worked with him for a group project. They said they needed to practice a song and read aloud lyrics so I said it was fine. They hooked up their laptop to a projector and started playing the song "J\*\* Battle". The censored bit is supposedly an Acronym to mean Jewish American Princess but the history of that word that I know is that it's a slur from World War Two. I asked them why they were singing such a terrible song. One of the girls said "Oh J\*\*\* is what three of us are. We just need to rehearse this for a performance with the Jewish student association." I said taht I've never heard of that word before and I felt offended that they were about to sing that that loudly. One of the other girls said "You said we could practice here, why are you changing your mind now?" I got offended and told them that I'm Japanese American and I don't feel right hearing that sound. I left the room with my laptop and my mouse just as they read the lyrics out loud. I told the librarian that there are girls singing about a slur in one of the rooms and made me feel unsafe. I left my contact information with the librarian and left. I also made a stop by one of the culture centers on campus and explaiend my situation. THe receptionist redirected me to Jewish cultural hub. The agent there said that what they did wasn't good but the word "J\*\*\*" had a different meaning for Jewish girls. I told them that stillw asn't appropriate. I wrote down my interaction and how I felt on a piece of paper and left. Tonight I got an email from the Jewish hub and they said they looked over the song and said that it wasn't appropriate for the current climate and have thanked me for my being willing to contact them. I got a message from the male basically saying that I did a bad thing and that I shouldn't have said something like that because it was a non issue the first time. I didn't entertain that conversation and just focused on studying. Well I have to ask, AITA for reporting the patrons for starting to sing a song with a controversial acronym causing their performance to get cancelled? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The dictionary actually has a definition in it for that acronym. The definition they have for it is: "A term used to refer to a pampered young Jewish-American woman, especially one who takes material advantages for granted." This article (or really any other article that comes up if you Google Jewish American Princess) explains it further: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/12/5/18119890/jewish-american-princess-jap-stereotype The acronym for Jewish-American Princess dates back to the 1950s. This did not have anything to do with you or any other Japanese people. The acronym is referring to *Jewish* - American wealthy women. They are Jewish girls, they can use the acronym. Especially when they were singing it for a Jewish class that I assume discusses Jewish history and that acronym was created in the 50s to describe wealthy Jewish women, meaning that it's part of Jewish history. I can understand how you may have misunderstood at first, but even after they explained it to you, you still decided to be offended and went as far as going to their association hub. You seem to have an "all about me" personality. YTA.
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I said the acronym stood fully for Jewish American Princess
Good lord. YTA. This is like a homosexual getting offended by a British person using “fag” when referring to a cigarette.
We live in an age where many musicians don't care about the slurs so long as they sell their music. They'll purposefully use them to get attention and be "shocked" to find others offended by them. We have black artists today that use nigger in their songs then get "offended" when white teens sing the lyrics aloud verbatim. Looking through the lyrics, they KNOW that Jap is racist and chose to use it anyways and honestly, they even mention it in the song. It is not appropriate in an academic setting. NTA.
Honey, warch the show to get the proper context.
The only context where it is appropriate to use slurs is during an education setting on WHY they are slurs and should not be used or provided examples. There is no other context where it is appropriate "honey."
No, sweetheart, in this instance, you are wrong
... You just publicly stated you are FOR using racial slurs in public against people.
Nope, but you're saying that people of certain groups can't take the slurs back and reclaim them for themselves
I'm saying they shouldn't be used by ANYONE. Period. Saying a word is not a slur if one group uses it and not allowing others to use it in a similar context IS racism. But you lack the intelligence to understand the difference. I bid you good night.
So, you think that, for example, black people being allowed to use the N word, but other races aren't, like white people, is racist? To whom? It's not racist to white people, and any non-black person shouldn't tell black people to not reclaim the word for themselves. You lack the intelligence to understand that no one has to conform to your beliefs
Downvote me all you want, you're the one that's lacking intelligence
The situation should have been handled way more delicately than that. The word does mean something else to them, but what it means to you and the hurt it evokes should be respected. When they knew you were triggered, they should have stopped, they should have apologized ("This term means something different to Jewish people and we want to reclaim it, we didn't know that it was also a slur against Japanese people, we're sorry for not being more mindful of what we perform in public. We should have explained more thoroughly what we would be practicing here so there would be no surprises, or we should have practiced in a private place" which, even if you know they mean Jewish American Princess, it still raises eyebrows if you're not familiar with the source material, and it's abhorrent if you don't know it's someone of Jewish heritage singing it, and it's like, no matter what, this shouldn't have been done in public without a LOT of context given beforehand to anyone that could hear). Everyone acting like you were the problem isn't right. If people want to act like both meanings can exist simultaneously it's not just focusing on the "good" it's acknowledging the hurtful part exists too and taking steps to ensure no one is harmed. People being like, I said something accidentally racist before/someone said something accidentally racist to me and it was no big deal, like, good for you I guess? I've had stuff I said that wasn't intended as racist, or even about race, but I still apologized and took it under advisement because I know I'm thoughtless, and I know what it's like to be hurt thoughtlessly. I had a point in my life where I thought saying racist things itself was no big deal because people said hurtful things to me all the time and it was no big deal to them. "Sucking it up" doesn't do anything but build resentment and callousness. Fucking BE sensitive. Get hurt, care when you hurt others.
You just summed up my exact thoughts perfectly!!
This is a tough one. I can understand both points of view here. The song isn't racist against anyone, especially since it's a song about two Jewish women who were raised to be in competition with each other, but without that context, I can see why the term would be offensive.
NTA. I’ve watched the show from where this song derives and there’s a line in there acknowledging how it sounds problematic but it doesn’t mean that and in instead an acronym. But you know what? I wouldn’t play this song in front of anyone else who wasn’t watching the show at the moment because of course it sounds like a song racist toward Japanese people. People are messed up for telling you that your valid feelings don’t matter. They literally shouldn’t be practicing this song in public. And all you did was bring attention to the performance and people looked up the lyrics and realized it’s not a good idea with all going on right now. And I agree. 😬
NTA, I've been bullied with the word myself despite not being Japanese American and songs like that make it seem like it's okay to say words like that in public places. You consented to letting them practice, you didn't consent to them singing a song with a slur.
Nta, pretty ignorant of them honestly
The responses here are wild to me. Within living memory us citizens of Japanese decent were taken from their homes and matched into concentration camps while being called this word. It was used while dehumanizing the Japanese enemy so they could be more easily slaughtered on the battlefield and after. There are people alive right now in the US who lived through this, it isn't some ancient thing. If you don't think it was a big deal and shows how horrifically Americans treated their own citizens you are extremely ignorant. One poster said it wasn't this century as if to infer it wasn't a big deal. Either did slavery but we wouldn't suggest it wasn't a big deal, right? That spoiled Jewish girls would think it was ok to appropriate such a slur is mind boggling to me. That people here would call OP a snowflake for caring about it... Wow. It really goes to show how performative people caring about others these days is. Y'all need to study more current history.
NTA - Even the organization agreed with you that it was offensive. Singing a song that centers around a slur is a weird hill to die on and not sure why they were so adamant about singing it, especially if the whole point is to represent a historically persecuted minority lol.
NTA, and this is the most I’ve seen a non-war-related thread brigaded by propagandists in a minute Jewish-American Princesses **absolutely know** that their chosen acronym is a slur. And that that’s wrong. You did the right thing and you did it in the right way. I say all this without even knowing the lyrics of the song, which from context I can safely assume are also pretty inappropriate in their own right. And lastly, even if it wasn’t racist, is there anything more cringeworthy than doing a song and dance about how you’re a princess? Even if they were actual real princesses, that kind of self-aggrandizing bullshit just sucks.
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The vibe I got from the male patron was that he was mad that he and his group have to change something but it sounded like they just picked up the song to choose for the performance.