Everywhere you look in the acupuncture community, you will encounter the word, “Oriental.”  One of the diplomas on my wall, earned with blood, sweat, and tears, says that I am a Diplomate in “Oriental” Medicine.  Many acupuncture colleges around the country use the term “oriental” in their very names.  The word is part and parcel to many of the companies in our industry, to many of the schools that we attend, and even to the very diplomas on our walls.  Why on earth, then, would we want to change something that has been part of our tradition in the West for over 30 years?

Simple – because it’s racist.

When applied to a person the use of the word is a racial slur.  In point of fact, the states of New York and Washington have both banned the use of “oriental” from government documents and common usage.

New York Governor Paterson said in a statement:

“The words we use matter. We in government recognize that what we print in official documents or forms sets an example of what is acceptable. With this legislation, we take action against derogatory speech and set a new standard. The word ‘oriental’ does not describe ethnic origin, background or even race; in fact, it has deep and demeaning historical roots. I am pleased to sign this legislation and remove the phrase from preprinted forms and documents.”  [my emphasis]

To quote Frank H. Wu, a law professor at Harvard, “Oriental’ is like the word ‘negro.’ It conjures up an era.”

While some may argue that while “oriental” as applied to a person is racist, it is perfectly fine for use as a term for an object, such as an “oriental rug”, or for a region.  In this case, wouldn’t “Oriental Medicine” remain perfectly fine?  To quote Mae M. Ngai, the Lung Family Professor of Asian American Studies at Columbia University,

“It’s only the east if you’re from somewhere else. It’s a Eurocentric name... which is why it’s wrong.”

I first encountered the term “Traditional East Asian Medicine” in the introduction to Miki Shima and Chip Chace’s excellent text, “An Exposition on the Eight Extraordinary Vessels” and I immediately recognized what I believe we should, as a community, come to use as our moniker. Not only is the term void of negative racial connotations, its acronym, T.E.A.M., also implies something our profession has at times in its history been sorely lacking – a sense of friendly inclusion, tolerance, and community.

In a recent talk that I gave to a group of students on why they should join the AAAOM, I mentioned the importance of joining together as a community regardless of what tradition we practice.  The simple fact of the matter is, no matter whether you are a practitioner of Worsley Five Element Acupuncture or TCM, whether you work in a hospital or in a community style clinic, whether you are an herbalist who writes bulk prescriptions or a Japanese meridian therapist who hasn’t prescribed herbs in over a decade, one thing is true – your license to practice reads the same as mine.  We are all in this together.  For good or for ill, for better or for worse, your future, your ability to practice lies just as much with your fellows of other traditions as it does within your own specialty.  And unless we put aside the petty squabbling about “authenticity” and all the other forms of verbal mudslinging that go on ad nauseum on Facebook and in forums across the internet, our future remains uncertain.

That is why I love the acronym T.E.A.M. – it stands for something.  It stands for the future of our medicine, for if there is such a future to be had, it will be had as a “team” or not at all.

New York Times, Law Bans Use of ‘Oriental’ in State Documents”