Here’s an example of where it was not used as a name of anything, I am going to post only a screen capture without the poster’s name (as it’s unnecessary), but this is just one example.
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I see. Thanks.
Here in Philadelphia there was a long-loved cheesesteak spot named “Chinks.” The name derived from the original owner’s nickname and was not meant or considered to be pejorative. The shop is still there, but it’s now named “Joe’s.” Some of the old-timers were incensed, but the owner had to do what was best.
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I want to make something clear.
While I may find the use of certain words, such as “Oriental,” to be offensive, I don’t necessarily find the poster or post itself to be offensive. Ceteris paribus, of course.
I am not so easily ruffled, or thin skinned. Nor naive.
I try to have a little empathy, or at least enough empathy to understand that some things may be said out of sheer ignorance (no negative connotation meant by that), force of habit, cultural influences, etc. with no hint of malintent.
This is why, while it may bother me, I am not going to raise a ruckus about it.
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I once had a conversation with a friend where I tried to gently inform her that many people find the term Oriental to describe a person offensive. Long story short the conversation ended with me saying something like go ahead and keep using the term if you are convinced the word is fine just don’t be surprised if you get called a racist. I was really just trying to help her out because from what I knew about her, I did not think she would want to unintentionally offend someone. It did not help the issue when I took her on a shopping trip (she wanted to learn how to cook better) and the only store in our area at the time that sold ingredients I wanted was called The Oriental Market. That resulted in a side eye and smirk from her. Sigh!
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I guess I didn’t mean a restaurant, but more like a commercial enterprise that I’ve assumed has been around for a pretty long time.
As someone said; times change. We had a very popular burger place not far from here called “Murder Burger”, and they changed the name. “Crack Pie” name was changed. Uncle Ben’s, Aunt Jemima. I think there’s a few sports team names that are up for consideration.
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I remember two occasons - one on Chowhound and one on a non-food forum - where words were used by American contributors which, in the UK, are as racially offensive as the “N” word. There was no malice or intent to offend in either case. It was simply a matter of ignorance. In the latter example, the contributor was a friend of mine - a political liberal as I am - and he was horrified to have made such a mistake.
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I thought Oriental is a really beautiful word. And personally I still believe it is.
I never take offense at such expressions directed at me, unless it’s really rude and meant to be rude.
Once at another forum - not about food - a user actually insulted me saying something like “all the curries he ate” or something similar. I didn’t report or talk back as I was new to the forum and there was hardly any hope that anyone would take my side. I was asking about a non-related question to the main subject, but in the “not on the topic” forum. Like I am asking here. My question was about Photoshop because I thought there could be someone who might be proficient in the subject. But their answers showed that they clearly despised me for where I am from. I used to hang around there but not now.
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That’s just sad. 
Perhaps instead of “disruptive” or “offensive”, you might ask: Is this joke I am telling making light of very real pain? (In the name calling, the very real genocide against Jews and Roma combined with persecution of other victim groups; in the mafia don joke, a weird making light of domestic violence with some casual bigotry thrown in.)
Jokes might not easily translate anyway, but really, a good rule is to ask if you are compounding the pain others carry already. That might also take you away from the rather pointless exercise of asking if it’s really such a problem as you’ll be leading with compassion.
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I’m wondering about regional differences in usage in the U.S.
Locally - within a 10 mile radius of my home - there are 4 “Oriental [this-n-that]” restaurants and one “[Person Name’s] Oriental” restaurant. There seem to be fewer in this same radius that do not use that word in the restaurant name.
Using Google maps I shifted over to Chicago and NYC - literally dozens so named. But I found fewer than 10 in the D.C. area. I only found 4 in within LA city limits (with 4 more if I expanded out to Anaheim/SA/Irvine). Only a few in SF Bay area (2 of which are listed as “permanently closed” by Google, maybe unfortunate victims of Covid) and the amusingly named (to me) “Oriental BBQ Chicken Town” in North Oakland.
As for your question, maybe in general but in the specific case of restaurants, non-Asians are going to have to use the name if they want to tell someone else where they’re planning to meet up. Or use circumlocutions like “let’s meet at the O-Word BBQ Chicken Town for lunch”.
But I’d imagine casual usage will fade with time because people do find it offensive. I’ve no personal dog in the matter given I don’t generally use the word except to refer to the name of a restaurant and I’ve always found it vaguely sloppy from a terminology standpoint. Although I guess the same could be said for the word Asian when used to refer to a huge swath of an area including a whole bunch of disparate peoples.
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I was starting to think that maybe it was just something from long ago that nobody has bothered to change like Carol’s Oriental Foods that I mentioned earlier or Oriental Trading which was founded by a Japanese guy in the 1930’s, but then I remembered that one of the newest Asian restaurants in my area is named Ginger Oriental Restaurant.
Disruptive was the word the mods used, hence my question. And about the joke, I didn’t make a joke about victims. It wasn’t about genocide either. I was using the word in a joke with a friend, who is actually a German national. We still use the word today, right? I never ever made fun of the victims, nor did I glorify Nazis. It was in another sense but yes it was a word I used. Hence my question whether the mere use of the word is deemed offensive. I am old enough to know not to make fun of victims or glorify Nazis.
I have lived 30 years in war, dodging shootings and suicide bombers. I know what it is like to be a victim first hand mate. Don’t misunderstand me.
The word “Asian” is used in official UK census data on ethnicity and is in general use. They are the second largest group (at about 9%) after “White”. The census then breaks that down into Bangladeshi, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani or Other Asian.
FWIW, our national food hygiene website lists 737 businesses which include “Oriental” in their name. Not all are restaurants or takeaways, although the overwhelming majority are.
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Thanks. Looks like the US does similar but the topmost grouping is Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Then Asian is further broken down into
Based on your comment about the food hygiene listing, I checked London. It’s got more restaurants using “Oriental” than NYC, by more than double (caveat - using google maps, not sure how well it captures).
Now I’m wondering if the U.S. has such a national database. I think it’s unlikely, given restaurants are policed by the states (and then further down usually at county or city level).
I like data digging much better than lawn mowing, which is what I’m supposed to be doing right now.
Edit - Re: your comment about TripAdvisor. I quit participating there long ago for several reasons, one of them the clique dogpiling you mention. Very poorly run forum, unlike this one which I think is a model.
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As I’ve seen it, Trip Advisor seems to be increasingly focusing on profits. And some contributors have ‘hijacked’ some niches/threads. But again, the majority who contribute there, are there for business I guess? I used to answer questions there but gave up.
Same here. Public health (which includes inspection of food premises) is a local council responsibility. But there is an agreed national rating system and councils send their results to the national website here:-
I have a rule of thumb here. I am entirely happy to eat at places which score 4 or 5. Generally happy to eat at a 3. And will not knowingly eat at a 0, 1 or 2. Now I say knowingly because if I come across somewhere new where I really want to eat, and think it might be a bit iffy, I don’t look up their ratings. Well, not until I’ve eaten there, then I’ll look and decide if I’m going back.
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Apparently, I’m the only one who sees the inappropriateness of your using the male sexual organ in such a demeaning manner on a forum clearly having so many male “members”. Luckily, my name is not Dick or I’d be doubly offended. 
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,
Hey everyone thanks for your input. Really appreciate it.
We discussed offensive language, food, common sense, social norms, political correctness, people’s feelings, and a lot more.
I think I got what I need here. 
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