Orient

In reference to “1001 Nights,” orient is a term used to describe eastern cultures. In ancient times, when people first began to travel and cross cultures, European travelers and travel writers word use the word orient to describe Eastern cultures, and occulent to describe Western, or Christian cultures. Westerners found it necessary to make a distinction between the two since eastern culture was so different and unknown. Classifying the two, and treating the East as the mysterious orient, has contributed to many misconceptions and misunderstandings of Eastern cultures that continue to effect both Eastern and Western societies to this day.

Previously, the term orient encompassed almost all Asian cultures, including Arabic and Indian cultures. Today, the term orient is sometimes used to describe far East Asian countries like China, Japan, and Korea, but does not include Arabic or Indian Asians, who are typically darker and have different physical features. It is widely considered offensive, as the word is used to describe people from Asia that have certain physical characteristics in common. As a result of the redefinition of orient, there is a common misunderstanding about the geography of Asia and the East. Many Westerners do not associate India or the Middle East with Asia, because when they think of Asia they think of the cultures that would be defined as “oriental,” and not the cultures that fall outside of that definition.