Why do people look at me funny when I ask for an Oriental Massage?

Oriental Massage is a politically in-correct term, is often times used as a euphemism for prostitution, and is considered an oxymoron by some in the massage community. Granted, many use the term “Oriental” naively, but now you know. Through education we can help the holistic community more accurately and honorably refer to the plethora of therapies that originate from Asia. “Oriental” is an insensitive, politically in-correct term that is used to grossly describe a region, population, and culture that is richly diverse and historically important. The term “Oriental” was first used by 16th century Euro-centric aristocrats as they explored the Far East. Oriental was used to describe all things non-Western or non-European. It was widely used in the past in Europe and the United States, but today the use of “Oriental” is viewed as separatist, denigrating, and elitist. A more accurate and honorable why to refer to a region, people, or culture is by specifically acknowledging them: Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc. When forced to group these diverse cultures together, it is more appropriate to refer to them as Asian, not Oriental. There are numerous types of therapies that have been imported to the United States from Asian countries and cultures. These powerful therapies are unique and deserve to be acknowledged appropriately. “Oriental Massage Parlor” is often said accompanied by a wink of an eye or a strange voice inflection. Prostitution brothels exploiting Asian immigrants have setup businesses in the United States using massage as a front. These prostitution rings often promote their sexual services as “Oriental Massage” to stealthfully solicit their clientele. These types of businesses have created a sexual stigma around massage in general and even more so around Asian bodywork styles. Legitimate and professional massage therapists continually fight to overcome this stigma. The sexual stigma is one of the top reasons why many therapists leave the business and why potential clients never try massage. If someone uses “oriental massage”, ask more questions to determine whether they have clumsily referred to a legitimate bodywork therapy or whether they are talking about something sexual. Some in the massage community would argue that Oriental Massage is an oxymoron. They base their argument on a specific definition of massage. The scope of massage has been defined by some as the use of a handful of techniques that are rooted in Hippocratic philosophy. The Greek philosopher, Hippocrates, is considered to be the father of western medicine and wrote about massage techniques. His philosophies are very different than Asian medicine philosophies. Asian bodywork is based on medical philosophies that can be traced back to 3rd century B.C. such as Traditional Chinese Medicine. Because the hands-on techniques emerging out of Asian medical philosophy are different than the techniques used in western massage, some believe that Asian therapies fall along side massage under a bigger umbrella called bodywork. The National Institution of Health lists bodywork as one of five domains of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. They group all form of body manipulation therapies under this category. Truthfully, the debate over classifying a modality as a massage technique or a bodywork technique is academic. Clients are more interested in the results and the experience than the delivery system. Because of its popularity, massage and bodywork are often used interchangeably; although, some bodyworkers are quick to clarify between the two to avoid regulations and any negative stigmas. It is important to be mindful and deliberate with our choice of words in all situations. Many ignorantly use “Oriental” to describe Asian bodywork, and we should take the time to educate them on how to better communicate and honor these important modalities. Their education does not have to be confrontational or judgmental. It can be enlightening and peak their interest to learn more.