-The word Oriental is rooted in the concept of Orientalism, which is strongly articulated by Edward Said in eponymous book, _Orientalism_. In his book, Said illustrates the Orient as being the observed "other" or "foreigner," whereas the Occident (or the West) is centred as the default. All Eastern culture is prescribed through this imperialist, pejorative lens, where it is deemed as strange, exotic, dirty, effeminate, and weak. By presenting Eastern culture through this lens, Western culture may present set itself up for dominance through cultural hegemony and colonisation.
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