Are you writing in Chinese? No, you weren't. So the question is, what is the intent here? Would you have used the same word if, for example, the context was Brazil? or Russia?
I think a little more self-reflection, rather than defensiveness is in order. Especially because the comment was intended to be helpful, and not a criticism. The original comment was getting downvoted, and I suggested what the reason might be.
I would have. English is a frankenstein language, adopting words from all sorts of different languages. Kowtow means what it means in English, it's a perfectly reasonable word to have used there.
The accepted answer reads, "In light of all this, the fuller answer is that because the term is recognisably ethnic, using kowtow instead of (say) grovel does carry some racist overtones, particularly when applied to someone interacting with a person of a different ethnicity."
I call the Russian special forces Spetznaz and the Brazilian yearly festival Car-ni-val. Or when I am happy when bad happens to other people, I have schadenfreude. Did you also know most of English is comprised of loan words from other languages too? Or are you offended too that words like etiquette are actually french?
So yes. I would use a word that the said culture would say themselves.
Yeah, well that's fine and all. But you're also not exactly talking about the ancient Chinese practice of submitting to the Emperor either. There are no Chinese emperors, and kowtow is not a contemporary custom. So, no, you aren't doing what you are saying you are doing. You are using the word to have the meaning it has acquired in Europe and America.
So why is it that when we talk about Western relationships with China the word kowtow comes up so often? What does it add? Why does it suggest itself? Maybe wrestle with that for a while.
Would you please not perpetuate flamewars on HN? I understand how the same word can land differently with different people. To the extent that you're making a factual argument, it's fine to make the point.
Unfortunately you also started a flamewar with loaded language and since then have crossed into personal attack and blaming others for what is clearly a co-creation. It's definitely not easy to avoid mixing these things but if we're to have thoughtful discussion, we all need to try.
That's a google search. I just filter out definitions, references, and the clothing brand. Now look at it. Sure there are examples of the word kowtow used for other things. But its mostly about China. Because in the context of China, the word just suggests itself. But why? What does it add? What does it subtract. No one here wants to wrestle with that. Instead they get defensive.
