I agree that it's sad, but one thing to keep in mind is that it's not just mean words we're talking about here. The term "Jap" connotes an entire history of seriously unequal treatment towards a group of people based on skin color and ethnic origin. Don't forget that, during WWII, large groups of Japanese-American citizens were deprived of liberty and property, and forced to live in camps surrounded by barbed wire for the majority of the war. They were portrayed as less than human by some in the media and in the military (remember the phrase "Kill Japs, kill Japs, kill more Japs"?), and none got recognition or restitution for their loss of basic civil rights until over 40 years later.

This all sounds overly dramatic. But when I hear that word carelessly tossed about, it is either a reminder of a time when Japanese Americans were blatantly discriminated against, or an indication that the person using the word doesn't know the history and doesn't care.

That being said, the fact that you ARE concerned about it speaks volumes about your sensitivity to the issue.