Olympics BBall controversy

[Trencher]

If they were American it would be all over European media with articles and commentaries lamenting the lack of insight and tact. Its obvious that the Spanish basket ball team are scum and I am annyoed that they are getting away with it without any reaction at all. Nope, haven't heard anything about this, and don't really care. Two weeks after the Olypmics end, nobody's going to remember the Spanish basketball team ever existed. So there's no reason to get too worked up about them. I like this.

[Mike70]

If they were American it would be all over European media with articles and commentaries lamenting the lack of insight and tact. Its obvious that the Spanish basket ball team are scum and I am annyoed that they are getting away with it without any reaction at all. I like this. oh well, they got blown off the court by the US team 119-82 today. i guess all the squinting effected their ability to play.

[Dillinger]

Dillinger, you are right that it is the same gesture that kids made to me when doing that chant, a few seconds before my fist would smash their ignorant face. While I am no longer as reactive as I was in my youth, I still am offended when someone makes fun of me based on my ethnicity, just as I take offense if I see someone in blackface, or hear someone utter an ethnic slur. I understand that it is difficult for someone who is not a miniority on the receiving end of racist rhetoric and who did not have relatives that had to suffer unfair treatment by the majority and the govenment becasue they were enthnically different to understand why a minority group would find something like the "Chinese, Japanese" chant, or being called a "Nip" or a "Nigger" or a "Kike" intolerably offensive. So in this regard I realize that it is no big deal to you. This isn't to say that the Spanish basketball team meant to offend asians with this silliness, which I do not believe was their motive. Like you, they do not understand why this is a big deal to anyone, and like you they are perplexed as to why anyone is offended. However, I do feel that they have shown themselves to be extremely insensitive and ignorant. I am also saying that their pathetic excuses for their actions and their half-hearted apologies only exacerbate the situation, and certainly do not make them seem any less insensitive and ignorant. That's your problem. Not mine. Besides, we whites will be the minority in 42 years. You can take out your insecurities on us then. That is, if you can. I just wonder how affirmative action is going to work then. Will white kids be given extra points on their SATs or will companies have racial quotas for white employees? What about housing? After Obama gets elected, what are minorities going to say about "THE MAN" when they become "THE MAN?" With all the grief minorities give the white man, i'll be glad when we're the minority. Maybe then I can bitch and get away with it. EDIT: If "Chinese, Japanese, American Knees." is the worst thing that's ever happened to you in your life then you're doing pretty damn good in my book.

[Mutineer]

I'm convinced it was meant as an honorary gesture if even kind of kooky. People need to lighten up. The damn press are vultures.

[Yojimbo]

With all the grief minorities give the white man, i'll be glad when we're the minority. Maybe then I can bitch and get away with it. Why not? You do so now, so why would it be any different later, when you are in the minority? I'm convinced it was meant as an honorary gesture if even kind of kooky. People need to lighten up. The damn press are vultures. I agree that they probably meant no harm, and are genuinely perplexed by the reaction. Certainly they did not mean to offend anyone.

[DubiousComforts]

Why not? You do so now, so why would it be any different later, when you are in the minority? He's just practicing now for when it will really count. will companies have racial quotas for white employees? A very good question to ask white business owners. I'm the only Caucasian employee at my job. My Caucasian employer has this penchant for only hiring people of Latin American descent. I don't believe it has anything to do with something called "affirmative action" unless that also happens to be synonymy for "cheap labor." If "Chinese, Japanese, American Knees." is the worst thing that's ever happened to you in your life then you're doing pretty damn good in my book. The version that I'd heard went "Chinese, Japanese, Hercules, Dirty Knees." What the hell does that even mean? Man, I must have led a very sheltered childhood.

[Bub666]

The version that I'd heard went "Chinese, Japanese, Hercules, Dirty Knees." What the hell does that even mean? Man, I must have led a very sheltered childhood. I never heard that version before.

[Mike70]

Man, I must have led a very sheltered childhood. you and me both, man. i've never even heard of this little chant before this thread.

[Yojimbo]

you and me both, man. i've never even heard of this little chant before this thread. It's pretty silly, really. The chant as I have heard it goes "Chinese, Japanese, Look at these, dirty knees" When you say "Chinese" you make your eyes slant upwards (like the bball team did) to fit the misconception that Chinese eyes slant upwards, then for "Japanese" you make your eyes slant downwards, again in an attempt to mimic how people think Japanese eyes go, then while you say "look at these dirty knees" for some reason you pull your shirt outward, as if you have breasts. Quite stupid, in and of itself. This chant was usally accompanied by the "Ching, Chong Chinaman sitting on a fence, trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents" chant, which touches on the stereotype of the Chinese being very frugal and money hungry. As kids will do, people would get teased for being "different" and back in the pre-pc days of the 1970's ethnic differences (and physical disabilities, like having to wear glasses, or braces, or sit in a wheelchair) were considered fair game. And in spite of Dillinger's insistance that it is always the white man who is under attack when minorities refer to racisim, I recall non-asian kids of all ethnicities, black, latino, native-american, middle-eastern and white, participating in this chant, showing that racisim, however unintended or harmless it may or may not be, is not the exclusive domain of white folks. EDIT: actually, I should mention that I recently saw the "Chinese, Japanese" chant on Family guy. Peter Griffin did this when he called a Chinese character Japanese and his wife corrected him. I actually found it funny when I heard that after so many years.

[Yojimbo]

Just an update: Jose Calderon, point guard, wrote a response defending the photo as not racist by saying "some of my best friends are of Chinese origin" Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/sp...=1&oref=slogin And, apparently it was not just the Spanish mens team. Here is the women's team, from the same ad campaign, and a group photo taken at a dinner, and the Argentinian Woman's Soccer Team: http://www.angryasianman.com/angry.html I know the link will lead you to an activist's site, and I am not advocating that websites views, but just thought that these photos were interesting.

[Khardis]

Get over it.

[Yojimbo]

Get over it. I'll take your suggestion under consideration.

[Bub666]

Just an update: Jose Calderon, point guard, wrote a response defending the photo as not racist by saying "some of my best friends are of Chinese origin" Thats B.S.

[Khardis]

I'll take your suggestion under consideration. My girlfriend said to get over it too, she's 100% Chinese.

[Yojimbo]

My girlfriend said to get over it too, she's 100% Chinese. I don't know what exactly you want me to get over, but I will also take your girlfriend's suggestion under consideration as well.