OK I wasn’t originally gonna touch this issue in this blog because I thought it was just too silly and other blogs [Racialicious, Angry Asian Man] are doing a great job dealing with it. But this recent report from Angry Asian Man really got to me and I felt that I just have to respond to this nonsense.

The original source of controversy was this infamous picture of Spain’s men’s basketball team all pulling at their eyes to make the derogatory “chink-eye” gesture at a photo shoot as, in their words, a gesture of goodwill towards the Chinese people. This picture made the rounds of news outlets and blogs around the world and resulted in a minor public relations brouhaha for the Spanish men’s team.

Incredibly, despite the trouble the Spanish men’s team got into, other folks wanted in on the fun and decided to do their version of the “chink-eye” team pose. Other Olympic teams just had to get in on the act.

The Spanish women’s basketball team:

the Spanish tennis team

the Argentinian Olympic soccer team

Liberal Arts Dude sez:

WTF? What on earth were these Olympic athletes thinking? This type of stuff just angers and depresses the hell out of me and just gives me the impression that even in 2008 and at an international platform such as the Olympics where supposedly it is the best of each nation representing their respective cultures, a heck of a lot of people still haven’t gone beyond offensive juvenile antics and racial stereotyping.

For some perspective check out the article and comments section in this Los Angeles Times article. For balance check out the comments at Racialicious.

It exasperates me that in 2008 we still have to deal with crap like this. I mean, cmon, this is seriously schoolyard juvenile behavior and it’s a bunch of adults doing it on the world stage! Worst yet some people – many people, in fact — actually DEFEND these actions as examples of free expression and any detractors are pointed out as being humorless, being PC, or being oversensitive.

Here’s what I say to these meatheads who are in favor if this crap:

• Have you thought about what you are defending? I mean seriously – if you were defending some noble principle or philosophy I would give you some slack. But these are juvenile, racist, and stereotypical gestures that insult an entire nation and ethnicity. You’re saying you are in favor of THAT?

• I’ve been known to chuckle at a stereotypical joke once in a while and have been annoyed by Political Correctedness gone awry. But this time I am squarely in the “this has crossed the line” camp. The first time the chink-eye group photo happened and there was a lot of protest I thought OK we have a dialogue of sorts happening. This is good. But when other teams got into it and did their version the the chink-eye it was nothing but piling on and an act of defiance. It was as if these teams were saying: “You think what the Spanish team did was racist? We’ll here’s a big, fat, middle finger for you!”

• If your perspective is that it is nothing more than just a joke and people like me should lighten up, let’s switch it up. What if the original photo was of the Spanish team making “monkey-like” gestures and holding bananas as a way of playfully tweaking the African-Americans in the U.S. men’s basketball team? And what if, after some mild protest in the blogosphere, that other teams started piling on and doing their version of the “monkey-gestures and holding bananas” pose? Does that change your perspective? Hey, it’s the same damn principle! (Now before you pile on me for using the monkey analogy in relation to African Americans I didn’t just make that up out of thin air. Spanish soccer fans have been known to associate opposing Black soccer players with monkeys and mercilessly taunt them with racial insults. If you’ve got an issue with that then your issue is with Spanish culture, not me).

• The worst part about this is that for many people, the fact that it is Asians that are being made fun of makes it not-so-serious. If it was any other ethnic group being stereotyped there would be an uproar. But since it’s just a bunch of Asians, it should be considered “borderline tasteless but funny” or “edgy humor.” I say screw that! Now that Asians are fighting back and saying humor made at the expense of their dignity is unacceptable, we’ve got all sorts of apologists and jerks coming out of the woodwork.

• If your perspective is that people like me should just “lighten up” I say to you if an affront were made to your ethnic group (or any other group you belong to that is important to you) would you just let it slide? Because essentially that is what you are asking me to do – to ignore, tolerate, and let slide slights to my dignity and pride as an Asian. I’m not Chinese but I have enough in common with them as an Asian-American in a multiracial society that a slight directed towards them I acutely feel can just as easily be directed towards me. I have always admired what was taught to me in American culture that if a bully were trying to stomp on you, you should stand up for yourself. Well, here’s a case of racially-charged bullying and Asians all over the world are standing up for themselves. What’s your reaction – will you be one of the ones to pile on the Asians and not only encourage the crap heaped on them and even do your own version of it? Or will you be one of the ones who say this type of crap has got to stop — or if it can’t be stopped at least call it out and castigate those responsible?

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