“Chinaman” is racist? Another sad day for American Civil Liberties
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A few months ago one of our members (LaiSteve66) gave us a heads up on this horribly ignorant act of racism-passed-off-as-humor (follow the thread on our forum here). Just recently the owner of this restaurant decided that enough was enough and he’s pulled the racist term (i.e. various references to “Chinaman”) from his advertising.
Great. But still, no apology, and I’m fairly certain that his withdrawal of the “offensive” advertising copy is not so much that he feels ashamed for having directly perpetuated racism, but that the controversy was hurting his business. I bet he was ashamed for being caught, not for being racist.
Still, at least for now a little bit of justice has been served, and the country can breathe a bit easier with one less bigot in our midst. Read the full article here (or scroll to the bottom of this post)
That’s fine. But what hit me over the head was the negative reaction to the withdrawal of the racist term. Not surprisingly, a whack load of (white) apologists came rushing to denounce this additional move by the out-of-control politically correct left, and I was awestruck at really how ignorant people are. I realized how it was possible for this restaurant owner to get away with such a completely racist thematic for so long.
For your amusement (or pain), I’m reproducing the first ten or so comments here. You can read all of them to your heart’s content here. Note the number of “thumbs up” some of these comments have received. Also check the time signatures — almost immediately the apologists rushed in and claimed victimization; nothing was sacred anymore if they couldn’t make fun of poor poor Chinaman. And last (but not least), you’ve got the one guy (commenter #9) who’s Chinese girlfriend thought it was funny, so hell, what’s the fucking problem?
1. Comment by R P. (Pop) — June 4,2007 @ 3:37PM
Rating: 7 Thumbs Up
jeez la weez, doesn’t anyone have a sense of humor anymore? Even if the menu was cosidered racially insensitive, why should he change it? Its his resturant and he can do what he wants with it. If you don’t like it, don’t spend your money there!2. Comment by Jesus R. (Razor) — June 4,2007 @ 3:52PM
Rating: 0 Thumbs Up
WoW !! Now the sun shines brighter , dogs play with cats and the world is a more sensitive , special place !!! I can feel the warm fuzzies inside now !!!3. Comment by Chris W. (crisha) — June 4,2007 @ 3:57PM
Rating: 3 Thumbs Up
This is totally and absolutely ridiculous. Doesn’t anyone have a sense of humor anymore? I remember the first time I read their menu, I laughed so hard tears were coming out of my eyes. It was a JOKE, people. Lighten up. That’s what’s wrong with our society today…everybody is totally anal.4. Comment by Diane H. (aznative1957) — June 4,2007 @ 4:03PM
Rating: 2 Thumbs Up
You gotta be kidding me?! Eggrolls’ menu is (excuse me, “was”) hysterical! I agree with the prior posters, what’s happened to our sense of humor in this country? Good grief…5. Comment by Paul M. (Midi) — June 4,2007 @ 4:14PM
Rating: 2 Thumbs Up
..just ask Imus, LOL6. Comment by Mike S. (MTS) — June 4,2007 @ 4:19PM
Rating: 0 Thumbs Up
And not one Chinaman has posted a Thank You! This is a sad day for our Freedoms many have died for. What’s next? I won’t be able to order “Mexican” food? Maybe we’ll call it Southwest Cuisine, with spice added?7. Comment by Jose A. (daddyojma) — June 4,2007 @ 4:28PM
Rating: 4 Thumbs Up
Well I was raised in Communist Cuba when Castro took power. I see the similarities between his tyrancy and our political correct friends in Communist America. Would I get offended if a restaurant has menu that could mimic Cubans in Miami talking? NO9. Comment by Beto N. (#4015) — June 4,2007 @ 5:12PM
Rating: 2 Thumbs Up
Both Tucson newspapers have ruined this man’s business. This wasn’t news. It was an attack on him to get readers. I’m sure he could have worked out the problems with the Chinese community without these stories whipping everyone up in a frenzy.
No one can have a sense of humor anymore because I’m sure someone will be offended. My Chinese (Mainland) girlfriend understood the joke and thought it was funny. I guess you have to live in America awhile to lose your sense of humor.
And here’s the article discussing the retraction of “Chinaman” from the restaurant’s advertising:
Eatery pulls racial lingo from menu
Associated Press
Jun. 5, 2007 06:58 AMTUCSON - A Chinese takeout restaurant has removed racially insensitive language from its menu, Web site and advertising fliers after community groups denounced it as racist and the parent company of the firm that helped create the ads ordered them pulled.
Mike Reynolds, owner of Eggrolls, Etc., apologized in a telephone interview Monday for using the word “Chinamen” in his ads, saying he was initially unaware that it was widely considered a derogatory term.
Reynolds said he still doesn’t think his menu, on the whole, could be construed as “intended to hurt or damage anyone,” but apologized for any “misunderstanding” created by the jokes on his menu, which included a parody of the inability of immigrant Chinese to pronounce words containing the letter “r.”
Reynolds said his menu and advertising fliers were “never intended to harm or insult the Asian-American or Chinese-American community.”
Reynolds never responded to letters from local and national groups urging him to be more sensitive in his advertising. He said he doesn’t plan to respond or issue a formal apology.
At a press conference last month, leaders of Tucson’s Asian community, the YWCA, Chicanos Por La Causa, Tucson Urban League and members of the Tucson City Council and the Pima County Board of Supervisors denounced Reynolds’ advertising as racist and further criticized him for failing to respond to concerns first raised in February by the Tucson Chinese Association.
Jason Wong, president of that group, said he was pleased that the business finally responded to the complaints, but disappointed that it took so much community pressure to make it happen.
“The issue wasn’t solely just the Chinese community,” Wong said. “Any group or member of the community should not have to feel there is no one to support them if an injustice has been done. The support showed this is a wonderful community,” he said.
Reynolds said the changes to his advertising were planned before the groups held their May 16 press conference.
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Cattygurl
4:06 am | Jun 06, 2007Glad to see that the derogatory words were removed.
Vetrean
1:55 pm | Jun 06, 2007Sad to see people are stupid about this. It’s not for the person/group making the joke to decide if it’s funny or not. When did whites have the right to decide for the Chinese-American community what is and isn’t offensive towards them?
rizal
11:18 am | Jun 07, 2007You know I wonder if these people are liberals (biggest hypocrites). If it were N*ggers are getting hard to find, or Kikes are getting expensive, or maybe there are so many Honkies they’re pretty cheap, or wetbacks are hard to find cause they’re mowing my lawn. I wonder if these same people would say such tripe? And that pussy Mike S would give his whole address so someone would go Virginia tech on his ass.
rizal
11:19 am | Jun 07, 2007kd
rizal
11:20 am | Jun 07, 2007I wonder if these people (liberals no doubt-biggest hypocrites) would say the same if it were coons, kikes, wetbacks and dykes instead of Asian slurs? And Mike S, give your full name and location and someone will be in touch shortly.
lopan
11:31 am | Jun 07, 2007Rizal, I really have no idea what you’re saying — but i’ve gone ahead and approved your comments anyhow.
vsoy
8:02 pm | Jun 07, 2007It is really unbelievable so many of the people who left comments just can’t wrap their minds around the concept that the menu could be offensive to Asians. White privilege is a pretty good at blocking out that kind of stuff. The comments in this paper make the letters to the editor in my local paper bleeding heart liberal love poems and there’s a lot of infuriating nonsense published everyday. You’d think with the rapid population growth in Tucson, that there’d be a more open and worldly attitude about issues.
nightshade
11:55 pm | Jun 07, 2007I rue the day that the term “politically correct” was invented. People don’t seem to understand the difference between not being a racist jackass and being PC. And don’t get me started on how I think PC is just another way for people to be racist assholes.
PRETTYBOI
10:50 pm | Jun 11, 2007I’m sure most of you guys have heard about the incident with that Korean dude shooting and killing in the VA college campus right? Well, down here in New Orleans some neighbors down my street were talking about. They normally say hi to me and talk to me. Now they don’t anymore and according to one of my close next door neighbor said that, “It’s because of that incident that took place in VA shooting”. I wasn’t even aware of it until 2 weeks later after my neighbor told me about it.
I’m not even Korean is on but according to Caucasian American as to what my close neighbor had told me. They all view Vietnamese, Chinese or Korean as one race and no differences at all. Anyways, enough about that story…
Now about this Reynold dude and his restaurant menu. I’ve register and post on that azstarnet.com after reading it. I wonder what would really happen if an Asian restaurant made a menu and put on there “chocolate negro or white honky cheese”? Just a question out of the ordinary and I don’t mean to offend anybody on here whoever is reading this that’s non-Asian descent.
LaiSteve66
10:01 pm | Jun 12, 2007Just a bunch of ignorant people who don’t understand that the Asians are sick of being made fun of by society. Sick of being at the bottom of the PC protection hierarchy. Sick of double standards where making of Jews and Blacks is unacceptable but making fun of Asians is.
Fuck all of them.