August 18, 2008

  • Slanty eyes

    The furor caused by the Spanish basketball team is not nearly big enough, as far as I'm concerned. That a National team can pose for an advertisement and joke about their appearance in the Beijing Olympic by making slanty eyes is incredulous.

    I first heard that they said it was a joke. One of their players said it was a playful "wink" at their hosts. Indeed, he thought it was "appropriate" and an "affectionate gesture." I have read that Li Ning, the Chinese sports wear company--the Nike of China--sponsors the Spanish national team, so the odds of the team intentionally insulting the Chinese is low. Whatever. If nothing else they were simply stupid. Maybe not racist, but definitely stupid. Their insensitivity may be blamed on ignorance--and did I mention stupidity?--but that excuse is not longer valid for their tennis team which decided to take a similar photo "in support" of their basketball team.

    Are all Spanish people of the same opinion? That it is alright to mock a physical characteristic of another race? Do they not know the effect of their actions? I have had this done to me a number of times when I was a kid, mostly by those of Mexican descent amongst whom I grew up in East LA, when they called me "ching chong chinaman", or "jap". I'm pretty sure these actions and words were not expressed with affection and it did not feel appropriate to me. That the Spanish Olympic team is incapapble of comprehending their actions is mind boggling. And what are we to make ot the general silence by the Spanish people? Is this a reflection of their social values?

    Personally, I am insulted.

Comments (18)

  • Hi,my nickname is tomochan.

    I'm a Japanese. My English is not so good, but I'll try to write my opinion in English.

    I was surprised and shocked to see these pictures.

    The national team is thought to be a representative of a nation in Japan.

    If the national team did such a thing, people and the mas media would critisize them tremendously and that would cause a national problem.

    I can't understand why the tennis players can smile posing in this way.

    Generally speaking, the athletes, especially distinguished athletes have been praised since they were children, so it is difficult for them to know how insulted people feel.

    So someone else should tell them that their actions can't be allowed definitely and we don't call their behavior a joke.

  • I too, was insulted when I first read about this, especially since I was the target of such ridicule many times as a child. I wondered how Gasol's Asian fans in LA would react....?

    I'm not sure if you've ever participated in the Six Random Things About Me game, but I tagged you: http://geekinheels.com/2008/08/30/tagged/

  • You're talking about the same country where it's considered acceptable to make racist comments towards black footballers at France-Spain matches (or in the training preceding said match).
    From what I can tell, most folks consider insults based on race on the same level as insults based on any other characteristic (like intelligence, income, occupation, hometown, random things you might do, etc.). That is, while some folks still find it wrong, it seems that, in general, racist insults are way more acceptable in Spain compared to here.
    Anyway, I still find it a lousy excuse, and all the 'apologies' are really just showing that the Spanish athletes are out-of-touch with the pace in the rest of the world. Though, the Spaniards aren't alone in that regard. KF

  • The lack of cultural diversity in Spain explains the behavior but does not excuse it, especially considering that two members of the Spanish National basketball team play for the NBA; one of them plays for the Lakers, for crying out loud.  The Lakers!  In LA!  With a large Asian American population! 

  • while I'm not personally offended, I do have the same concern surrounding the ignorance. Ignorance tends to beget ignorance, hence the cycle is more likely to continue if and when a group of people (or a nation) just doesn't seem to think anything remotely wrong about all or any part of this.

    "it was just a joke"? fine. once they realized that it had offended people, they should have been sincere in their apology... but the "support" factor's a real kicker... thus i go back to my "ignorance begets more ignorance" bit.

  • It's a known fact that Spain - among us in Europe - is a racist country.

  • I have a friend who tagged a bunch of my friends in this photo on facebook, as a "cute joke" I suppose.  He's always loved Asians, but he also has an odd twisted sense of humor at times.  Though I'm really open to harsh jokes and what not, this personally offended me too.

  • From very cursory research (Wikipedia and the CIA World Factbook), it seems that Spain is not racially diverse.  They have less contact with people of other races, and thus less sensitivity about this kind of thing, I'm guessing.  The Spain of today is like the US of forty years ago.  Not making excuses, just searching for explanations.  According to white UK'ers I've met, their grandparents, who grew up in an almost entirely caucasian Britain, are nearly all very racist.  The UK has had a flood of immigrants in recent decades, and young people are much more enlightened.  Hopefully, with more exposure to other cultures and peoples (something the Olympics exist to encourage), and maybe a little public shaming, the Spanish will become more enlightened.

    The US is far from perfect, but this is one area where I would say that there has been some progress.  I never did the slanty eye thing or told the Chinaman jokes as a
    kid, but both certainly were popular at my elementary school.  I grew up in a rural town where 99% of the kids were white.  There was a lot of racist "humor" and some of my classmates were really bigoted.  However, some of those people really changed when they went off to college and met a more diverse group of people.

    During my time teaching in Japanese public schools, there were many many times that the kids (generally early elementary school, but as old as 9th grade)  used their hands to make their eyes look rounder when I was around. I don't think that they did it because they hated me (though maybe one or two did...), and I never got mad about it, though I did tell them to knock it off.  A few adult Japanese acquaintances also "did the roundeye" when very drunk.

    <There are many differences between my situtation in Japan, and the O-man's childhood in LA.  I'm not trying to make a direct comparison.  I was an authority figure in my school, and I had chosen to be there. >

  • Well, it all boils down to two things: 1) it IS offensive, and 2) they are adults and DID know better, despite what they would have everyone think. Can anything be done about it? Probably not. That's the part that sucks.

  • I would be offended too, but I have yet to encounter being called racial slurs of having someone make fun of my tiny eyes. (The latter probably won't happen since my eyes are kind of ... huge?) I can't understand it from your point of view because I've never experienced being made fun of for my physically appearances, but I do know what it's like to made the butt of a joke when it comes to stereotypes. I've had the "Asian girl" number so many times, in addition to the "Can you hold chopsticks?" number done by one of my Chinese friend's parents. It goes both ways: you can be made fun of for being too "---ese" or for being too American.

    Anyway, I was surprised that the photo didn't spark anything more than a tiny little flame (that sizzled out, I haven't heard anything else about it), especially considering how the games are held in Beijing. I have to wonder though, is there a line to draw at making racist gestures and remarks (or jokes)? Or does that depend on whether the receiving end of the said gesture decides to say something in defense? My family makes crude remarks about Mexicans every now and then, relying on inaccurate stereotypes, and while I do get a little irritated when one of my aunts was amazed by the idea of a Mexican girl graduating from high school without getting pregnant, I didn't say anything because I didn't want to start a battle over racial stereotypes. Though, now that I think about it, I probably should have said something since it still bothers me even now, two months later.

  • A
    note on the Mexicans making fun of Asians things.. haha, i think
    science has proven pretty conclusively that Eskimos, Native Americans
    and Central/Southern Americans -ARE- Asian Americans (just like Pacific
    Islanders are).

    And those people we consider "Latinos," etc, tend
    mostly to be Hapas!  Hapa and Latino (due to mixed blood with whites)
    is the same category something like 90% of the time!

    Just more proof that racism -- is dumb!  =D

    [Field]

  • The wonders of the Olympics. World peace and cultural understanding?

    Give me a break...of that kit kat bar. :]

  • That's pretty lame

  • WTF!? i missed this --i knew there must be a good reason to avoid the spanish news...disgusting.

  • This was obviously done in poor taste but I doubt the Spanish teams understand that what they did is offensive to others.  Spain is not as diverse as the U.S. so they are not aware of or as sensitive to such issues.  I didn't know the tennis team did the same thing though! 

    Mexicans calling you ching chong Chinaman?  That's weird coz most Mexicans are mestizos.

  • i read excerpts of some players' "apologies" and it reveals the feigned ignorance that people hide behind.  it was no apology at all.  they just excused themselves by saying they were asked to pose that way, that they don't understand why / whom it offends.  in this day and age, claiming ignorance just doesn't cut it.  the spanish basketball team and the tennis team should both be kicked out of the olympics for not keeping to the high standards and ideals of the olympics.

  • People descending from American Indians may have slanted eyes themselves(Alaska to El Salvador to Bolivia). This ofcourse is the team from European Spain making the photos.

    If it is offensive, let them know.

    The answer to the question about social values can be found through the history of the Spanish Inquisition in the Americas. The genocide of American Inidans in the US could also be viewed as insulting, leading some to question the social values here in this constitutional democracy.

    The Nanjing massacre amongst others during WWII inflicted against Chinese by Japanese aggressors could put social values to question once again.

    What can anyone do about it?

  • Interesting...  But I'm sure it wasn't intentional, Usually the El Salvadorian's, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and all Spanish Mexican Beaners in general that I know can have a tendency to be funny (yokingly) but mean nothing hurtful by it. I didn't find it offensive at all, some people at times could be ignorant,and not really know it. :)

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