“Taking it back”… what, like blacks “take back” being called nigger? Guess what, to nonblacks it just sounds like black people being derorgatory towards themselves – using a condescending term created by whites to hurt themselves. Real smooth. Because the word chink has another meaning doesn’t mean it isn’t equally as offensive…. and so if fellow Chinese called each other chinks, “taking it back” from your perspective – we are simply appeasing whites for using racially offensive terms that they used, against ourselves.

As for “he ESPN editor pretty clearly didn’t realize the alternate meaning of chink. I don’t think he was snickering at the ridiculous pun he was making when he published the headline.”—– how naive can you get? Using “chink in the armor” when it’s a Chinese or even asian about – REALLY??? Sometimes some Chinese/asian people don’t want to consider that other people – primarily whites – are racist to them, to the extent where they will make up any shit to excuse their actions.

I hope you’re not one of them.

What about “Asians are good at math”?

Thanks for the discussion. Feel free to surface again anytime!

I will defend those who see race in a negative light on the grounds that most of the time America’s cultural allusions to Asian people are negative – that’s part of the ambiguity of anti-Asian racism, which in a way semantically defines Asians and Asian endeavours as negative.

On a final note, in China having those racial qualities doesn’t carry with a set of “truths” (mostly negative) about those individuals’ characters or potential or even their humanity. In America it does – that’s the difference.

Anyways, I’ve enjoyed the conversation! Keep up the good work with the blog! I’ll go back to lurking for a while.

I like your point about ambiguous anti-Asian prejudice, which is loathsome when it leads to discrimination, though of course we have to acknowledge that we as human beings prejudge ALL THE TIME. And as someone living in China who’s heard plenty of locals refer to themselves as “yellow-skinned” or other Asians as “small-eyed,” I’m a bit desensitized to such blunt racial assessments, however odious.

In conclusion: Bravo to those in the world fighting for a post-racial society. It’s a noble cause, one which won’t find me standing in the way.

That thinking is in the same vein as downplaying slavery because Africans helped to enslave other Africans – it doesn’t change the nature of the problem it just deflects from meaningful dialogue. A strong case can be made that the use of chink in the ESPN headline was intended to racialize Lin which is an all important point because often the nature of anti-Asian prejudice is deliberately ambiguous and can be plausibly denied (see the murder of Vincent Chin for an extreme example) as irony, innocent ignorance, or humour. Meanwhile the damage is done and forgotten only to be repeated the following generation.

As for the Asian Journalist list I don’t entirely agree with how they went about the issue, but their list of do’s and don’ts only highlights the fact that white (or black) public figures don’t have to contend with a list of racializing qualities and personal attributes (entirely made up by a culture of racist thinking) that supposedly shed light on their characters or abilities, but which are casually applied to Asians. It really isn’t too much to ask for that the media portray individuals (Asian or otherwise) based on what they actually do or say as individuals, and not try to define them based on some random or fabricated stereotypes, or some kind of physiognomy.

Disclaimer: I say this as someone who’s never been directly called a chink, in the manner that can indeed be derogatory and hurtful in a meaningful way, so the issue isn’t personal to me. I’ve probably put myself out on more of a limb here than I intended.

I would also disagree that people who have these kinds of attitudes towards Asians are out of touch with 21st century America. That is entirely the problem – it isn’t marginalized supremacists who are expressing anti-Asian attitudes or casually throwing around racial slurs. It is fully integrated members of the community who may, or may not, have positions of influence over the lives and opportunities of Asian people.

Thanks for the comment. Sorry about the delay in approving it – spam-guard kicks into effect when two or more hyperlinks are posted.

I don’t really see your point – are you saying that we shouldn’t be offended by the deliberate but plausibly deniable use of a known racial slur in a headline regarding J. Lin because an Asian newspaper used the same word? Or are you saying that because you are personally above being offended by it then other Asians are idiotic for not being as evolved as you?

None of these arguments make any sense. Strangely enough I actually agree with you that we shouldn’t be offended by racial slurs – but only because racial slurs aren’t meant to offend; their intent is to put the target in their place.

So the Lin headline is not unfortunate or even offensive, it is simply reminding America that Lin may be good at basketball, but remember he is still only a chink – which diminishes both his talent and his humanity.

I see no reason to be offended by this but every reason to be disturbed and perhaps even afraid. Remember that despite Lin’s obvious abilities he was overlooked in the draft, and was the target of extreme racial abuse during his college ball career. In both cases even though he proved that he could compete with the best it didn’t matter because he was just a chink and out of place in the basketball world – he just didn’t know his place.

So racial slurs are far more than terms of offensiveness – in fact if you are offended by them then you’ve missed the point because their aim is to remind you (and the community in which you hope to succeed) that you’ll never quite receive the respect, acclaim, or even financial compensations that your abilities might deserve.

http://benefsanem.blogspot.com/2011/04/chinkies-and-gooks-and-slants-oh-my.html

http://benefsanem.blogspot.com/2011/05/dialogue-with-simon-tam.html