Jose Calderon Explains The “China” Photo
THIS caused a serious stir in the blogosphere the other day and today Ball Don’t Lie links to RaptorBlog, who tracked down Jose Calderon for his team’s “reasoning” for the photo:
“… one of our sponsors asked us to pose with a “wink” to our participation in Beijing, we made an oriental expression with our eyes. We thought it was something appropriate and that it would always be interpreted as somewhat loving. Never the less some of the European media did not see it this way. From here I would like to declare that we have a huge respect for the East and their people, some of my best friends in Toronto are from China and one of our Spanish National Team sponsors is the Chinese brand Li Ning. Anyone who would like to interpret this differently is absolutely confused.”
Thanks to Ball Don’t Lie and RaptorBlog
August 13th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
kg fan says:
he’s a fool and naïve to think that’s loving. Even gasol realized is was inappropriate
August 13th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Kobeef says:
a “wink”?
There are a lot of Chinese Raptor fins who will give Calderon something other than a “wink” next time they see him (more like a “finger”).
August 13th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
yugo says:
we euros have a racist sense of humor, get over it.
the difference between us and american whites is that with us its light humor, not belligerent… we weren’t the ones practicing slavery well into the 19th century, like our american counterparts.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Young Lebron 23 says:
How is pulling your eyelids back loving. I have lost all respect for JOse Calderon, not that I had any to start with.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
deeds says:
I forgive you Calderon. Just take the raps past the first round and all will be well
August 13th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Celts Fan says:
@Yugo, you really wanna go there? Europeans are renowned for still being racist as hell IN PUBLIC at soccer games. They toss bananas at black dudes and make monkey noises at them. The Spanish (I think) national coach was taped saying something about Thierry Henry like, “Don’t let the darky beat us,” or something just as ridiculous. As with all these things, it’s a small number of ignorant morons that make an entire people look bad.
Jose definitely comes off as either REALLY naive or really dumb (especially when he said they made an oriental expression w/ their eyes. Oriental is considered a racial slur unless it’s used to describe food – I don’t get it either, I just know that it is.)
Here’s how the apology should’ve been. “We’re sorry. We wanted to take a fun team picture with the Olympics in mind and in trying to have fun, we crossed the line. It was meant as just a good-natured joke, but we realize now how insensitive it actually was. We are sorry for anyone we offended. Please know that it was not intentional…”
August 13th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Austin Burton says:
“Some of my best friends are Chinese.”
That sounds real familiar…
August 13th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Eric says:
@ Celts Fan
Your hypothetical apology from Calderon was very well worded.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
doc says:
Its okay.Yao and Yi got Lebron and Kobe to shit all on Jose and them in a couple days.But Yao and them should take a picture wrapped in toilet paper for Pau Gasoft and his soft ass team.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
babyboi says:
@Yugo
“we weren’t the ones practicing slavery well into the 19th century, like our american counterparts”
Why does that even matter? Yall still practiced slavery nonetheless. Because you guys enslaved Africans for a shorter period of time makes it okay and makes you better than us morally? Damn euro trash.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
kg fan says:
@celts fan, being chinese i never knew being called oriental was a racial slur until a few years ago, but i still dont get it either.
and i agree with doc, yao should show a mean streak and do somethin like that
August 13th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
bill says:
why is Jose copping it all? There’s 11 other dudes in that photo. Atleast Jose has tried to explain himself and apologise. I guarantee they didn’t want to offend anyone. I’m not as asian but are any asians out there actually offended by this? or are all just being extra sensitive and making this into something bigger than it is?
I don’t think there’s any asians out there in denial about how their eyes look. If an asian wanted to impersonate me and they painted their skin white and wore fake body hair on their legs and chest – I’d be able to take it. Its how I look. All races look different, whats the big deal in having a bit of fun with it? What spain did isnt actually being hurtful or offensive in my mind. The guys are doing it with smiles on their faces, although I agree it was pretty thoughtless and I find it hard to believe enough people at the photo shoot thought it would actually be funny enough to be worthwhile doing, its pretty clear their intentions were never to be racist.
Dumb thing to do? Definitely. But a hate crime? No way.
I think you guys would have a hard time finding an asian who is truly insulted by this. And as for Jose, he sounds like he’s just being honest about why they did it.
Imagine Yao and his boys in 4 years time in london posing for a photo and they are all stretching their eyes to make them round – that would be way funnier that it would be offensive.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Austin Burton says:
When I was covering Washington State University sports a few years ago, there was an incident where an Asian girl said some of the basketball players were making “chinky eyes” at her. It was a big deal on campus. And she was very offended.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Celts Fan says:
Someone needs to let Jose know that the, “She was asking for it” defense doesn’t fly here.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
shake&bake says:
He didn’t apologize, he just said people were confused if they thought it was bad. Also he said making fun of something that is different about people is “somewhat loving” and “appropriate”.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
shake&bake says:
Lol @ Celts. . .But it’s ok cause the Spanish team has a sponsor from China.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Celts Fan says:
I’m sure by now, it’s that they USED TO have a Chinese sponsor.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
yugo says:
@10
my point was that there is no concept of “white guilt” in Europe. just because America would never have build itself from scratch without black slave labor, or some Dutch assholes cut a deal with west african chiefs 500 years ago, or some British assholes started an opium war, does NOT mean all of Europe now has to walk around kicking rocks feeling sorry. other races’ past oppression by a few isolated western european powers rich enough at the time to travel the world plundering is not our fucking problem. Eastern Europe, for example, never once had anything to do with slavery, we had problems of our own.
in any case, this spain photo is embarassing not because of racism, but b/c its not even remotely clever. they stood around for days thinking of this shit, and slitting their eyes is the best they could come up with? thats the real crime here.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
nola says:
@bill
offended? not really. however, i simply find it disrespectful.
also i find your analogy of painting a person white and fake body hair or whatever an inaccurate analogy. if a person ever did that, it would automatically be perceived as a humorous act but what comes to mind when someone takes their fingers to make slant eyes at asians. it’s just elementary/middle school humor. it’s immature. but it’s always used to make fun of asians. always. maybe it’s me and maybe it’s being asian-american but it has always been used to make fun of asians. and that’s why i think it’s completely disrespectful to take that picture on the eve of coming to the olympics hosted by an asian country.
ps. i dont think they’re racist though. it never crossed my mind.
@yugo
you say you use racism as light humor. that’s fine. but there is a serious prejudice mood in your comment. you hate us that much huh?
August 13th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Prof. TX says:
The “apology” sounds alot like “We don’t like other minorities, but we sure like their money. It just occurred to us that we get paid by the Chinese, so please don’t take that away from us”
August 13th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
bballinca says:
Here comes the PC police.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
DO says:
good point on the chinese friends remark, Austin.
That’s the most common defense people give.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Xavier says:
Somebody at the Grizz forum explained this way better than I could:
Let me just say one thing about that picture. While I believe it’s in poor taste, there’s no denying of that, I also think that its interpretation is heavily subject to cultural differences. Let me explain what I mean. I am originally from Spain but have lived in the US for nearly 10 years so I’m pretty familiar with both cultures. In the Spanish culture it’s ok to talk about or showcase racial differences as long as it doesn’t imply a sense of superiority of one over the other. Americans, on the other hand, consider at the very least very disrespectful to explicitly bring up those differences in a conversation. In order to be politically correct one has to be “color blind”, as Steven Colbert often says.
My wife and I are adopting a Chinese baby. It’s a long and complicated process and there is a strong community of families in our city who either are in the same process or already have their Chinese children and we like to get together to talk and share experiences. Recently we were in one of those meetings and we were chatting with a family that has a 6 year old girl who was running all over the place, playing with the other children. At some point the girl came to where we were, noticed that the conversation was of course on the subject of adoption, and decided to join in. She looked at us, pulled her eyes with her fingers (like the Spanish players are doing in the picture) and said with a big smile “Me and my sister came from China, see?”. The scene was obviously very comical and we all laughed. Her mom said something like “you don’t need to do that, sweety, your eyes are already almond shaped”.
What I am trying to say is that there was probably nothing offensive in the culture of origin of the picture, just a bit of fun. If the games had been in America they might have posed in cowboy outfits or something like that. However, I also think that at this level one has to be very careful with how other cultures will interpret what you do. I have no idea how Chinese people views the subject but if they find it offensive then the team should definitely issue an apology (what Americans think would be irrelevant here). I do disagree with the article that the crowd was booing the Spanish team. I watched the game and I didn’t see that. They were chanting the names of their players, making noise when Spain was shooting FT (of course!) and even applauded loudly twice when a Spanish player got up after hitting the floor hard. Some times journalists try too hard to make reality match their preconceptions.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Brown says:
Why is Jose Calderon the one answering for this? Shouldn’t it be a Spanish olympic team official? Jose’s comments only make what they did worse, because they fail to see that the picture is offensive. Does he call Chris Bosh the n-word in the locker room as a term of endearment? It’s the exact same thing.
Whoever thought up the idea for the picture should officially be labeled as a retard, and I’m sure they wouldn’t understand that “retard” is an offensive term to handicapped people either.
August 13th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
M.Balla says:
Austin… are you hatin’ on Spain? Damn! We are on your nightmares aren’t we? Someday you will tell us your childhood trauma with all things Spanish.
Like I replied to death in a lot of forums: Spain has a different mindset. That sign, in Spain doesn’t mean anything racist. Calderon is right in what he’s saying. Dont judge by the US standards a Spanish gesture that was meant to be kept on Spain.
Our country is #2 behind US adopting Chinese girls. Our main industry is tourism. 25~30% of our populations in summer are foreigners. The governement jumped over the law, so more inmigrants could come to our country from SouthAmerica, Roumania, Africa and, guess where, China. There are no social problems.
Get your facts straight before talking trash.
August 13th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
dukesman2000 says:
My beef is, if it were the US players who had done something so crude, they would have been disqualified from the Olympics and when they get home David Stern and the NBA, the media, and so called pundits would rip them apart. This is a fucking double standard. But you know what, if you are white you are right.
Calderon said, ” some of my best friends in Toronto are from China…”
Isn’t that always the case? When someone gets caught in a racially sensitive situation they always say, “I am not racist I have black friends” But the Europeans are known to be very open about their hate for non-whites. Even Thiery Henry a black soccer player from France, who plays in the Spanish League has been subjected to racial slurs. Sometimes when he is playing the fans would throw bananas on the field and make monkey noises.
August 13th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
M.Balla says:
Find me a report where bananas where throwed to Henry. I dare you to it.
August 13th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
dukesman2000 says:
@ M Bella.
Ya fucking racist ass bitch…
right there
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7229551.stm
August 13th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
GEE...Burn baby burn like Lisa Lopez...poor Rison. says:
Our country is #2 behind US adopting Chinese girls.
LOL something about that statement just doesn’t seem right?
inmigrants? Is that some new 2000 term I ain’t up on yet?
Don’t get ya panties in a bunch though I am just trippin wit cha.
Spain still gone get done when they see USA.
And even if that sign means nothing racist in Spain, it’s highly offensive to others and certainly has meaning. So does the “N” word mean nothing racist in Spain? Are white sheets with holes poked in the eyes with a burning cross mean nothing racist in Spain? So does that still make it right to do those things cause it means nothing racist in Spain?
Tell you what if you white or any other race go to a place that is dominated by blacks and yell the “N” word. Then as soon as you are approached, say well it means nothing racist in Spain. LOL and lets see if everyone goes ooohhh ok cool and walk off lol.
If you black try the opposite and see if it works.
The Spain mindset may be different but that doesn’t mean it’s correct even if it was meant to be kept in Spain.
Also just because you do a lot for or towards a place or person still doesn’t mean you can disrespect them.
That’s like me saying well I feed a lot of homeless white people, (I am black of course) so I can go around calling them honkey and cracker. Naw that is crazy.
Offense was taking regardless of what it meant and for that a “correct” apology should be given and Spain must pay lol.
But thanks though you have certainly giving me new material to say to people that get mad at something I have done.
I’mma just be like “Well in Spain it’s cool or means something different”.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
doc says:
@M Bella-And in that article it says people from there write on blogs trying to say its nothing.He got you with that one.Its where you from fuck it if you not racist.We got racist people here in the states too they everywhere you dont gotta take up for them.They got you saying shit like we adopted the most Chinese girls.What the hell is yall doing with them?Just fucking with you.But really thats like somebody inphilly doing some racist shit and Im on here saying it dont happen.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
kokot says:
yes I am Asian and I’m offended by this act. Thats funking childsish. I don’t give a fuk how ur european culture is structured, but that act is not acceptable everywhere in the world. So what if some of his friends are Chinese, he could make fun and talk shit about them in spanish since not many Chinese understand spanish. If thats how ur culture is you Spanish trash could lock each other and fuk cows together get some anal experience, then wear some red clothes and
let the cows fuk u right back in the ass too.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
JLiu says:
As an ASIAN American, I am offended.
No Jose, we are not confused. You and your buddies are confused. This is the kind of s**t you hear back in grade school… “Chinese, Japanese….”
All I can say is F U Jose, F U Pau aka double ply.
If you are not going to apologize then keep your trap shut. the more you speak, the more of an ahole you sound.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
doc says:
@MBalla-I dont think nipples offensive either,especially Janets,I thought that shit was beautiful.But the point i am making is some Americans thought all that shit you said was offensive,some dont give a fuck,everybody aint the same.I would think yall got different opinions about shit in Spain to right?
August 13th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
bballinca says:
@ Brown how do you know mentally handicapped people are offended by the word retard? Is it because someone tells them to be offended or ???
August 13th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Kar says:
It’s fun to see USA people talking about racism when they have a raper on their team; Shaq’s comments about Yao were much worse than that and they still had racist laws 40 years ago…
August 13th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Big V says:
^^^
That’s why your dumbass is on here sweating the shit out of our “raper” on our American messageboard about a sport created in America.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Kar says:
Oh!
¿Wasn’t that racist for non-americans?
LOL
August 13th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
bill says:
Yeah you guys are sounding a whole lot more racist and hate-filled then the spaniards ever intended to be.
I like where M.Balla is coming from… if you’re offended by that gesture that is admitting you are ashamed of having different eyes to other races. It was disrespectful and stupid and I guarantee they all would like their time again, but really.. its not THAT offensive. If it was Angola or Iran or a crap team that made the gesture the US wouldn’t care. They just want to hate on Spain a bit cos they are a threat. What Shaq said about Yao a few years back was way more racist – but everyone knew deep down he was just having a laugh, this is much the same thing. No need to act all hard with this F U Spain crap. By reacting to racism you are feeding its power. The small percentile of the human race who still have racist mindsets just need to be ignored. The losers are the racists themselves, not the subjects of their taunts. I guess I can’t see it in the same light as those who grew up the victims of racism as young children.. because I can appreciate at a young age racism would be very confusing and upsetting. But as adults, everyone should be proud of who they are and where they are from and anyone small minded enough to make a racist comment should just be ignored and their insults should be like water off a ducks back.
Its probably a narrow minded and idealist view on the topic on my behalf but I just don’t see racism as a problem amongst my age group where I live (Australia) and I therefore think that unless it is an extreme case then racism can be easily ignored. I can’t think of anything anyone could say to me about my race or heritage that would upset me but again, I haven’t had to withstand a history of having to put up with it.
Even so, I still think firing up is not the way to go about it. By not saying sorry, it shows that they genuinely believe they have not been racist – and thats a good thing. Pau admitted he didnt find it funny or tasteful but still said he didn’t think it was racist. Can’t we leave it at that.
Pau said he thought it was dumb in as many words, and Jose said it was a playful, even affectionate gesture to the hosts of the Olympics. Thats all it was. Its not like they’ve turned around and said ‘yeah we did it cos we wanted to degrade asians because they have different shaped eyes to us’.
Spain are just fun to hate on right now cos they’re a threat to the Redeem Team.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Jim says:
Maybe the Ambassador was being…diplomatic? That word means what it means for a reason, because, you know, it’s how diplomats have to act.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
GEE...Burn baby burn like Lisa Lopez...poor Rison. says:
LMAO @ a threat to the Redeem Team. Ok buddy. Enjoy your silver or bronze for that matter. You might want to think that Spain is a threat but please know, trust and believe …they ain’t.
I personally didn’t think what Shaq did was cool either just as I don’t think what Spain did was right. To try and ignore it and make light of it is silly as well.
How can you say by.., not saying sorry, it shows that they genuinely believe they have not been racist – and thats a good thing.
No that is not a good thing and it doesn’t mean they feel they were not racist. We don’t know what they were thinking, for all we know they might have been enjoying it. By not saying sorry just shows they might have been ignorant or not thinking (obvious).
Then you say .., Pau admitted he didnt find it funny or tasteful but still said he didn’t think it was racist. Can’t we leave it at that.
No I can’t and ain’t. Not all whites thought hanging blacks back in the day was cool. Just cause a few didn’t think it was cool people should have ignored all the rest of the hangings and lynchings going on? Hell no.
Ignoring things often give them chances to rise up again in an even uglier way. What you do is deal with it and make sure people have an understanding to how hurtful certain things can be, even if someone was supposedly “playing or joking around”
So naw I don’t think making eyes slanted is cool, calling females nappy headed hoes is cool or calling people crackers or honkey is cool or playful. People have lost lives over racist things in the past and that is to much to be saying it’s just a joke and ignore it. There are some boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed. Spain crossed one and they must pay lol.
MBalla Spain can adopt all the Mexican, Chinese and black girls, boys, dogs and cats in the world. Still don’t make insulting a race right be it blatant or indirectly.
Funny how people want to bring up rapes and 4o years ago and other things when that is not the current issue. Deal wit ya own front yard, cause Americas ain’t the one in question right now.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
shake&bake says:
i can’t believe there are people sticking up for them. and this has nothing to do with spain being a threat. if the khazakstan water polo team did this, i’d still say they were dumbasses
August 13th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Jim says:
Oh, and if you think America wouldn’t care if Iran did this…how could you pick a worse example?
August 13th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
GEE...Burn baby burn like Lisa Lopez...poor Rison. says:
You clearly have a disregard for the feelings of people who might be heavily offended by it just because you don’t deem it offensive.
If that is the case so be it. I wish I could slap ya moms though and then tell you I was just trippin and the leaders of Spain or cool with me slappin ya moms lol.
You are correct this is dealing with China and not the U.S. and their leaders might be cool with it (doesn’t mean all their people are).
Still best advice is keep your lil remarks or actions in Spain where you know you safe and it’s understood differently. Cause you try that in the wrong place…and that’s yo a$$ Mr. Postman.
I really wasn’t big on USA beating Spain before this, I just figured Spain is going to get beat and that is it. Now I hope we destroy them dudes.
Lol and come to think of it China probably ain’t trippin. They got like how many medals compared to Spain LOL. I would prolly laugh it off too (not fa real), why get all upset over some players and a place that really ain’t gonna make a big mark any time soon.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Batman says:
Not just the Olympics, China is probably going to mean way more to the world as a global power than Spain ever will, since Spain’s golden age was 500 years ago. I could see some Chinese officials thinking “Let them screw around, it’s not worth making a huge fuss about a country we are more powerful than.”
August 13th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Tran says:
Yo, I’m Asian and I’m offended by the gesture. In response to M Balla and the dude who agrees that if this offends me then I must be ashamed of my eyes,
get over yourself.
If you call someone black “darky” or any other sort of slur, if the person is offended it’s not ‘cuz he/she is ashamed, it’s ‘cuz the person who said it is either trying to offend, or thinks latching onto something that’s historically deplorable is funny, but no longer “a big deal.”
And if a person or a group is offended by something, who are you to tell us not to be offended, then turn it around on us and say it’s our bad for being offended?
Seriously one of the most ignorant things I’ve ever heard…
August 13th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Kar says:
Oh, this is funny
“Kobe wanted something extra”
August 13th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
daquest?on says:
yo wtf did i say???!!?!? huh ppl here told me i was ignorant and thats exactly what i fucking said that the expression to the spaniards was loving
August 13th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Simon says:
@ Gee
Please elaborate on your logic about how being sexist towards women and racist towards white people is playful and funny compared to this example.
I am not getting involved in the main debate, I just really want to know why GEE thinks that saying rude things about women and making fun of white people for being white are not hurtful examples of sexism and racism.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Jim says:
Gee said “So naw I don’t think making eyes slanted is cool, calling females nappy headed hoes is cool or calling people crackers or honkey is cool or playful.”
He said he DID NOT think it’s ok.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Optimus Dimes aka freewebs.com/utscore says:
I’m Asian and slightly offended. Anyone who thinks what they did is ok is an idiot. Also how can you say asians an’t offended by this. every asian thats posted here has said they were offended. Also as a lakers Fan i think we should trade Gasol now. oh and Kobe isn’t a rapist. an adulterer yes. but a rapist no.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
WTF says:
“somewhat loving”???? WTF?? I have lost all respect for Calderon, what an idiot…
August 13th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
rkraicek says:
people say all the time on these forums that euro players are soft and that white guys are slow and that Eddy Curry is fat (as if that’s a problem! fat people are people too!) and that the WNBA isn’t cool. and then they make comments about adriana lima and about that NBA dance team that had a video up a few weeks ago.
seriously, a LOT of the people posting on this page need to look at themselves before they start commenting on this issue or on the world at large. i’m more with the camp that says “whatever your reaction to this situation is, that should tell you more about yourself and the world than the situation itself”.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
GEE...Burn baby burn like Lisa Lopez...poor Rison. says:
Thanks Jim.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:27 am
KT says:
rkraicek–I agree with you regarding your reaction comment, but there is a little something called tact. The Olympics is a GLOBAL stage for sport. Therefore, you have to be conscious that you have a global audience. Everything I joke about in my house may but fine and cool, but when I go outside it doesn’t mean everyone will take it that way. If EVERYONE is condemning you actions as offensive, it may not just be the world that is confused….
August 14th, 2008 at 12:38 am
The Real Truth says:
There is nothing funny about racial stereotypes.
It demeans, generalizes, and objectifies people.
If people cannot understand this concept, then it is pure ignorance.
Go get an education.
August 14th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Lady Luck says:
Interesting article about this
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/basketball/news;_ylt=AlgEFlKXIs5nepKHkXF0kce8vLYF?slug=aw-nbaspainphoto081308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
August 14th, 2008 at 7:06 am
karan says:
i can’t believe that people have made such a big deal about this photo.
if we were all politically correct and humourless 24-7 then we would all be the same without any celebration of our variety.
August 14th, 2008 at 8:24 am
P....tasteless humor in the flesh says:
ITs a big deal because there is no logical reason for the pic…everyone has done some politcally incorrect, humorless shit before..atleast i have but doesnt make me a racist…Spain just fucked up they can admit to it…and keep shit moving focus on the games…
August 14th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Mark says:
Yugo – the mere fact that you participated in slavery doesnt make you any more innocent than my White brothers, so cut it out. This is not the first time Spain’s sports personalities are being caught up in a racist issue. They are simply ignorant.
August 14th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Suciniac says:
I am a Tibetan and I see Chinese tourists wearing traditional Tibetan dresses and taking pictures in front of the Potala Palace all the time AND I don’t find that offensive at all.It’s what tourists do all the time when they visit foreign land to keep as a souveniers.You all are telling me you’ve never taken photos in a foreign country holding,or, being in proximity of a thing that represents that Country or it’s culture.
In retrospect maybe the Spanish team made a bad choice but to those who are offended(specifically the Asians that I never knew existed on DIME),would you guys be offended if the Spanish took their pics in straw hats,scandals holding a fishing hook,or dressed up as Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon with the Wolverine like claw marks on their body and all sans the slant eye??
August 14th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Dagomar says:
Yugo –
Europeans really have no grounds for ridiculing American racism. Where did the holocaust occur? That was sixty years ago. How about the current racism against immigrants from the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent? That’s a huge deal in France, the Netherlands, and elsewhere. Plus European empires only collapsed within the last half century. Although slavery ended in the British Empire about 30 or 40 years before it ended in the USA, at least the Americans did not conquer and brutally suppress most of the world for nearly as long (with some exceptions).
As for the Spanish: Spain’s empire was the most brutal of them all, depopulating much of South America, hauling its wealth to Europe and participating in the slave trade with particular ferocity.
So, white guilt? Spain should have its share. If people in Spain don’t think about these things – about how other races might react to such stereotyping – I’d argue that’s evidence FOR, not against, Spanish racism. And racism has been well documented in sporting events in Spain.
To me, this isn’t just a silly joke. It’s offensive and it amazes me that none of these players realized that at the time.
August 14th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
GEE...who dat? says:
They not only came off as a little ignorant, if you will, but also as cowards.
They did that knowing they were safe (to keep playing and from harm). They did it to a culture that won’t react as much as another culture would.
Let them take pictures in brown paint or holding their lips out saying we were trying to make a friendly action towards the black players of America.
You already know something would go down in the game. Real coward and ignorant move towards any culture.
August 15th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Acascarla says:
Sólo una mente enferma es capaz de ver racismo en esto. Sólo una sociedad enferma como la anglosajona necesita llamar afroamericno al negro, mientras sigue llamando blanco al blanco, porque han conseguido que la palabra negro tenga un sentido negativo y vergonzoso. Para ser equitativos, no estaría mal que a los blancos empezáramos a llamarlos euro-americanos. Sólo el ámbito anglosajón se apropia del nombre de América para adjudicárselo a los Estados Unidos y llama a lo demás “Las Américas”.
Señores, en mi país, si las olimpiadas fueran en África y se hiciera un anuncio de la selección ataviada con vestimentas africanas, nunca sería tomado como una falta de respeto hacia los africanos, sino como un homenaje.
Yo, de pequeño, me he estirado muchas veces los ojos para jugar a los chinos… y el presidente de vuestro país (y el mío) se ha vestido con trajes típicos de la nación en la que se realizaba la cumbre de turno.
El muestrario de estereotipos con el que muchos pretenden sentar verdades aquí demuestra dónde está el nivel cultural USA.
Y si nadie entiende lo que escribo, salgan por una vez en la vida de sus camisas y aprendan algo distinto de lo que han aprendio cuando nacieron.
August 15th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Yoko says:
Can all the insults you are devoting an entire country are racist or not?