Comments on: Jose Calderon Explains The “China” Photo

By: Yoko

Yoko — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:38:36 +0000

Can all the insults you are devoting an entire country are racist or not?

By: Acascarla

Acascarla — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:20:18 +0000

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.

By: GEE...who dat?

GEE...who dat? — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:59:13 +0000

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.

By: Dagomar

Dagomar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:21:56 +0000

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.

By: Suciniac

Suciniac — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:19:58 +0000

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??

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:10:42 +0000

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.

By: P....tasteless humor in the flesh

P....tasteless humor in the flesh — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:24:35 +0000

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…

By: karan

karan — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:06:37 +0000

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.

By: Lady Luck

Lady Luck — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:19:31 +0000

Interesting article about this

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/basketball/news;_ylt=AlgEFlKXIs5nepKHkXF0kce8vLYF?slug=aw-nbaspainphoto081308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

By: The Real Truth

The Real Truth — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:38:37 +0000

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.