Racist comment or statement of fact?

[Spinxsta]

7 year old DS said that a TA at his school stated "the Chinese eat dogs". He said they were talking about what people in other countries eat.

I feel there should be some context behind a statement that stereotypes people. Maybe "in the past, some of the poorer people in china ate dogs as they were starving" or something.

Another school mum said the statement didn't sit right but she didn't see it as racist.

We spoke to DS about how people have made statements like that in the past to be racist towards Chinese people and make them seem like disgusting people. I want to say something to school but I'm not sure if this is even complaint worthy... it just doesn't sound like something I want my children growing up saying or thinking.

Am I right to feel cross about this or am I overreacting??

Exactly. I eat beef, I don’t eat pork because they’re so smart and it upsets me, culturally I would though, individually I don’t.

The British eat cows, pigs, ducks, sheep and fish

It doesnt need to be quantified by 'some British' because by and large those are the main categories of other animals that are eaten in the UK

Dogs, rats, snakes, guinea pigs are all creatures eaten elsewhere in the world along with insects.

Whats the problem with saying that?

I read that a significant minority of the Swiss eat cats and/or dogs. That did surprise me, but from a moral point of view, I’m not convinced it’s any different from eating pigs.

www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-30205410.amp

PretendingToBeStupid
I bet if they had said "French people eat snails" you woukdnt have cared. Both statements are as true as each other.

The world is a big place with many different cultures. Just because you don't agree with something doesn't make it racist to say it. If someone said "English people eat eels" would you care? I don't eat eels, probably not many people do, but it's true.

Actually, that does bother me. We have french family and I have also had the conversation around "some French people eat snails".

We have Indian family and have had the conversation around "some Indians do like spicy curries but uncle xxx doesn't".

We lived in an Islamic country for many years and had the conversation around why most Muslim people don't eat port (but some do).

Eating dogs had historically been used in the UK by British people as a derogatory statement though.

Saying British people eat chickens and fish has never been used in a derogatory way!

Right, you're the kind of looking to be offended person I avoid like the plague in real life. I'll remove myself from the thread. Have a lovely day chuck!

It's a pretty absolute statement to make to a class of 7 year olds, and I'm not sure what value the TA thought this information would bring.

Yes, PPs are right in that it is a standard available meat in some countries, but it has a significantly higher emotional charge than chicken or beef does. If it was a general conversation about what people in different countries eat, it would be equally accurate to say 'The Chinese eat rice, or cabbage, or moon cakes' and your son probably wouldn't have come home from school talking about this and presumably being a bit upset about it.

Racism and teaching racial bias to children doesn't happen in one big bang - it's little drip-drip comments like these without nuance or context that start negative connotations for children and I'd definitely report it to the school.
It's not to get someone 'in trouble', but I would like for that TA to consider their comments more carefully when discussing different cultures in future and that won't happen if this kind of thing doesn't get flagged.

Its only racist if you think not eating dog meat makes you superior to those who do.

It’s just a general statement like Europeans drink milk, English drink tea, or Scots eat haggis, or Irish eat potatoes, Caribbeans eat chicken. Not everyone does, some don’t at all and some may a bit but as a whole it’s what is traditional/customary.

I wouldn’t eat dog meat but I don’t eat cows, pigs or sheep either.

The statement is factual, however, if that was the exact wording, it's poor & could be perceived as racist - by the use of 'the Chinese'.

Instead:
'In China, dog meat is sometimes eaten, in a similar way to how in <x country> chicken, pork, and beef are eaten'.

It's also the fact that to a group of children, 'eating dogs' equates to munching on Fido - it creates an association that a specific race like to eat family pets, untrue & racist.

Thank you! That's exactly it! The drip drip of negative connotations and racial bias is exactly the words I needed.

Not racist. It is indeed factual. I have Chinese friends that openly admit to this. There is nothing wrong with learning about other cultures and their differences.

Yes it has, we're known as ' le rostbif' in France for our corpulance and ruddiness and are horrifying other cultures around the world for the fact we eat pigs and cows

We're also seen by a lot of eastern countries as very smelly because of our dairy intake, we apparently smell 'eggy' to the Chinese

No other country gets itself in a twist and wrings its hands so much over things like this.

It is statement of fact that:

• some Chinese people eat dogs
• some Chinese people torture them in the process
• China has overall an appalling record when it comes to animal welfare.

There is no way to gloss over that.

It is clear that not all Chinese people will engage in these practices but they do exist.

Irish eat potatoes

Not everyone does, some don’t at all and some may a bit but as a whole it’s what is traditional/customary.*

I'm Irish. That is offensive.

It links back to a time when due to oppression, a significant proportion of the population had to eat potatoes - and very little else, and contributed to the high death rate during assorted famines.

It is no more true that anywhere else that now, or in any kind of half recent past that the 'Irish eat potatoes'. It's neither traditional or customary

🙄

But that's not true. Some Chinese people do eat dogs and it has nothing at all to do with poverty. There is even a dog meat festival in Yulin where people buy dogs (and cats) to make stew. Yes, it's some people. Like some people are vegetarian, some people don't eat pork etc etc. If we have to filter every sentence that we utter to ensure absolute clarity and rigorous fact, then the world will be a very quiet place.

Before deciding that someone is racist on the repeated word of a 7 year old, I think I might want some context first, because we actually don't know that the TA said or implied anything racist, nor that she didn't qualify the phrase with "some".

Perhaps you ought to make it clearer to your child that your statement was incorrect - eating dogs has nothing to do with poverty, it is not in the past, and it doesn't only happen in China. worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/what-countries-eat-dogs

It isn't something that I would do, but that is because the of the way we have a different regard (in general) for dogs, but I imagine that there are a load of people who are pretty disgusted that we eat cows. People are different.

Actually I do see what you mean, when put in the context of telling 7 year olds it would be as a slur, because a 7 year old will likely find it offensive.

I thought eating dog was more common in Vietnam.

In France all large supermarkets have snails, horse meat, and foie gras for sale.
Just to add the production of foie gras is not allowed in the UK but it can be imported.

A 7 year old vegetarian may find any meat eating offensive?

Oh ffs 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Can I ask why its racist if it's a statement of fact? Would it be racist people to say that Scottish people eat haggis?

Some Chinese people do eat dogs. Like some french people eat frogs legs. Statement of fact.

If it is true that some people in China eat dogs then it is a statement of fact. It's not racist because it is based on reported fact that dogs have been eaten in China (and not because they were poor and starving)

The French eat snails. This is a perfectly acceptable statement. It doesn't have to be tempered to 'Some French people eat snails'. Everybody knows that it's possible that some French people don't eat snails.

I think it is good you have expanded on the information to your child but i wouldn't be completely sure your child is quoting word for word. If they said "in China people eat dogs" which is different as not saying all people.

It’s a statement of fact. Would you be getting your knickers in a twist if they’d said that the French eat horses?

This