Is this casual racism? Along the lines of ching chong jokes?

[Cimcardishan]

I'm BBC (British born Chinese) and feel that it seems more permissible to be casually racist about Chinese than other racial groups. A few years ago there used to be a Chinese tea advert with a kung fu monk and really bad accent which just felt wrong to me. I don't think that kind of advert would have been made about jerk chicken or naan bread for example.

Someone just posted on my FB jokes with Chinese accent, one liners, eg.Tie my shoe Tai Mai Shu

OK, thats pretty rubbish but it was a long list of them. It wasn't to me personally.

I found it old fashioned and un PC. I feel if someone posted this with Jamaican or Indian accents it would be disapproved of.

Am I being oversensitive?

no - yanbu - it is casual racism and it's not okay

I'm British Born Sri Lankan, and I think your being oversensitive. Its just a joke.

It is a bit old fashioned and doesnt sound especially hilarious but is there racist intent? Are they trying to demean or degrade Chinese people in using these jokes? I can't really say whether it's offensive since I'm not Chinese but it seems playful and not intended to be nasty.

OK maybe I'm a little sensitive as when was a kid I used to get these jokes aimed at me. I.e 'i Wing the Wong number.'

I don't think you are BU at all.
My DH is half Thai, and casual racism is thrown around at work (military) all the time. He gets called Ting Tong, noodles and other stupid things. The favourite at the moment seems to be: "mate, that baby can't be yours...she's not yellow!"

Similar slurs were thrown at a Kenyan commonwealth soldier and it was nipped in the bud immediately. I don't see how the racism towards a soldier of Asian origin is any less serious

Offtopic, a guy on a dating app said he had a BBC yesterday, I wish I hadn't asked what that was

Sometimes I feel like I should be good natured about this when I feel the joke is at my (Chinese persons) expense

YANBU. Regardless of intent, it's offensive and ignorant (and deeply unfunny).

Yanbu. It's not funny and definitely racist. Racism takes many forms.

Woman i work with has strong irish accent. We copy it in our office banter and she laughs. She also does the same to us with our strong Essex accents.
You are being overly PC and taking offence when really there is none to be taken. Its an accent at the end of the day. Not racist at all.

DyslexicScientist, now I want to know what it is. I mean, I have an idea, but I'm not sure...

I'm uncomfortable with those kind of jokes. I haven't really heard any in the last decade or so, though.

I always feel uncomfortable when people make the "ching chong" and similar jokes. They seem to be done by people who know little/nothing about the race/place/religion of the people they making fun of.

I'm more intrigued that someone last weekend thought that it was appropriate to start making generic-racist Chinese-like noises in the middle of Chinatown.

Dyslexicscientist

I only found out yesterday, seeing a photo of a woman wearing a t-shirt with "I Love BBC"

She was making it clear she didn't mean the TV channel

I am also offended by the jokes (also BBC). I am lucky no to come across it too often.

A close German always takes the piss out of our Chinese language by mimicking it. One day I was so annoyed I mimicked a bad German accent and asked how he felt. He has never done it again.

As well as British Born Chinese, BBC also means 'big black cock'

OP I think I know the list you are referring to, that went around my school when I was about 15, it has things like:
Small horse - Tai ni po ni

Even as a 15yo I found it distasteful. It's quite pisstakey imo. And if you're taking the piss out of a foreign accent then that's surely considered racist.

dyslexic out of interest do people do Asian accent jokes or similar in front of you, those who aren't Asian?

It is irrelevant what people intended because YOU are hurt. If someone runs over your cat while delivering a kind present or just nipping to the shops, it doesn't matter what they meant to do, the cat is still hurt.

It is also irrelevant what someone who isn't targeted by these jokes feels. Racism does tend to take different forms against different groups but it's still racism.

I'm BBC too, and have had my fair share of 'ching chong' 'whats wong' jokes etc plus eye pulling. It may not be intended to be offensive (and a few times it's been by people I know, and know are not meaning to be offensive) but I still find it upsetting. Yanbu.

I've just read most of these jokes and laughed my head off . OP, I think you are being a bit over-sensitive.

I think it is racist and horrible - like referring to Chinese food as 'Chinky'

A few years ago I left a comment on an (at the time prominent) bloggers blog saying I didn't think she should refer to 'having a Chinky' for tea - she and her followers absolutely ripped me to shreds saying that it was perfectly acceptable and I was being ridiculous.

I saw this on FB as well and I thought I had been transported back to the 80s. yANBU. I'm amazed by people saying you are. Those jokes are racist. And I thought less of the friend who posted it.
Put it this way - if you did that or shared that at my work you'd get fired (big city firm).

Woman i work with has strong irish accent. We copy it in our office banter and she laughs. She also does the same to us with our strong Essex accents.
You are being overly PC and taking offence when really there is none to be taken. Its an accent at the end of the day. Not racist at all
People have copied my accent at work in the past and I feel it is racist, and very upsetting, but you would never know from my response.

YANBU. My DN has a BBC father and the amount of daft cunts people I have pulled up for being racist is unreal.

Shit it's not funny and the op is not being over-sensitive.

No, YANBU. That's so disrespectful. There's so much casual racism, "it's just a joke" is a bullshit way of continuing white privilege.

I'm sorry this happened to you.