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?

[AfroSuperMama]

I can't add more than what's already been said apart from the fact that casual racism for black people happens on a daily basis. If you did the legwork and Googled examples instead of making assumptions, you'd know that to be true.

Diminishing that kind of racism to uphold validation for your own experience is part of the problem.

I do agree that tropes and stereotypes for Asian people are damaging and do have unfortunate consequences (there was a post about Asian men and how certain tropes are damaging to their masculinity that I thought was incredibly eye opening).

However, it doesn't give you the right to dismiss racism of any other kind.

[rosebudyblue]

There was a post about casual racism around Christmas. Some of the people dismissed the Chinese woman who posted it. They said how they make fun of the Irish accent so the op should not find people making fun of her language offensive. Some also dismissed the example she gave.

Or being over sensitive because they found it so funny.

[Cimcardishan]

It was interesting to see the brain scan results of racial prejudice in Is Britain Racist.

I agree, one should suppress these feelings if or when they occur

[Leelu6]

Everyone is racist (or prejudiced may be a better word) to differing extents. The trouble starts when that prejudice is acted on.

[Cimcardishan]

Thanks guys. I thought the thread had concluded and was surprised to see it was still going strong!

[ilovesooty]

Agreed.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

I'm glad you have come back to the thread OP. Your original post was not remotely unreasonable.

[Cimcardishan]

My parents taught me that mantra when racist insults were sang to me in the playground.

I suppose the 'chinese, Japanese, dirty knees, what are these' songs were better than being beaten up but I'd have rather not endured it at all, tbh

[ilovesooty]

Of course it is. No one with any compassion or empathy would think otherwise.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

The "sticks and stones" mantra is utter bollocks.

[mudandmayhem01]

The sticks and stones analogy is rubbish, does that mean someone can use vile racist insults, call teenage girls fat slags, laugh at the children with disabilities, deny the holocaust etc, etc because its only words and its up to those being hurt not to take offence?

[WMittens]

ilovesooty
Choc - I thought that sentiment was victim blaming at its worst. How patronising to tell you you can be happier if you choose not to be offended or hurt.

In the words of Steve Hughes, "when did 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me!' stop being relevant?"

[ilovesooty]

Choc - I thought that sentiment was victim blaming at its worst. How patronising to tell you you can be happier if you choose not to be offended or hurt.

[Bambambini]

I think age possibly plays a part here. Tali is still quite young and i'm sure many of us have changed at least a bit as we have gotten older.

Saying that, at 22 i had been to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and knew camp survivors, had friends whose families had been practically wiped out so i doubt i ever foubd holicaust jokes funny.

[ChocPretzels]

aurynne "I also learned that getting offended is a choice, a choice I choose NOT to make."

Thanks for that handy tip, I'll try to remember to choose not to be offended the next time someone makes a joke about my slitty eyes, or a random stranger on the street jokes that I should return to my homeland, or that just because I am Chinese-born I should have the most outrageous / hilarious accent

Who knew it was me making the wrong choices all these years?!? I should have have invited such humorous people into my life instead of trying to ignore them (or running away in some instances). Thanks for showing me the light

You say jokes are generic, as though that softens the impact. But words have power and with many of these issues in the thread, it seems to be more important to laugh about things and people rather than respect that what you say could hurt others. I don't think it's humourless of me to respect others by not hurting them with the things I say / joke about.

Thank you to the many other posters who are showing intelligence and sensitivity about this issue, this thread has been disheartening at times but you guys have brought some hope

[aurynne]

Glad to make you laugh, I find yours hilarious too. We may even find our common sense of humour eventually.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

Keeping on digging that hole aurynn . Your last few posts are hilarious.

[aurynne]

derxa, I don't laugh "at" anyone. Jokes are generic. Laughing at someone is NOT funny, it is cruel. I am really surprised you cannot see the difference and decide instead to focus on the emotional expression "laughing at dead children" (which I was quoting from someone else beforehand). Many jokes start with "there was a man who died and went to Heaven, where he met St. Peter...". So if you ever tell or laugh at a joke like this you are "laughing at a dead person"?

[aurynne]

"Your not telling me that you, who love laughing at racist jokes and dead children, are offended by being called a cunt?"

I am not, you cannot offend me even if you really tried! That's the beauty of choice ;)

[Bambambini]

"Which is why brand and I have insisted it's important to know that the person you're saying it to will find it funny"

Where do you hang out then? At BNP meetings or paedophile clubs? I'm sure your soh would go down well there.

[Gwenhwyfar]

I'm surprised that people find it funny to have their own accents copied. I hate it, not least because it's usually so badly done.

[derxa]

auryunne I hope you're young and you're going to grow out of these attitudes. I'm a teacher and yes we use humour to get through dark times but we don't laugh at the children. We laugh with them. The humour is affectionate.