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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is this racist or am I being sensitive,

293 replies

NotGaming · 04/01/2023 18:46

Just saw on my local reisdents Facebook page, Chinese restaurant has posted to say that they’re shutting for a month to allow family to travel home for Chinese new year. Most responses are people saying to enjoy their well earned time off. Then someone has posted ‘make sure you don’t bring anything home with you 😷 🤢’

i think this is really inappropriate, but loads of people have posted laughing emojis and liked the post.

I’ve reported to page admins who have said it doesn’t breach their rules and left the comment up.

OP posts:
EffortlessDesmond · 04/01/2023 20:41

I don't think it's a racist comment. It's a public health matter. Xi has just unlocked suddenly despite a rampant COVID months-long scare because the silent protests have shown the Party that there is a massive swell of resentment, so I don't think other countries asking for proof of non-infection is unreasonable.

Bluekerfuffle · 04/01/2023 20:42

Dahliasandtea · 04/01/2023 20:23

Big assumption to make that staff will be travelling to China for Chinese New Year. Couldn’t they just be heading to a semi in Essex? Not all Chinese people live in China. and Chinese New Year is celebrated by Chinese people all over the world. Including Britain…..

it’s stupid people making stupid comments…. Yes, racist if you choose to see it like that. Lots of people won’t. I do. And I don’t at the same time. I’m not white…. Or Chinese.

The OP said that’s what it said in there post? So, not an assumption.

EffortlessDesmond · 04/01/2023 20:42

Or racist. I'd be quarantining anyone from particularly badly affected provinces.

magicscares · 04/01/2023 20:43

It’s a crass thing to say. Id say as it’s specifically targeted at a Chinese business/ people it is racist.
Has anyone publicly pulled them up on it?

startfresh · 04/01/2023 20:43

Yeah that's not racist, it's like when Italy was the highest infected place, if someone in your family announced they were popping over for a quick holiday, you might say something like "careful not to bring covid back". I think this is similar.

Poor taste on a public forum, but I wouldn't call it racism, as such, tests from China are becoming mandatory again because of the rise in cases.

Also, if the person said not to bring it "home with them" then they are clearly stating that UK is the team's home, which gives me anti-racism vibes.

Redebs · 04/01/2023 20:43

Rumplestrumpet · 04/01/2023 18:55

Don't expect a good response here OP - Mumsnet has a notorious blind spot when it comes to racism.

It's a bloody awful thing to say but doesn't surprise me

You're right about Mumsnet, sadly

Catterpillarwithconverse · 04/01/2023 20:43

FixItUpChappie · 04/01/2023 18:55

I don’t think it’s racist - it’s a fact that there is lots of covid in china right now as is all over the news. In poor taste perhaps but that is not the same thing

This

formulatingAresponse · 04/01/2023 20:44

No I'm not cold on my supposed high ground but it is something that relates to my career and is brought up often in training etc and there are nuances so subtle that they are barely perceptible.

Also worth reading up on unconscious bias for those of you that are interested

Here's a good place to start

royalsociety.org/-/media/policy/Publications/2015/unconscious-bias-briefing-2015.pdf

It's up to yourselves to decide that if a comment could upset someone from a different culture or race then it's probably racist to that person. If that person the comment is directed to tells you it's racist then it's racist whether you think it was just banter.

Blueblell · 04/01/2023 20:44

It isn’t racist - it refers to the huge outbreak in China currently. Rude? Yes

ladyofshertonabbas · 04/01/2023 20:45

china’s infection rates are currently really high. It doesn’t seem racist to me.

StressedOutMumBex · 04/01/2023 20:45

PeacefulPottering · 04/01/2023 19:02

It's a joke. China is having a lot of COVID cases. They are joking and saying don't catch COVID and bring it back. It's dark humor some people use because it helps sometimes to lighten the room. It's NOT frickin racist and I'm so fed up of people shouting racism at the drop of a hat. If you don't find it amusing then you don't, but it's not racism and your sense of humor is different than others. Just like someone may not think a joke you like is funny, some people have dark sense of humor, some people daft, juvenile,etc. It's called being different and it's okay.

Exactly This.

LetsDoThis2023 · 04/01/2023 20:47

Yes it's racist.

Nosecan · 04/01/2023 20:47

Indacathouse · 04/01/2023 19:46

MN definitely has a blind spot when it comes to racism. Many responses are ignorant and I’m going to assume many on here have never been on the brunt of implicit, subtle or explicit overt racism or prejudice due to their ethnicity.

Firstly look at the context. It was about celebrating the NY and the comment was uncalled for and it was not within the context of the post, so you have to wonder why that person said it? it was meant to be provocative and upsetting? To highlight and segregate a race/ethnicity with an us and them attitude?

since Covid the number of attacks on Asian people has increased ten fold. Poor people just going about their lives getting attacked because their heritage is Asian.

im shocked to at people on here think this isn’t racist.
the question you have to ask yourself is what was the purpose of the post?
And would you happily of made that comment to a Chinese person (in person)?

Well said. I feel like banging my head against a brick wall on here sometimes.

drpet49 · 04/01/2023 20:48

startfresh · 04/01/2023 20:43

Yeah that's not racist, it's like when Italy was the highest infected place, if someone in your family announced they were popping over for a quick holiday, you might say something like "careful not to bring covid back". I think this is similar.

Poor taste on a public forum, but I wouldn't call it racism, as such, tests from China are becoming mandatory again because of the rise in cases.

Also, if the person said not to bring it "home with them" then they are clearly stating that UK is the team's home, which gives me anti-racism vibes.

I agree. It isn’t racist

pollymere · 04/01/2023 20:49

Nope. You ANBU. I've realised that despite racism being a sensitive area, it is somehow still acceptable to make jokes or racist comments about Chinese, Irish or Jewish people. I've seen kids who think it's fine to make offensive remarks to Chinese people, or to mimic Irish or Jewish people in an offensive way. I'd probably have written "yes - don't bring durians back with you!" underneath. Pointing or calling out this type of racism usually results in being told you can't take a joke or worse "but it's true". Yes, and Mr Wu is a Chink in your curtains... is not offensive in the slightest.

LetsDoThis2023 · 04/01/2023 20:49

formulatingAresponse · 04/01/2023 19:15

It's racist

It's interesting that there are still so many people around who don't know the subtleties of what racism is

I mean really come on guys read up on it properly it's embarrassing

This.

saleorbouy · 04/01/2023 20:50

No it certainly is not racist, where is the racist element?
It could perhaps be seen as rude but surely is just making a comment on being careful not to bring back the lurgy from the trip to China.
If a you were going to China on holiday and the same comment was made would that be racist?

Googlecanthelpme · 04/01/2023 20:53

I think you’re unreasonable to come of AIBU in regards to a rascism debate. It only ever goes one way OP, sorry.

I find it offensive and absolutely a racist remark. Things don’t have to be littered with offensive names and slurs to be considered racist. Even if it was honestly just a “joke” from the person, it was in poor taste and really inappropriate. But then, that’s FB dregs isn’t it!

Calphurnia88 · 04/01/2023 20:55

The severity of covid is increasing in China. The joke is in very poor taste, but not racist IMO.

CombatBarbie · 04/01/2023 20:56

jtaeapa · 04/01/2023 19:03

It's certainly offensive and unacceptable. But I am not sure it's racist exactly. China has loads of covid at the moment.

Why is it offensive, they are returning to a covid infested country?

picnicshicnic · 04/01/2023 20:58

Thereisnolight · 04/01/2023 19:01

Your OP is what’s racist.
It’s as though you think no one should mention the fact that someone is from China. Because it’s rude. Because there’s something wrong with being from China.

Yes, this is how I see it too.

nettie434 · 04/01/2023 20:59

It is racist because there are many different forms of racism. It's not the most racist thing imaginable but it's a tasteless remark rooted in racial stereotyping, given the situation in China. It feels like there are a lot of people on Mumsnet whose bar for racism is so high that it would only include a racially motivated hate crime.

Bluekerfuffle · 04/01/2023 21:00

I think a lot of us feel it’s like banging your head on a brick wall as far as these topics go. We don’t agree with each other and probably never will. It’s not that people aren’t listening or should educate themselves, there is a difference of opinion.

Daisybuttercup12345 · 04/01/2023 21:00

Not racist. You are being oversensitive.

Flannan · 04/01/2023 21:00

Ihatethenewlook · 04/01/2023 19:10

My daughters school has cancelled her trip to china where they were meant to be studying pollution because of the Covid outbreak. Are they also racist?

I really struggle with understanding why people post stuff like this. It's beyond inane.