little ignorant people.

“Not only does the eye-slant gesture (or the sombrero, in the above example) say ‘you people are all alike,’ it also says ‘you people are all different from me and my people, in a way that is unattractive and/or comical.’ And yeah, that’s racist.”

Another blog went so far as to say that imitation is patently racist. If people get tattoos does that make them racist? Putting bunny ears in a picture insulting to bunnies? What the person’s intentions were determines whether the act should be considered offensive or not. Like with Rosie’s imitation of Mandarin, or Bush’s compliments to his chef, people try to find insults in places where there exist only the ones placed there by the viewer.

Some books for those unfamiliar with humor;

Sociology Through Humor by Joseph E. Faulkner

Humor and Society: Explorations in the Sociology of Humor by Marvin R. Koller

I don’t think the sombrero is necessarily a negative symbol of Mexico–some Mexicans do wear them, after all–but it is often included in the “lazy, poor Mexican” stereotype, and I find it unlikely that if Mexico were to host the Olympics again they would choose the sombrero to represent who they are as a people. No, donning a sombrero in preparation to compete in Mexico is not racism as in “I hate Mexicans” but it does demonstrate ignorance of (and lack of interest in) the very diverse cultures of Mexico. And it perpetuates an image of Mexico that has been part of racist stereotypes for a very long time.

So, if the there is an Olympics in Houston and the South Korean team is shown in a advertisement wearing cowboy hats saying, “We are going to Texas”, that is racism?

Wow, some of you folks have REALLY thin skins.

I think the Guardian article is making a mistake in assuming that I’m offended on behalf of the Chinese. I’m not. I’m offended because these displays are ignorant, parochial, and rude. I’m not so naive that I don’t know that such people exist, but the arrogance with which they flaunt their cluelessness and insensitivity is offensive to me.

It wouldn’t matter to me if the Chinese chose to laugh it off, or respond by holding their eyelids wide open and saying “Buh, buh, buh, buh, buh” (as a group of rural Japanese schoolchildren once did to a Caucasian friend of mine visiting Japan). The behavior of the Spanish and Argentinean athletes is still offensive to my values, and if the Chinese respond in kind, that would simply compound my disgust and general misanthropy.

Also, you kids get off my lawn! ;-)

In my opinion, an Asian wearing a sombrero to compete in Mexico would indeed be insulting because it refers to the way in which Mexicans (supposedly) are “funny-looking” and different (even though most Mexicans do not ever wear sombreros). Like the eye-slant gesture, it basically says “you people are all alike, and I find that amusing.”

I dunno, to my fist question I think yes and no. Time ago in a forum I was questioning whether it’d be wrong for a chinese kid, for example, to paint himself in blackface to perform in a school play playing Martin Luther King. What would that mean? mockery? a search for “acurateness”? admiration even?

For example, black face is obviously wrong in the context of USA culture where it has an historical background of being offensive, but in other countries whether it might still be wrong or not the context is different.

As I say, I’m just asking, I haven’t still made up my own mind about these issues.