8 Asians

35 Comments to “Miley Cyrus Does the Stupid Slant-Eye Thing”

• Ernie wrote:

  It should be noted that on our internal mailing list, a lot more people were upset about TMZ’s description of “Hanoi Montana.”

  The OCA’s response kinda kills me because of how dead-pan they sound. “Hey Joe, you want to write a mildly displeased statement about Hannah?” “Sure.” “Can this get in before our 10:30am conference call with this mundane lobby group?” “Yeah, right after Solitaire.”

  Posted on 06-Feb-09 at 5:44 pm | Permalink

• Jason wrote:

  So… Miley thinks asians have goofy faces?

  Posted on 06-Feb-09 at 6:45 pm | Permalink

• daniel wrote:

  i always thought she’s annoying. i can’t wait until her 15 minutes is over.

  Posted on 06-Feb-09 at 9:26 pm | Permalink

• Aya wrote:

  I dunno, looks like a goofy face to me. I remember doing that and any number of other weird faces as a kid before I was aware of the loaded meanings of certain gestures. If I say, pull my lips out and make the duck face, people don’t assume I’m making fun of an ethnicity with big lips.

  Posted on 07-Feb-09 at 3:25 am | Permalink

• Tristan wrote:

  @Aya,

  All of her friends look like they’re in their late twenties. They all know better.

  Posted on 07-Feb-09 at 7:49 am | Permalink

• jun wrote:

  did this really need to be called out by the OCA???
  all that ching-chong and slant eye stuff stopped bothering me after i graduated elementary school…

  Posted on 07-Feb-09 at 9:30 am | Permalink

• yoko wrote:

  Does anyone know more about the lone Asian guy in the picture?

  Posted on 07-Feb-09 at 9:59 am | Permalink

• Brian wrote:

  I notice she says she’s sorry that they were misinterpreted which means she thinks that she did nothing wrong at all, and that people just took it the wrong way, god go away Miley!

  Posted on 07-Feb-09 at 11:06 am | Permalink

• tracy j. wrote:

  Well, it still hurts after all these years even if I’ve become good at ignoring it. It’s much worse than the other young-person’s “role model” and his bong-hitting if you ask me.

  Posted on 07-Feb-09 at 3:44 pm | Permalink

• Tristan wrote:

  @Jun,

  It’s some dehumanizing stuff. Being made to feel like an outsider always stings.

  Even if Miley Cyrus’ idiotic party antics don’t bother you personally, it should still disturb you to know that this stuff happens frequently and goes without redress a lot of the time. Sure, there are far worse things out there in the wide world … but that doesn’t mean this isn’t relevant to matters of racial discrimination against Asians and Asian Americans.

  If the OCA isn’t gonna say something about it, who ought to? People shouldn’t wait around for others to advocate for them…

  Posted on 07-Feb-09 at 10:38 pm | Permalink

• jun wrote:

  @ Tristan

  Whitewashed Asian bitches (both male and female) bother me…
  Asian discrimination in the Media and Hollywood bothers me…
  Watching my friends not get into the universities they deserve to because of “Affirmative Action” bothers me…

  slant-eye taunts and ching-chong jokes wont ever bother me again…
  the only time words can hurt you is if it comes from someone you love or care about…

  if this shit does bother you then I sincerely hope you grow some thicker skin…

  Posted on 08-Feb-09 at 12:30 pm | Permalink

• ann wrote:

  @jun
  so just because it doesn’t bother you, it means it’s okay for people to go around repeating that same action? it doesn’t bother you (at least a little bit) that they’re essentially saying “It’s FUN to mock Asians, yayyyy” and by not saying something against it, you’re letting them perpetuate that behavior?

  Posted on 08-Feb-09 at 4:25 pm | Permalink

• Tristan wrote:

  @Jun,

  Hey man, no need to come at me heated.

  I get the point that we should pick our spots, choose our battles.

  This Miley Cyrus thing will dry up and blow away soon enough, but it’s still part-and-parcel of the same problems you just listed.

  It’s also highly visible. And if celebutards like Miley Cyrus are able to pull some stupid stunts without anyone calling them out for them, then that just signals to everyone else that it’s okay to behave like an asshat toward Asians or any people of color.

  What’s the deal, dude? Because I find her behavior offensive, I’m somehow “soft?”

  Posted on 08-Feb-09 at 6:33 pm | Permalink

• Jeff wrote:

  @Jun: I am glad that the slant-eye taunts don’t bother you. But those taunts do indicate something about the person doing them, and this is good information especially if you are forced to work with or constantly deal with someone who does those sort of things. Also, is it a bad thing to point out how that kind behavior can be taken negatively? Learning that those comments can be taken negatively could be beneficial to the person doing that kind of taunt. Especially if that person has an Asian/Asian-American boss (extremely common to have that in Silicon Valley at all levels of management – can’t speak to the rest of the country).

  Also, I personally find that it is often the opposite about words hurting you. My friends can taunt me and tease because, well, they’re my friends. An dear old friend commented that she was the only “round-eye” at lunch. Do I care? No, and I thought it was funny. If someone I didn’t know told me that he or she was the only “round-eye” a certain function, it would come off totally differently. This is similar to how African-Americans use the N word with each other, and if someone outside the group uses it to them, the context is totally different.

  Regarding, your comment about your friends not getting into the universities that they deserve because of Affirmative action – that’s an interesting statement to talk about. I plan to deal with that and related issues in an upcoming post.

  Posted on 08-Feb-09 at 7:00 pm | Permalink

• jun wrote:

  @ everyone

  I didnt mean to come off as mad or angry…

  Im just saying sometimes we need to differentiate when someone is “mocking” Asians or when someone just doesnt know better…
  Miley Cyrus, Im 99.9% sure was not mocking anyone, she was just making funny faces… sometimes its not anyone’s intention to mock anyone…
  its important to understand circumstance when dealing with these kinds of situations…

  I just think we need to make a big deal out of things that deserve them… in my humble opinion I just dont think this particular one is that case…

  Posted on 08-Feb-09 at 11:38 pm | Permalink

• Tim Oey wrote:

  I think this was blown way out of proportion. Miley Cyrus and her friends are young and just being kids. Too many people are looking for any possible excuse to be slighted. There is such little tolerance in the world. It is particularly outrageous that a lawsuit was filed. What a waste of resources. Let’s look at the big picture folks. Are we supposed to beat others up over squinty eyes? Or do we do something about crime, drugs, starvation, poverty, and war?

  Posted on 12-Feb-09 at 9:27 pm | Permalink

• Truth wrote:

  Ok, here’s the deal, straight from the source: You asked why the lone Asian guy in the picture isn’t making the same face and the answer is because it was HIS idea. I’ve gotten this straight from the source, as the group was snapping off some pictures while hanging out and having a good time, he said “I’m tired of being the only one with slanty-eyes. Here, you guys squint as hard as you can and I’m going to open mine as far as I can.” Thus infamy apparently ensued. Kids having fun, nothing malicious, get over it. I’m not particularly a Miley Cyrus fan to begin with, nor do I generally care what celebrtities do, but to think that a 16-year old girl is facing a lawsuit over THIS? Come on people, how about we all stop worrying about what Miley or Paris or Britney had for brunch today and instead go out and do something to help our failing economy? Good talk, see you out there.

  Posted on 13-Feb-09 at 9:43 am | Permalink

• yoko wrote:

  You know what would’ve nipped all this in the bud? If the Asian guy himself made a public statement.

  Posted on 13-Feb-09 at 10:08 am | Permalink

• getreal wrote:

  @Truth

  You’ve got some nerve. An Asian person would never refer to his or her own eye’s as slanty. You know why? Because OUR EYES ARE NOT SLANTY. THEY ARE NOT SET ON A SLANT. Yours are dead set into your face, like a couple of f-ing grapes pushed into a nasty chunk of white Play-do. That’s why they look R-O-U-N-D, because of the depth.

  @Truth: You are a liar as well as a bigot.

  Posted on 14-Feb-09 at 8:35 am | Permalink

• yyyyyyyyy wrote:

  omg! I hate her! what a bit<h

  Posted on 14-Feb-09 at 6:48 pm | Permalink

• S wrote:

  @truth:

  SHUT UP. you total liar.
  well, it doesn’t matter anyways because about 95% of people at my school hate her. she’s an annoying h**. ughh.

  BUT i think it’s kind of funny how asians can do the slant eye thing and it’s okay and others can’t cause it’s simply messed up. and how african americans say, “What up, N****?”

  Am i right? Well, good post.

  Posted on 15-Feb-09 at 1:18 pm | Permalink

• MRWTF wrote:

  Y ppl r rtrdd. Wh crs sh md gfy fc. f y r s srsly bthrd by t y shld hng yrslvs. Y’r bnch f mny grbbng wrthlss ppl nd shld b dprtd fr clggng p r lgl systm wth frvls crp. vn f sh dd lnch SLW f rcl slrs.GSS WHT ths s mrc nd t s prfctly lgl. Dn’t lk t try nd vc yr pnn n yr hm cntrs nd s hw fr y gt. STP RCKNG TH BT!

  Posted on 16-Feb-09 at 12:14 am | Permalink

• tall wrote:

  African are not suppose to use “What up, N****?”

  Both Martin Luther King and Malcom X advised African Americans to resist using it.

  Posted on 16-Feb-09 at 4:52 pm | Permalink

• Kim wrote:

  Why does this subject have such legs? —and breed so much emotion? Miley Cyrus is just a kid. I don’t care if she is famous—thats still what she is. Thank you Jun, for keeping it all in perspective.

  When I adopted daughter #1, several of the women on the street crowding around us in Nanjing kept telling us she had: rice eyes (translated) –her eyes are more northern, even Mongol—and I still refer to her ‘rice eyes’ —–is that somehow racist? (and if your answer yes—-please tell me how I should describe them so as not to offend your sensibilities)

  I think Miley looks sort of cute with ‘rice eyes’ —and it being Hollywood and all that, maybe she can get an eye
  lid job done sometime in the future—but as a parent, I hope its not before she turns 21, and can make more rational decisions (same advice about piercings and tattoos) —anyone see where I’m going with this?

  Posted on 16-Feb-09 at 9:07 pm | Permalink

• Confuse-Us wrote:

  When I adopted daughter #1, several of the women on the street crowding around us in Nanjing kept telling us she had: rice eyes (translated) –her eyes are more northern, even Mongol—and I still refer to her ‘rice eyes’ —–is that somehow racist?

  Surely you realize that there is a contextual difference in what you describe? Yes, for a German to say that someone has “Spanish eyes” or a “Roman nose” cannot possibly be construed as racist unless of course you live in a culture where people with Spanish eyes or Roman noses have a historical experience of being demeaned,harassed or murdered because of those very characteristics. You might have a harder time finding Germans that openly or playfully express what a “Jewish” nose someone has because there is a historical precedent in Germany and Europe in general of discrimination against Jewish people.

  Similarly, it’s likely that if you bring your Asian kids up in a western country that they are likely to experience harassment because of their racial characteristics. Racially motivated violence against Asian children is also not uncommon, violence that is usually preceded and enabled by demeaning gestures of the sort displayed by Miley. Did any of the women that you describe as crowding around you in Nanjing then proceed to attack or threaten your kids in any way because of their rice eyes?

  At the same time I completely agree that the reaction of activists has been an over-reaction. Not because Miley’s actions might be racist but because this kind of harassment occurs in American schools with little or no response from the Asian community. Why are Asians becoming so enraged when we see this in the media yet we seem to not really care that real Asian kids are being harrassed in a similar way on a daily basis at the elementary or high school just down the street from where they live?

  Posted on 17-Feb-09 at 12:16 am | Permalink

• Kim wrote:

  “Racially motivated violence against Asian children is also not uncommon, violence that is usually preceded and enabled by demeaning gestures of the sort displayed by Miley.” … I would need to see references and specific citations before I would believe this.

  My experience at the teen-girl level (my daughters) is just the ‘mean-girl’ syndrome, and lets refresh were we came into this thread:

  “Oh my God.”
  “I hate her. She is such a slut”
  “Yeah, and the only ones at school who like her are sluts.”

  Spoken like a true Asian? Of course not! —spoken like a teen age girl in the US!

  I will grant, there are issues related to race and Asians (particularly Chinese) in America, just don’t think this is at all significant.

  Posted on 17-Feb-09 at 7:54 pm | Permalink

• Lucky 8 wrote:

  Well we would also have to consider the fact that many Asians don’t have a strong voice in the mainstream or politics to begin with.

  Asians are taught at a young age to obey and be obedient, rather than question and defend themselves. It’s almost like part of the culture, which is probably why there are stereotypes that Asians are nerdy/quite/not outgoing etc because there’s truth to it.

  Then take into account the many families who come from Asia whose English isn’t very proficient or the ones who basically speak in broken English, and the ones who are would rather focus on providing for their family rather than voicing their disapprovals of something as small as being made fun of. Then also taken in account that Asian communities aren’t exactly together, most Asian groups are divided by their nationalities/ethnicities most likely because of their common languages/culture.

  It’s quite different than White/Black/Hispanics who at least can communicate in the same language and communicating in the same language, always helps right?

  Posted on 17-Feb-09 at 8:08 pm | Permalink

• Confuse-Us wrote:

  I would need to see references and specific citations before I would believe this.

  Please don’t take my word for it. I invite you to do your own research on the issue, you could start with a simple Google search. If you do intend to raise your Asian children in the west I would suggest that you become acquainted with the realities of the East Asian experience in the western world.

  That aside, you could even conduct your own informal survey on whatever Asian web forums or blogs you visit. My guess is that the majority of Asians that post on this and any other Asian blog and who were raised in the U.S have experienced race motivated harassment and possibly violence during their school years. It’s just a fact of the the Asian-American experience. Take it or leave it.

  Posted on 18-Feb-09 at 1:47 am | Permalink

• Daniel wrote:

  I kind of agree with Kim that to make such a general strong statement would be nice to have some references to make it more credible.
  I’m not surprised though for such actions often preceded violence against East Asians though (or those who just have similar physical traits) in some cases.

  BTW, there’s probably millions of articles and posts regarding inter-racial–inter-ethnic Adoptees, but I got to know a few of them in person and read many stories in their blogs. I think it’s just the ones I know, but from a generalized impression, they do “appeared” to be bothered by these type of actions. Even the thick skin ones carried some of their experiences on from childhood. I mean, most of us know that what may seem very silly or small to adult eyes may seem like the end of the world for kids, but this is subjective and quite personal to each individual.

  I could go on, but I guess my personal response would be “whatever”.

  Posted on 18-Feb-09 at 7:38 pm | Permalink

• anthony le wrote:

  oh that is so gay, when i first heard that she made fun of this guy with her friends i thought they were gonna be like 14 or 15.but these guys look like they`re in their 20s or so. in the begining i didnt care but when i saw how old they were,now im really pissed off!

  Posted on 19-Feb-09 at 2:46 pm | Permalink

• Kim wrote:

  Daniel,

  My experience with both daughters #1 and #2 —now in middle school is that both are a bundle of insecurities It goes with the turf. Not because both are adopted, and relearning the culture from whence they came.

  After much consideration, I have given #1 —in 8th grade permission to tell harassing white ‘nativist’ girls — critical of her speaking in Mandarin—permission to basically blow them off with an: “F-U” in Mandarin—-not English. But I’m convinced that if #1’s peers weren’t critical of her for the language thing, it would be something else. And as it turns out—#1 is no angel herself—-she gives as good as she gets… Mostly, I try to teach he Golden Rule. but its an imperfect world out there in middle school….

  Posted on 19-Feb-09 at 9:42 pm | Permalink

• Daniel wrote:

  Hi Kim,

  Yeah, it is definantly true about how everyone must deal with people in this imperfect world. Also, sometimes, people do cause their own problems, but I’ll leave it at that and hopefully readers might not misunderstand that it’s just a general statement, not necessarily refering to this particular story or other similar actions.

  Frankly speaking, looking back (I grew up in a small US Midwestern city, with probably less than 5% “visible” minorities)I responded quite mild mainly because I saw such actions with little meaning. It might work differently for others but really balance it or negate it with knowledge. I knew during school days for sure that there are much worst things in life to handle, plus I don’t have to be a friend to everyone.

  I interacted with people and knew just enough information regarding my heritage where half if not more of these steroetypes or racial/ethnic humor made no sense to me at all. Sometimes, I feel like I have to “lower” my intellect to “get it”. I have a lot of interesting stories regarding this but everyone probably has their own unique methods to deal with these type of situations.

  Posted on 20-Feb-09 at 2:20 am | Permalink

• lily wrote:

  hay peeps she was just having fun with her friends why sue her everybody that dont know about the mocking the have fun i use to do it all the time when i was little so call me a slut its not like i give a shit what you think about me so f off and go on whith your life its not the end of the world so dont sue her i mean you would have to sue almost everybody in america!!!!!!!!

  Posted on 20-Feb-09 at 7:40 pm | Permalink

• Truth wrote:

  I love all of the wild insinuations being thrown around her from people who have absolutely no knowledge of the situation besides what they interpret from a picture on the internet. “oh that is so gay, when i first heard that she made fun of this guy with her friends i thought they were gonna be like 14 or 15.but these guys look like they`re in their 20s or so. in the begining i didnt care but when i saw how old they were,now im really pissed off!” What, so being “gay” is a bad thing? How wildly offensive for you to say such a thing! That is blatant bigotry and should not be tolerated! The webmaster of this site should track down the ip address of the person who posted said message (Anthony) and not only ban him from the site, but also go to his home and place of employment and notify all of his peers that he is an agent of hate, while possibly seeking financial restitution for the emotional distress caused by making such an insensitive statement.

  Posted on 03-Mar-09 at 1:32 pm | Permalink

• AZNPEOPLEROCK wrote:

  fucken miley cyrus is a frikken slut anyways !
  Miley Cyrus can do whatever she like
  We ASIAN PEOPLE ROCK !!

  Posted on 28-Jun-09 at 7:25 pm | Permalink

Post a Comment