What Would You Do? Racism In Your News Feed

By Koji Steven | Monday, July 30, 2012 | 21 Comments

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facebook news feed What Would You Do? Racism In Your News Feed The other day I was checking out my Facebook news feed when I noticed something that made me groan. A friend (a person I actually know offline) had posted something that I took as offensive, if not downright racist.

I’m not going to go into specifics here but let’s just say it played on the Asian stereotype of pronouncing “L” as an “R.” A tired and cliché racism.

I should be clear that I don’t think my friend is racist (he is a person of color) but I did think it was in bad taste and of course not very original. But the reason I mention it here on 8Asians is this: Is it my responsibility as a socially responsible Asian American to say something? To speak up? To write a comment? To confront him?

I didn’t. I know, I’m a coward. Part of it was because I just had a child and the last thing I want to do is get in a flame war with anyone – let alone someone that I actually like and know in real life. I don’t have the energy nor the time. But also because as I’ve gotten older it’s harder and harder for me to take up every fight or to even work up the anger when Asian/Asian Americans are slighted.

Don’t get me wrong. If someone made this joke directly to me, I’d respond. Or even if I overheard someone at a coffee shop make a racist joke, I’d say something. But Facebook news feed? It feels different.

Am I wrong? Should I have written a comment? I guess if I was wittier, I could have written something funny and yet disarming but also get my point across to make him realize the errors of his way. But sadly, I’m not witty enough to do that. Or I could have written him a private message but that would have taken more time than I wanted to put into it. (Ignore the fact that I’ve spent way more time writing this than it would have taken to write a private message to my friend).

I asked a colleague about it and she told me that I could delete the friend but that feels too heavy handed. She also suggested hiding his feed. I considered it but in general I like reading what he has to say and finding out what he’s up to.

What would you have done?

Categories:

Discrimination

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Facebook Comments (Beta)

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000655872495 Al Powers

Screw funny and disarming, say something and be a Man. That’s the problem with most Asians, they just let subversive racism slide, when in reality it is the most damaging type of racism there is.
david0688

I think in this case, it’s subjective. If you’re the only person that’s taking offense to it then maybe it’s best to leave it alone. My friends say stuff or post stuff that I find offensive or disagree with but I don’t say anything because I don’t want to get into a conflict with them.
LTE2

Lack of context in this post. Having and still dealing with Asian FOB’s I have heard the L/R thing many times. It’s not a “racist” thing, it’s reality.
csc3

i’d leave a comment along the line of “not cool”.
http://www.facebook.com/mndao Minh Dao

You realize that what you said was racist right?
http://www.facebook.com/mndao Minh Dao

There’s a couple ways you can go about it, pull the same type of joke and post it on his feed. But it’s also important to approach him about it, but tact is key–don’t let him feel like he’s being attacked, aim to point out how a comment like that alienates and marginalizes friends like you.
http://www.facebook.com/mndao Minh Dao

And what do you do when you encounter an Asian-American who isn’t what you describe as a ‘FOB’ (btw, not O.K), do you disregard them and refuse to consider them to be part of the narrow scope of people that you think are ‘Asian’? Or do you implant in your mind that if this person looks Asian they MUST have an accent? Does the fact that I’m bilingual somehow diminish my ability to speak English? If you read the studies–those who are multi-lingual have a better understanding of the nuances and rules of language and grammar.

There’s a thing called ‘cognitive dissonance’ I suggest you take a look at it and reflect upon the simple FACT that you are probably more biased than you would like to think.
LTE2

You bet I’m biased. Everyone I have ever met had their biases. The issue at hand was Koji’s feelings about a post but he was short on background details.
.
As for FOB’s, the first one I ever met was my grandmother, the last surviving immigrant in my family and she did come over on a boat.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000655872495 Al Powers

“There’s a couple ways you can go about it, pull the same type of joke and post it on his feed.”

Racist? You just proved my point. AAs need to go on the offensive and not play these coy games. If you don’t back yourself up, you’re going to get pushed around.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000655872495 Al Powers

There is only two types of Asians. Asians who suffer from the colonial mentality and Asians who don’t suffer from the colonial mentality.

I’ll hate on a crakkker loving Asian American more so than an Asian who can’t speak English but is fully aware of colonial racism imposed by the west.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000655872495 Al Powers

What’s racist? I’m telling other Asians to back their shit up and not let snide racist remarks slide. You need to educate with the utmost authority.
hapappa

I don’t think that just because he is a person of color that he is less likely to be racist. However, if I were in your position, I would tell him that it was inappropriate. If he continues to have a problem and only thinks I am being too sensitive about racism, then I would start getting really angry (since he’s a friend). I’m not sure if I’d want to be friends with someone like that anymore though.
http://www.facebook.com/mndao Minh Dao

“…say something and be a Man. That’s the problem with most Asians”—Your statement implies that being an Asian man makes you less of a man.

if you don’t want to be racist then address the person not as a function of his ethnicity but as a function of his personality.

Besides, what is your problem with Asian-Americans? You’re going on a blog focused on Asians and the Asian-American experience and bashing on Asian people. Don’t you have anything better to do than to try to subvert someones concerns and pretend that they’re less of an issue than they really are?

I’ll address you directly ‘Al Powers’ (because you’re a coward hiding behind the thin facade of anonymity), you clearly have nothing better to do with your life than to run around like the pathetic insecure troll you are. Go elsewhere, and post your idiotic ideas where they belong–messily scribbled on the your cell wall out of your own filth while your prison mate lover shows you how much he ‘cares’.

You’re clearly a very troubled person–I don’t know who or what made you such a poor excuse for a human being, but whatever it is you’ve clearly internalized the junk you’ve been fed. Congrats on doing nothing for humanity, you’re a real stand out.
happyappa

Ugh, I just saw the Facebook comments and I can’t believe some of those
people are trying to justify racism with linguistics. Um.. of course imitating New York accents and Southern accents isn’t racist, they aren’t races.

Yes, I get that
babies are born with the ability to use any sound in any language, and
they drop the sounds they don’t need when they are exposed to a
language. But saying that Asians confuse /l/ and /r/ because they are
Asian, therefore their ability to make those sounds is not as good as
non-Asians, is racist.

And since everyone is using personal examples, my mother was born in China, grew up there,
learned EFL as an adult, then came to America. She does distinguish
between /l/ and /r/, so saying that all do is a stereotype. Stereotypes can lead to racism and both can happen at the same time. Ever heard of “Me rikey that” or “You want flied lice?” That’s racist. It’s gotten to the point where these language jokes are used against Asians to make them look like fools.
APBrian17

You should blog about your feelings. That’ll teach em.
DK

Man stop being a wimp and say something. This a reason u asians cant get women and get punked all the time
vivian

I don’t see what the problem is Koji. DIdn’t you name your new movie Chink? You need to learn to lighten up and laugh at yourself – RADIATION JAP!!! JK!!! JK!!!
valerie

No one is bashing on anyone.
valerie

Minh Dao is weak. He’s probably one of those fairies that were running away at South Philly High with 15 of his friends because they were “too scared” to defend themselves from their attackers. If someone called him a g**k, slapped him in the face – he’d probably start crying like the weak pathetic little fairy that he is.
valerie

Please stop trying to reason and make up excuses for racism.
valerie

What country did your boat grandmother come from? Vietnam? Philippines? Thailand?

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