Shaq's racial comments about Yao

PhiSlammaJamma,

I think the problem here is more related to Chinese Americans than to China.

 

Didn't somebody post here within the last few weeks, saying he was Irwin Tang (the author of this article)? Does anybody else remember seeing that?

 

Yeah..I think it was in the Hangout possibly

 

Yeah. I think I saw this Tang posting before.

 

Amen to this point. A better comparison? Suggesting that all black people speak in ebonics, call each other ___-dog, or eat certain foods, etc. See Fuzzy Zoeller or whatever that redneck golfer's name was.

 

As a African American, I find Shaq's quotes immature,insensitive and out of line. I'm a huge Shaq fan not only because of his funny quotes and basketball prowess, but also with his un-heralded charity work,but this still doesn't mean he's not wrong. I think he's wrong and should apologize for his comments. Its one thing when jokes are written about a race by the same race than when someone outside the race tries to make the same jokes. Double standard or not, its the truth.

Personally, I don't think Shaq is a racist,hateful person, but I think the remarks made were unthoughtful in every angle. To make matters worse, the stupid ass show had people calling in to make insensitive joke about a race. Its not the same when in Rush Hour 2 ,Jackie said "Over here I'm Micheal and you're Toto!", Chris Tucker replied "Its Tito! Toto is what we had last night!" That joke was made as if all asians prepare dogs and cats for entree's which is false and a stereotype. I hope, Shaq does apologize for his comments so this thing can die and the true nature of this will be clean basketball.

As i reading the article, one thing that stuck out in my reading was the part about blacks and monkeys. Since when have people ever spoken like monkeys. Now thats some racist ****.

 

Regarding Shaq's making fun of the way the Chinese language sounds, I've read many of the comments and I do think I understand both points of view. But I get the impression that many people don't understand why many Chinese Americans feel offended by it.

I do not believe Shaq was trying to put down Chinese people intentionally and was mostly trash talking and was directing his comments towards Yao Ming and not towards Chinese people in general. Although I can't prove it, I don't think he was making fun of the Chinese language to be purposefully mean-spirited or malicious. I don't think Shaq was making fun of the Chinese language knowing it might be hurtful.

However, I think it is important to realize that in many cases, many people who make fun of the way Chinese sounds have done so and in a very malicious and malevolent way. There is one line from Irwin Tang's article that is key here but that many people may have overlooked:

Forgive my bitterness. I grew up in Texas, facing those “ching-chong” taunts daily while teachers averted their ears.

Many Asian Americans who feel offended probably have experienced these taunts from others in a malicious way and hurtful way such that these "ching-chong" taunts have started to have the same equivalence to the "chink" or "n---" word. Therefore to hear Shaq do so, I can understand why an Asian American would feel very discordant upon hearing it regardless of Shaq's intent. Probably because of the history and context of how these "ching-chong" taunts have been used in the past, it is more powerful than many people here realize.

 

I really don't like it when asian people cry racism, especially since asians are probably one of the most racist minorities. Hell the older generation of asians are so racist they don't even know what it is.

 

On behalf of the entire Irish-American community, I'd like to apologize for Mr. O'neal's comments.

 

Rockhead,
It was like a 10-page thread; how'd you miss it?

 

Funny...Ive never hear my grandmother utter a single racist comment or slur.

Guess she shouldn't care if someone came running up in the streets, slanting their eyes and screaming "ching chong wing want"

 

Because it wasnt directed at you, and I believe you aint no Chinese.

 

in regards of Shaq's recent comment bout Yao, those of you are not Chinese would not feel the pain and embarrassment for being call ching chong. I arrived Houston at age of 12 and encounter by such mockin daily by the Caucasians, Blacks and Hispanix....and i found out to end such mocking requires a diff porblem solving method that is not widely pratice by us Chinese ppl, which is land a couple punches in their face and show them what this ching chong can do.....I bet some of you grand parents still misses the days of not sharing the same room with the black ppl while they dinned or for a drink....and such discrimination was so well forgotten already by our oppressed brothas that they have to take it out on others.....I wonder what Dr. King would say to Shaq if he is still living today...."well done shaq n now we shall boycott Chinese food" or "Shaq, did u forget where u came from and the suffering your ppl had for such discriminating behavior?????"
I think Shaq should apologize to the Chinese Americans for what he said and he would be really stupid if he stix with that he was only making a bad joke, cuz no matter bad joke or not.. Statements had already been made n we are offended especially coming from a roll model of many youths today n for setting up such bad example for them.

SHAQ U HAVE TO REMEMBER THE PAST BECUZ ITS NOT VERY LONG AGO, HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS FOR YOUR BROTHAS AND SISTAS FOUGHT TO EARN U THE RIGHT TO PLAY ON THE SAME COURT WITH THE WHITES. N HOPE U SOON WAKE UP IN REALIZATION FROM THIS SARCASM CIRCUMSTANCES U PUT URSELF INTO.

I treat ppl w/respect...but for those who dont know how to spell respect
"i just spit right between their eye brows"

 

if shaq walked up to ming and started saying "ching chong chow mein" then you might have a point. but that wasn't the case. he was asked, and i quote as closely as i am able to remember "So, Shaq, did you want to say anything to Yao Ming in Chinese?" that was an obvious lead in to a joke. shaq made it. yao handled it well, and i give him major props for that.

"Let’s not beat around the bush. If a white player had, for instance, made monkey sounds to taunt a black player, it would have been a national controversy. But Yao is Chinese and Asians are fair game. For evidence, watch TV for a couple of hours."

how the hell are these things even remotely close? if the author can't see the VAST difference between these two things, then he is, i am sorry to say, a complete and utter dumbass.

oops, juan valdez beat me to it.

 

I saw Shaq¡¦s endeavor in trying to learn how to say ¡§I¡¦m sorry¡¨ in Chinese¡Kand I think that is good enough for someone admitting to his mistake¡K..Shaq is man enough to admit and apologize and we shall have clemency to recognize him once again for his performance and not his stupidity as a comedian.

Shaq u are still the undisputed top center in NBA n
Ming will always be my undisputed pro athlete hero for the milestone he established