07.31.07
The Tail Can Wag the Dog
Have you ever observed something that was borderline racist to an extent that you “weren’t sure” if it really was racist or not? Or, have you ever observed something that was outright racist but didn’t do anything about it because you thought, “I’m only one person… what good would my phone call/email/letter do?” Well, in this article, we discussed the subtext of a recent advertisement placed in Chinese-Language newspapers by the San Francisco FBI. This article indicates that the FBI
- “…heard from very few who felt the ad was asking them to spy on their friends and families and the Chinese government, … In the interest of sensitivity, even if we’re hearing it thirdhand, we need to address that, we can’t ignore that. … If people are confused or upset, then we want to address that.”
So, even though “very few” thought the ad was culturally incompetent and prejudiced, a response from the community that came from those “few” still were enough to force the FBI to come forward and explain itself to the media. This type of spotlighting is precisely what is needed in order for our community as a whole to lift itself up and gain the respect it deserves.