Sobre el artículo no tengo mucho que decir, aparte de que me parece que parte de la premisa errónea (al menos en España) de que el gesto es racista. Para mí dicho gesto no es de burla ni despectivo ni racista, sino simplemente un gesto que pretendía ser de simpatía/cercanía hacia los chinos (creo que así fue concebido el anuncio) y por tanto considero que el blogger hace el juicio basándose en su propio concepto del gesto. Dicho concepto no coincide con el mío y creo que tampoco con el de muchos españoles (no creo que sea el único). Tampoco con el de la embajada china en España: El anuncio de la selección de baloncesto, ni racista ni ofensivo (El País).
En cuanto a la frase "Let the Spanish act racist in the privacy of their own little country", me parece que esa frase sí es despectiva con España y con los españoles, aparte de transmitir soberbia y desprecio (¿racismo?) hacia un país y sus habitantes.
El caso es que mucho más interesante que el artículo es el debate que se crea después, en el que, en general, nos ponen a parir a los españoles.
Hay 2 comentarios, en cambio, con los que me he sentido plenamente identificado, sobre todo con uno, que es el que cito aquí abajo. El otro es justo el siguiente (que ya no pego aquí), escrito por un americano-asiático que no considera que la foto sea ofensiva.
Posted by: Kush Lalwani | August 13, 2008 at 01:06 PM
"Let the Spanish act racist in the privacy of their own little country."
With this commentary the writer just proves what his article is worth. There's something you should do ALWAYS you feel like judging someone: get all the information.
Just an example:
The word "mulato/a", in Spanish, is applied to someone who is half white/half black. Its use in Spain is stricly "descriptive" and seldom derogatory. As a matter of fact, it can be used in a possitive way.
In Cuba (where half the population or more has some Sub-Saharian-African ancestor), the word mulata has even more possitive connotations. It's even a compliment, a flirting cliche. It's a charming word which quite often implies appreciation or love.
For some time, I'm told, the word "mulato" has been used in some parts of the US the same way as "nigg€r" or "negr0"; that is, with an offensive intention.
Now if an American "mulato" (not pointing at anyone, it is just that it fits this particular example) comes and tell me that I cannot go to Cuba and call a cuban girl "mulata" because in his country (a third party who has no bussiness in this two-sided "game") it is considered racist, then he DOES HAVE A REAL PROBLEM understanding how his place in the World works.
From the point of view of a Spaniard, the only way to see "Racism" in this photo is to have a race-based mindset at first. It is said that the ones claiming "racism!" are too often the very first ones to be racist.
Peace.
