by Sabre » Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:54 pm
Yes, we have seen the Guardian and the Americans are calling us racist because of that. We're a bit surprised but not too bothered. Just in case we asked to the Chinese directly through the embassy and they confirmed there wasn't a single problem in our inoquous advert, while they stated it all was American tactics to unsettle the olympic atmosphere. So if the ones that are supposedly offended are not offended, then the inmediate question is what the fúck are up to the english and american press. It seems that they like to decide what's acceptable and what's racist or not from their saxon perspective and values, which are fine and respectable, but not the ones to set as an universal rule to other countries.
We don't have any problems with the Chinese, and they're a well integrated colony in our country. Chinese people do not need a gun to protect their commerce in our country. They are part of the society smoothly, they learn Spanish at a good rate, they pay their taxes and they mix with the local people.
That sign the team is doing, and the one that did the basketball team, is nothing but a children gesture which has never been offensive nor insulting. Just as we don't mind to be depicted as matadors or flamenco dancers and all black haired in the Hollywood films, we don't see any harm in that childish gesture. There's nothing wrong with having that kind of eyes, they are beautiful if you ask me, it's just a gesture to characterise the Chinese people, who are respected here. It's never an insult unless you insist it is. But the CHinese oficially do not think so. End of story, me thinks.
In the case of the Guardian there's a blatant aim to try to call us racist. They jump from this incident to the Luis Aragones event, instead of digging further in the basketball team who were the ones they were talking about. That basketball team precisely have donated money they've won in awards to the development of basketball in Africa and China, hardly actions of racist people. But the background of that team seems unimportant to the journo, who has more interest in the controversy rather than to finding out if these basketball guys are really racist.
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