Racist Spain Basketball Picture – Olympic Racism
August 11, 2008 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under NBA News
Due to a picture that was published in an advertisement, some are calling the Spanish Olympic basketball team racist. The players from Spain are seen making their eyes slanted, most likely do to the stereotypes involving Chinese people. With the 2008 Olympic Games being held in Beijing, China, this controversial picture could turn the Chinese crowd against the Spanish Olympic basketball team.
Although the picture is blurry, most agree on the intentions of the photograph. As of now, there has been no official explanation or apology from anyone associated with Spain’s national basketball team.
Spain, who are the reining World Champions in the sport of basketball, are one of the favorite in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Behind Team USA, Spain is considered to have the most talented roster in the tournament and are a definite threat to take home the gold.
Photo: Public Domain
As far as I have ever know, the pulling back of one’s eyes in a slant-type gesture has been a derogatory gesture, meant to mock the Asian people. Never has it happened to me in a humorous way. It has always been demonstrated by a group of cowards who feel the need to mock others in an attempt to feel superior. Perhaps the photos would have been better served to find a physical gesture that the Chinese use to honor each other and guests.
There are NBA players on the Spanish men’s team, and like it or not, officially or unofficially, they represent the USA. I am rather disappointed in the NBA for not immediately fining the NBA members of the culprits. I am interested to see what happens with the fans in regular season NBA play.
Joy Mac,
Just because there is a murderer in this world does not make a rapist’s action any less evil. So please stop comparing the two.
By the way, we are discussing racism here and not the war in Iraq.
For the spaniards, if over half the people in this world think your actions are wrong, then you could no longer justify it. Please try to remember that there are other people in this world.
dude! there are SOOO MUCH worse things to worry about. let the shit go. the world is in a bad enough spot with things such as murder, war, and the like…get over it.
this gesture is extremely hurtful to many asians. if you cannot empathize, i feel sorry for you.
Fabio, Joy Mac, H, and whoever else: You try to sound intelligent, but your stupidity shows. I know the difference between Mexico and Spain and the other countries of the world since I have been to most of them and I speak 6 languages fluently. You need to read between the lines of my earlier statement and realize that I was turning the table here and showing how sensitive Spaniards are when people “mistakingly” call them Mexicans. You’re right, a lot of people unknowingly make this mistake. I knowingly made this “mistake” in hopes that you would think, “Gee, I don’t like it when people do that to me. Maybe I should learn to not do it to others.” This is a concept that should have been taught to you around the age of 5, give or take a year or two.
Excuse me fellow “espanoles”. Yes, very very ignorant. You don’t like it when the rest of the Europeans say in jest that the rest of the “Europeans” south of the French border are Africans or that Spain has no real blondes. Well, it is the same think when you are making fun in public of a group of people and their natural features. Why is it okay to try to imitate people who look different from you. Why is it okay. I think now, it is okay for other people to make jokes about Spanish people. You defend so easily your racist actions yet you don’t like to be made fun of yourselves. Please Spain has been so NASTY and RUDE to many people of color. Look at what you have accomplished. Of course you have no guilt. You hold racist demonstrations (los neonazis) legally in parts of the country. You throw bananas at your footballers and act like monos in public. But it is acceptable. Right?? Wrong. Spain is ignorant and they OFFEND.
Nice try Jim: But guess what; I happen to be MEXICAN, and believe me, I don’t take offense in being called mexican, But you did’nt just say mexicans, you said stupid mexicans. You seem to be trying to untangle yourself with false statements. And believe me I do have strong feelings against racism. When I was younger I studied art at U.S.C. and during my almost five year stay I was called a beaner, wetback, greaser, brown, among other words spiced up with cruel and discriminatory attitudes. And I was one of the lucky ones because since my mom is a white american and my father a very light skinned mexican, most people failed to notice it unless they heard me talking to other mexicans in spanish. I can only imagine what my other fellow mexicans must fell being called names like that all the time! And americans still wonder why latinos (all of them mistakingly called mexicans) have a hard time learning english and integrating!
I felt the hate of some americans by calling me names, but it was the hate, and not the names what mattered. I would’t mind whatever word they came up as long as it wasn’t inspired by racism.
Now, knowing a bit about spanish culture I’m sure that the photo was not ispired by hate simply because we do not consider skin color or the shape of the eyes to be defects. We too have racism in Mexico and I’m sure that ins Spain they do too, but so does the rest of the world and if you really been to most if it, then I really wonder how you missed fact that there is more of a cultural, religious and historic discrimination rather than plain race related hate.
Two years ago Rev. Jackson made a fuss over a mexican mexican postage stamp depicting a really funny cartoon of a short black kid called Memin Pinguin. He understood it to be offensive to black people. He ignored the fact that it was really a celebration of the 60th anniversary of one of Mexico’s most famous and loved cartoon characters. Rev. Jackson is a great man, but he does not know everything, I don’t know everythig but I know this, you can’t judge everything by your standars.
Hope I did’nt bore you too much, or made to many mistakes, I’m writing this from a cell phone.
Joy Mac: I don’t know what USC you’re refering to, but I know it’s not University of Southern California, because you’re dribbling a mouthful of stupid. If you will think outside the box, put 2 and 2 together, or I am addressing a particular issue with a specific example to enlighten ‘Mr. Fabio’ and anyone else about how what they perceive as “funny” really isn’t and that it is offensive to the group of people it’s directed to. If they wanted to mock the an individual or the Chinese basketball team, like players or teams endure in the NBA, that’s fine. You don’t make a gesture that has offended Asians for decades and then just say it’s funny. Obviously, the Spaniards here did not like my comment more so than Asians and the rest of the world didn’t like the picture, but that was my purpose…to turn the tables. TO SHOW THAT NEITER MY COMMENT NOR THEIR JUSTIFICATION IS APPROPRIATE OR ACCEPTABLE. This is my point!
I’m not here to discuss with you postage stamps, cartoon characters, or Jesse Jackson!
So catch up with the conversation or stay out!
Yes Mr. “I speak 6 languajes and been all over”, I was a trojan, not all mexicans work on your fields or clean your houses. If you’re not going to listen to anything but the drool coming out of your spanish hating mouth, you should shut up. The issue here is racism, plain and simple. You self righteous racist bastard.
Mr. Jim, you are calling us “stupid mexicans”. You are not making a friendly joke with relation to the spanish people. That is the difference with the picture of the basketball team. They are only doing a little tribute to chinese people, it is not even a joke, they are not making fun of anybody due to a simple reason: in spain we don’t consider any physical feature as a deffect. I got angry because you call us stupids, and because most people in your country are so ignorant that don’t care about where countries really are.
Nuria, the question is not why is it okay to try to imitate people who look different from you. The issue is: why is so offensive to imitate people who look different from you? The differences are bad? A physical characteristic is worse than another? No? So, why is racist to imitate a specific and real characteristic of people?
By the way, i’m tired about the references to the spanish racism in football with black people. There are stupid racists like in every country in the world, but is a complete minority. I want to highlight that may surveys have showed that most of the inmigrants in spain feel integrated and satisfied.
And, in addition, with relation with this issue, the chinese authorities have expressed that they don’t consider the add as offensive or racist. So what are you talking about, yankees and english people?? Please, care about all the real pain and sufferings that you are causing and you have caused to so many people in the world, and stop the critics to innocent things like this…
I can’t believe I’m continuing to engage in this inane conversation with tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber. Joy Mac & Fabio…you can fight amongst yourselves as to which one is which. I don’t hate the Spanish, Mexicans or any one else. I am merely making a point about racial gestures. You made a remark and said it was no big deal, so I made a remark and said it was no big deal too. You apparently think it is a big deal when it was said about you. ALL THIS TO MAKE A FREAKIN’ POINT to which you, for some mentally deficient reason, can not grasp. I have been to Spain many times and I love it there. I will spend about a month each time I go. This is true with the other countries I visit and therefore I understand the likes and dislikes of many cultures. One thing I know, is that we are all one people with basically the same goals in life. To make ANY gesture that differentiates us is wrong, never appropriate, and I hope…end of discussion. If you STILL can’t understand the point I am trying to convey, it is because it is you who is the ignorant racist.
Ok, you have your point of view, you are sooo multicultural and you don’t hate anyone…But you are not going to convince us. For me, you are the dumb who can’t understand the REAL meaning of the word racism. For me, you are the dumb who can’t understand that, out of UK and USA, showing the natural differences of the human being don’t express hatred, racism, or confrontation. We are all the same, but we are all differents. Understanding the differences as something normal that is no necessary to hide it’s the only thing that i support, against your hypocritical and stupid culture of the political correctness.
what if they had spray painted their skin black to make fun of black people.
Fabio: How about next time I come to Spain you and I have lunch, bro? Tell you what…It’s on me! We can have this conversation in Spanish. Maybe, just maybe, you might sound a little more intelligent if we use your native language. Everything you have said, thus far, is the same words just in a different order. You are a pitiful little person with such anger and rage inside of you. You keep calling me a racist, but how many cultures do you know outside of your tiny little existence? If you are such the philanthropist, why do you keep bashing the UK and the US? and you say that I’m hypocritical?! By just listening to you run your mouth, you would think that I would detest Spain, but no, I don’t judge Spain based on my encounter with you. How sad for Spain if I did, right? Every country has its evils. I don’t stereotype an entire country based on it parts. So, before you open your mouth again, take a look in the mirror and judge yourself first. BTW, the reason I go to Spain as much as I do…My wife is Spanish. Man! I am such a racist!
Hey Fabio: I don’t understand why we keep waisting our time with mr. Shit-for-brains Jim, he’s lying his ass off! It turns out he’s a multicultural mother Teresa who has been to most of the countries in the world! And now it turns out he’s married to a Spanish woman! The time has come to unmask this sniveling and pitifull litle excuse of a human being and put him in his place (that would probably be a 1870 southern Tobacco plantation with a whip in his hand).
This poor guy can’t have possibly visited most countries in the world, at least in a way more meaningful than to buy souvenirs for his KKK pals for the simple reason that he should have visited over 110 countries to say the least, if like he said, he learned anything from their cultures he should have stayed there at least 3 months in each, that adds up to 4 countries a year, which means that it would thake him almost 30 years to do it, lets suppose that this poor ignorant fool waisted enough tax payers money to make through high school, he should have started traveling by the age of 17. Let us suppose that he did’nt have to pump gas because won the lottery or something like that, so he could start traveling right away and non stop. Then his age should be at least 47 years old and judging by what he has been saying here he can’t be over 12 years old, at least intellectualy.
Second lie, His wife, God! No spanish woman would ever marry a 12 year old retard.
Third lie; he says he speaks 6 languages fluently. I’ll solve that easily with this little poem that I dedicate to him.
Absurdum est que durum
lapidis targere cullum!
Sucullum sicut mel
papiro targere eum!
Bye Fabio and don,t worry about him going to Spain, he’s no capable of finding it on a 50 yard map!
Haha, Thank you, Joy Mac…Now this arrogant man is trying to convince us that he is not a racist…Man, I’m not meaning that you are a racist. I simply express that you are a dumb that don’t understand what is racism or what is an offense against a culture or a nation. Well, according to your post, it seems that we have to explain to everyone in this forum our personal achievements:Yes, I’ve visited many countries in the world: most of europe, UK, USA, Cuba, Tunez, Morocco, Turkey… I studied law and international politics, and I know very well what US and UK have done during the recent times. Thus, I simply got angry when I saw stupid anglos like you insulting ALL spanish people because of such picture, after all the crimes that YOUR CULTURE has commited during the last century.
Maybe in Spain few people make some stupid jokes in relation with black people, like 50 years ago. However, in your country, 50 years ago, black people couldn’t even take a bus together with white people…
asdf:
You ask “what if they had spray painted their skin black to make fun of black people”
I think that would be terrible!
Because you say “to make fun of black people”. the correct question would be “what if they had spray painted their skin black”.
Then I would ask black people how they felt about it when Dan Akroyd did it in Trading Places. Or when Rae Dawn Chong did it in Soul Man, or Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder, how about lucille ball in I Love Lucy and so on…
You see, not all black people are like Michael Jackson, most of them are damn proud of being black, and in no way they should feel that anybody portraying a black person, as long as its done respectfully is making fun of them. I know, I see americans all the time waring sombreros and sarapes and I don’t mind. If they did that, and started acting all stupid like our friend Jim, that would be offensive.
But then again, I’m not black! I could be dead wrong! All cultures are different, please white americans, understand that and we will all get along better. I agree, political correctness seems a bit stupid to the rest of the world, and in this case I don’t think the chinese are at all ashamed about the shape of their eyes, but americans seem to think they do.
If you had a birth defect, lets say, a much shorter leg, and people started walking funny in front of you, that would be insulting. But being chinese or black or latino is not a birth defect.
Wow! This is a great debate going on in here. It seems that most of the people commenting are against the actions of the spanish. I find myself agreeing with the majority. Back in my younger years as a juvenile, I made the same slanted eyes gestures to some asian kids. Never had I done it as a “tribute” to them. I realize now how wrong it is and how wrong I was. I am proud to say that I don’t do stuff like that anymore to any race. My best friend is Korean and I considering him a brother and a part of my family. I read earlier comments of a couple people trying to defend the Spanish team’s actions and I disagree with your argument. Mr Taylor’s “stupid mexican” comment I find kinda disturbing, but I do see his point of view. It’s ironic that the guy who is defending the Spanish action the most seems to be taking the most offense to this comment. If someone lumped me in with the KKK just because I’m white, it would make me angry. I wouldnt like it therefore I will not do it to anyone else. Really this should be the bottom line. “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”
beaners beaners beaners. i think i finally know the difference between mexicans and the spanish.
nothing.
fuck spain.
Mr. Slipstream: I’m Mexican. I never called Americans Stupid, Only Mr.Taylor. I do take ofense in him calling all mexicans stupid! He can go and tan his skin, wear a sombrero, grow a larger dick and take a picture for all I care, it does not bother me.
The same goes to the retard who goes by the name of “Spain Rules”, whom I suspect is the same bastard who ran out of answers.
Mr. Slipstream, I respect your point of view because you have been respectful. And more than that, you are right, I would not behave like the spanish if I where in the US. But you must also respect our right to have a different culture outside (and inside) the U.S. or aren’t you promoters of basic human freedoms?
JoyMac, I’m not all speaking for Jim. I’m just giving you my point of view…I could be wrong, but I don’t think he was calling all Mexicans stupid. I think he was calling all Spanish stupid. Actually, that’s probably not right either. From everything that I have read thus far, I think he is attempting to expose the Spanish people’s sensitivities while saying ‘do unto others…” I guess if he just said it this way from the beginning, it would have saved us from all this arguing.
Personally, If the picture was not intended to be racist, it undoubtedly exposes ignorance. All it says to me is, “I don’t know you or your culture and this is the best we can do.”
I do not go over to my friend’s house, who is Korean, and “greet” him and his family with my fingers on my eyes. This is not a tribute and I wish the defenders of the gesture would quit saying it is. I bow to them bending at the waist while saying the proper greeting of hello.
I do respect your right to have a different culture, but that is not what the issue is here. The issue is that we should all learn each others cultures so that mistakes like this doesn’t happen again. This would be the ultimate “tribute” to any culture.
Slipstream: If you read at the beginning of the thread, he did say “Stupid Mexicans” he then tried to justify his ignorance on geopolitical boundaries with even more ignorance and lies. But he is not important anymore, he already chickened out.
On the other part you are absolutely right, I don’t my wife’s ex-boss, who is chinese and pull my eyes either. But that’s exactly my point. They didn’t go to china and pull their eyes, the photo was published in a spanish newspaper for spanish people, where it is not an insult, not even to spaniards of chinese origin. The scandal began when the british media made a fuss about it.
Now I ask you, (assuming you’re white) would you feel offended if a chinese person paints his skin white and takes a picture? Do blondes fell offended when orientals dye their hair blonde?
Think about it. Do you consider natural features defects meant to be offensive if imitated?
Joy Mac, I agree with you half way. Would I feel offended if a Chinese person painted their skin white and took pictures? Probably not. However, I’m a business man and my company does business with other countries. Now, if a group of businessmen from India painted their faces white and sent it as a Christmas card, then yes, it would be extremely distasteful and our business ventures would probably discontinue. But, historically, Indians don’t go around painting their faces when in the company of a white person. Historically and currently, the “slanted-eyes” gesture has been and is used for the mocking of Asians. As I have mentioned earlier, I did it when I was younger and I never did it out of respect. If you don’t believe me, walk up to an Asian, tell him how lovely the day is, complement his shirt or something, and then do the gesture. See what happens.
I’m 6′2″. Most Mexicans I meet are generally much shorter than I am. Now, if I were to start walking around on my knees when I am in the company of Mexicans do you honestly think they would take that as a compliment? If I never met you before and I greeted you in this manner, would you be offended?
Natural features of people are not defects, but you are highlighting a different topic into this discussion.
Well Slipstream; again, it depends on the circumstance. If you walked on your knees to meet a mexican, he would, probably think you are on a “manda” if he was a southern mexican. A manda is a religious promise made to a saint in form of sacrifice. a central or northern mexican would probably try to help you up!
I’m not kidding, Like americans, there are different types of mexicans depending on the region we live on or on the ancestral origin, Salma Hayek is of Lebanese background for example, I myself am also 6,2 and mostly arab and spanish background, so I guess you can come here anytime and walk on your knees, you’ll see what I mean, and don’t worry, no one will try to hurt you.
I,m Also a business man and I work in advertizing, you may or not know it, but serious companies measure the impact of products by certain techniques before they launch them, Focus groups for example. I bet that if the spanish had tested the same picture in the U.S. it would have failed, but not in spain, for the same cultural reasons I told you earlier. We don’t really have to worry so much about racial issues, because we don’t deal with that as much as you do.
You see? you are right, but so I’m I.
Joy Mac: I haven’t gone anywhere. Unlike you I have a life.
Slipstream: Don’t waste your breath dude. This girl doesn’t know the difference between her butt and a hole in the ground. Everything you have said makes sense. That is where you lose Joy Mac. She’s just running her mouth bringing up irrelevant information and can’t complete her thoughts. I think she has tourettes. You, however, bring up specific points with relevant information to back it up and I can appreciate that.
Joy Mac: “I’m not calling all Mexicans stupid…just you.” Oh… and now you’re an arab and a spaniard? Wow, you’re more confused than I thought. Whose the liar now? You racist pig.
Spain basketball team should contest their slit eye sliver medals and slit eye basketball hoops.
I did not say that.
Who dat say dat.
WTF. This picture is indeed offensive. How can only think this is a good picture? If this a facetious, would a major company such as Google, conduct a similar photograph with stereotypical overtones of Chinese? Heavens no. Can you imagine how much shit they would get! No company will endorse or subscribe to this heinous act. It is despicable and impulsive. Imagine if Nike did this shit in their ad and they just said “oh we don’t mean it.” This would vilify them and will certainly bring a class action lawsuit. Here’s the deal: If someone says, “this is just a joke!” or “we didn’t mean to offend anyone” then they don’t know the HISTORY of Asian stereotypes. Read up on it and then tell me what you think now.
Name calling and slit eye gestures started when I was born as a slave on a plantation in the USA. The Irish and English people started all the name calling and gestures because they believe that they are better than eveyone on planet earth. But then I wondered why we call them white devils. The white people are beautiful people like Marilyn Monroe. But it is so terrible because they are white devils. The Spanish basketball team (gays or otherwise) can have SEXY SLIT EYES too. The Spanish Basketball ( gay or otherwise) should go to LASIK EYE DOCTOR in PA for Sexy slit eyes.
where is the racism? Simplemente es el complejo de superioridad Anglosajón, se delatan ellos mismos porque creen que tener los ojos rasgados es algún defecto o es algo inferior.
Los anglosajones son INCULTOS. Fabio, estoy deacuerdo en todo lo que dices.
Ha un tal Jim Taylor que dice
“Aug 13, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Stupid Mexicans.” Porsupuesto “Spain, near Mexico yeah!!” ha, ha, ha. Muy listos los “american people”
How come is that sign racist when exactly that same sign is the word used in British Sign Language for “Chinese” and in American Sign Language there is one variation of the sign with only one hand pointing to the eye in the same way to indicate the different eye shape to mean “Chinese” or “Asian”?
And the Brits and Americans didn’t notice until today? So, they are using a racist and offensive sign in their sign language? Are they going to ban it?
Come on, this is ridiculous.
Hey Motherfuckers!
Do u know what Chinese Goverment said?
Chinese Goverment said that this photograph is not offensive for them. U can search it.
So… American and English people must be stupid.
if chinese are not furious for this photo…
why yourselfs are so so so so angry?
Lo que hacen los americanos para que Madrid no sea sede olimpica… ahora esto y ace 2 años el terrorismo…
Hijos de puta…
esta claro que de este foro muy pocos saben donde esta españa…
y esta claro que todos estos garrulos de x aki arriba nunca an estado aki, y probablemente nunca vengan…
y sepan que somos un pais multicultural…
Vaya!
Por fin algo de inteligencia! nos sentiamos muy solos tratando de destaradizar a estos gringos pendejos. Saludos a Fabio, Kiko, George, a pablo y a todos los que saben de lo que hablan!
Jim Taylor, chinga a tu madre, a ver si entiendes eso baboso!
Aqui su doble moral:
http://jjoo.marca.com/2008/2008/08/14/baloncesto/1218698005.html?a=239d8c388db44268b480dfaa42676532&t=1218700436
It does not surprise me Spain is a racist country. Look at CART or who ever runs the Gran Prix warning these people that bad behavior,throwing stuff at the Black Gran Prix champion
Lewis Hamilton would forfeit racing in there country. I say drop there fagot asses back in Spain.They can’t play ball anyhow.
Offensive – adjective
1. Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred
It did, therefore it is.
Racism – noun
1. The belief that each race has distinct and intrinsic attributes.
Since a racist is an advocate of racism, the image is clearly offensive and racist, regardless of its intent.
The strange thing is, I’ve seen very few non-racist comments here, most of them seem to refer to a people as having one opinion, particularly you, Mr. Holier-than-thou, Fabio.
Offensive – adjective
1. Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred
First of all I remember yourself that Chinese people said that they were not offended by this picture
acism – noun
1. The belief that each race has distinct and intrinsic attributes
2º I would like to remember to yourself that it was brittish and american press who said that it was too much racist and too much offensive…Not the chinese goberment!!!
Why?
Have u ever heard about Madrid 2016? All the buildings are made, it´s the only capital city in Europe which has not enjoyed an Olympic games…it´s modern, it´s safe….and u fucking bastards wanted to fuck us again!
¿True or false?
AAhhhh wait a minute
http://estaticos.20minutos.es/img/2008/08/15/858631.jpg
That was in Japan
Offensive – adjective
1. Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred
spain is not a racist country and for me the amercians and british are the most racist people on earth did the british and americans forget how may people killed all over the world
the biritish and americans and israelis must be banned from all competitions in the world
billy you are silly, i agree that Britain probably was a racist place back in the day, but things have changed, for one, multi-culturism :) Spain is ‘new’ to the multi-culturism idea since immigration to the country has only been possible since the fall of Franco in 74. give spain 30 years and it will mix…but at the moment they are racist spicks.