(A few weeks back)
We were in teams making cars that were powered by rubber bands and trying to see whose card could go the furthest. I had one group of rather intelligent Asian boys working together. Part of their assignment was to come up with a team name and I overheard one of them say “We should call ourselves The Chinks.” I leaned in and said “How about another name?” and walked away and I overheard one say “Asian Pride” which would have been acceptable but not really the multi-cultural ideals we try to have in my school.
So when I asked them their team name in front of the class I was nervous and one blurted out “Walmart Security.” Where the hell that came from I have no idea?
November 2, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Walmart Security cracks me up. I’d love to know the story behind that!
Sort of sad to think of the racist comments they must have heard in their short lives that they would have even heard the term “chink”. Though I guess they must not have known it was supposed to be an insulting term, or they wouldn’t have thought to name their team that?
November 2, 2007 at 5:19 pm
I think they know it is racist and were embracing it. It is sad and not right that they are doing it. But if you take a word that is meant to hurt and don’t validate it, is it a racist word?
Not that I am condoning racism, or racist words. I teach my stupids what if someone calls them stupid, if they are not stupid and don’t validate it the person will stop.
Though I am smart enough to know it still hurts.
November 5, 2007 at 7:40 am
That’s true, I think that it is common to retake words that have come to have negative meanings. I’m not sure it would have worked with kids that young, of course…