Wednesday, October 15, 2008

What do I call this one?

I will answer Wendy’s questions later.

Let me briefly post a topic that came up for us recently. (I tried writing this a few days ago, but it got mysteriously deleted) I went to a family reunion, and saw my sister and her daughters (who live out-of-state). We took a huge picture of all of the cousins (actually, many pictures were snapped at the same time). But as we were sitting there posing for the pictures, it actually took a few minutes due to the logistics of everone’s camera and look-over-here, so-and-so isn’t smiling, say cheese, etc. I heard someone in the back say something in a fake Chinese accent – to try to be funny for the last couple of pictures. It was pretty off-color, I won’t repeat it.

However, later on when I was discussing it with my cousin’s husband (who is non-Chinese, but bi-racial), he brought up that he heard a different comment, the Ch!nk word.

Me: What?! (because I didn’t hear it).
Him: Yeah, someone in your family said it.
Me: who?
Someone else across the table: Insert name (niece-who's Dad is non-Chinese)
Me: What?!
Person across the table: yeah, she calls herself half-Ch!nk.
DW (my wife): (Insert name), don’t say that. That is REALLY offensive. You should NOT say that. EVER.
Everyone in room: quiet
Niece sulks away

Now I don’t know if the population of the majority-White state she lives in often refers to Chinese people as Ch!nks or is it a measure of her uncomfortableness in her skin, or her beginnings, or is it because she’s 14. Her mom (my sister) wasn’t there at the time, so I don’t know what she would have said or what she has told her in the past. Maybe that’s OK language in their home, I don’t know. I wonder if my niece knows about our long history in the United States, building railroads, facing discrimination, etc. Does she now live under White Priveledge?

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