I previously posted an image of an ad done by the Spanish Basketball team doing the slanted-eye Chinese stereotype gesture and have debated the issue for days on a Toronto FC message board (the thread has now been closed).

Props to the Chinese Canadian National Council for demanding an apology from the team *(link at the bottom).

I've briefly followed the development of this story and it really is perplexing. Calderon, Toronto Raptors player, initially remarked, "We felt it was something appropriate, and that it would be interpreted as an affectionate gesture, without a doubt, some ... press didn't see it that way." Bloody hell, are you completely delusional? Forget the press, the Chinese don't see it that way either. How anyone could live in Toronto and not learn some cultural sensitivity (multiculturalism is a facade but this is one thing that Toronto arguably does well in, at least, relative to other places) is beyond my comprehension. "We have great respect for the far East and its people, some of my best friends in Toronto are originally Chinese, including one of our sponsors, the brand Li-Ning," Calderon wrote. "Whoever wants to interpret it differently is completely confusing it." Oh wow, great, you have Chinese friends, go ahead and start calling us chinks, it's alright, you have 'Chinese friends'. Calderon explained that they were asked "to pose with a 'wink' to our participation in Beijing" and that "we made an 'Oriental' expression with our eye." Nice job with the eurocentricism. Given all else he had said, it's hardly shocking anymore.

Gasul, a LA Laker player, described claims of racism as 'absurd'... I don't think I even need to comment on that, it speaks for itself.

But the comments are just coming from the players. The president of the Spanish Basketball Federation was quoted saying that ""It's simply ridiculous, It was a gesture of affection ... and identification with the Chinese people."

Apprently, the Chinese embassy in Spain also chimed in. The Chinese government has continued with its fantastic job of working in the interest of 'its people', expressing that "we don't interpret this gesture as offensive". Sir, you either are completely ignorant of the social meaning of such actions or in keeping with the Olympic theme of falsification/smokes and mirrors, decided not to risk an international controversy whether or not its in the interest of Chinese people. Some journalists have also commented on how the ad has not stirred controversy in China ... but the reason for this is obvious. As one journalist suggested, it was due to the fact that foreign news seldom reaches your average Chinese household, given tight press restrictions. In addition, those that are shown the image are unlikely to grasp the meaning, given the lack of exposure to Western stereotypes of Asians. One individual interviewed thoguht that the gestures were a call for athletes to concentrate and focus on the Olympic games...

Now, let's get to the crux of the matter. Ok, let's assume Calderon and the rest of the Spanish team was completely oblivious to why such behaviour might be offensive. Let's assume that Calderon was completely honest when he says that it was meant as a friendly gesture, and that any harm was unintentional. It's flabbergasting, but, in fairness, not impossible, so, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. However, intent is only fraction of the issue. I am sure many non-racialized people do not consider themselves racist; hell, they might even have a couple racialized friends. But this does not change the fact that they continue to infer benefits from systemic racism, the unequal power relations between the non-racialized and the racialized. Until non-racialized individuals begin looking critically at race and challenging these constructs, they are allowing for the maintance of racism, and hence, are racist.

The slant eye gesture made by the Spanish players may seem innocent enough. It was a poor judgment, might lead to a bar fight or two, but hardly comparable to say, the holocaust (an actual example posted on the Toronto FC forum). Of course, I am not suggesting that I see no difference between someone making a gesture and the death of millions; however, it is important to realize that these are parts of the same process. Both these incidences are grounded in a racist ideology.

The slant-eye gesture, just like the comments made by Rob Ford earlier this year **, work to essentialize a group of people. It is through these seemingly irrelevant subtleties (though obviously not the only factor) that the classification of people into races is maintained. The fact that not all, and quite possibly a minority of people living in China or with Chinese ancestry, have slanted eyes is telling. Instead, the term 'slant-eye' had been used since 1943, "Oriental slant-eyed person", as a derogetory descriptor for those racialized Asian. Whether or not the gesture can be considered to carry negative intent, though this gesture does carry negative intent in the North American context, is irrelevant. The long history of racialization, stemming from imperialism, has far deeper consequences than making one or two people uncomfortable. The impact of systemic racism is alarming if we look at the economic circumstances faced by Chinese-Canadians. Despite higher educational attainment compared to the non-racialized average, the unemployment rate and average income is lower than the average. Food banks like Fort York are filled with racialized Chinese. The gestures made by the Spanish Basketball Team are one of many factors that contribute to social inequality.

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And if you thought that there couldn't possibly be more coming out of the Spanish sporting community: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2559578/Beijing-Ol... . The tennis team also apparently thought it was a good idea.