Sentiments and Sensitivity to Slurs

Asian Americans in Philadelphia are mounting a legal battle against a 59 year old restaurant for its persistence in disparaging their ethnicity. The fight has nothing to do with the cuisine nor how it is prepared since the menu is not remotely Asian. The conflict involves the restaurant's name, "Chink's Steaks".

The restaurant, cut in the classic 1950's mold with all original soda fountain set-up including ceiling fans, and vintage booths, was named after Samuel Sherman who capitalized on the nickname "Chink" since he was aged 6, because of his slanted eyes. No claims to being Chinese or Asian is known to have been made by Mr. Sherman, and no one ever called him "Sam". Current owner Joseph Groh, who worked in the diner at age 15 and bought it after Sherman died retained the owner's name because it had become a popular eatery in this blue collar neighborhood northeast of the state.

Chink is a racist ethnic slur for any person of Asian descent (Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese). Originally, it referred to a small crevice or opening, as in an armor - that denotes a weakness. It could have been the basis for the term in describing the ethnic east Asians based on their eyes which resembled a narrow crevice. Historically, at the turn of the 20th century, Asian immigration was seen as a threat to whites in North America. The Chinese were seen as pervasive, to a point where it evolved into the "yellow peril" hysteria. Within a few years after the first printed usage of the word Chink appeared, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed. The dehumanizing use of the word is believed to be a racist justifier for the passage of the law.

During the early days of the gold rush, when gold was plentiful, the Chinese were tolerated and well received. As the metal became scarce and competition increased, organized groups demanded that gold was only for Americans. Physical and psychological violence were endured by the Chinese and their claims were forcibly taken; or relegated to areas already mined out. Most, after being forcibly driven, settled into enclaves in cities and took up low end wage jobs in food and laundry services.

Sociologists point to derisive language as an indicator of flawed reasoning about the character and motivation of others. An underlying axiom of sociology recognizes that derogatory forms of speech make erroneous or malicious attributions about the character of a person which scholars classify as Fundamental Attribution Error or Correspondence Bias. This means that a group of people have an unjustified tendency to assume that a person's actions depend on what kind of person that person is, rather than on the social and environmental forces influencing the person.

When labels are made, all the derogatory associations and connotations are tied to it since the label is used for all behavior, actions, physical appearance, attitudes, sentiments, lifestyle, food eaten, clothes worn, facial expression, tone of voice, language and religion of the target race or ethnic group. Labels are cover-ups for the perception of threats to a way of life and feelings of insecurity among the dominant population. They engage in name calling and labeling to demean others to restore their egos and engender feelings of superiority. In short, they delude themselves into thinking they are winners, when these actions they take clearly manifest their descent into wretchedness.

The history of the Chinese Exclusion Act is a classic indicator of this insecurity. Feeling threatened by competition, they forcibly wipe them out, using the argument that gold should only be for Americans. The land belonged to the Native Americans and all whites were illegal immigrants and usurpers. How they can make such laws stick claiming gold which belongs to the Indian tribes is simply a case of numbers and dominance by force. To this day, racial discrimination exists in very subtle forms, despite pretensions to the contrary. Hate and disrespect fuel this racism, but it is not only racism that is subject to hate. Political orientations are also fueled by hate and disrespect using demeaning labels aimed at a particular party or sub-political group. Hate has become so pervasive that it's almost impossible to envision unity. Ironically, it is called the United States when unity within each state is more of an illusion than reality.

As for Joseph Groh, he had weathered a similar attack in 2004, but is currently facing a tougher battle this time as he tries to increase his enterprise by opening in other areas. His attempted opening south of Philadelphia was denied because of protests launched against the name. He may be a victim of the repercussion of a slur that was positively transformed by the owner into a well patronized restaurant. It may be Sam's name, but it remains a slur that does not only denigrate Sam but all other Asian Americans past, present, and future. Chink is not a Chinese style steak and it will never be. Mr. Groh has a far bigger chink in his armor than in 2004. And, as the saying goes, "the chickens have come home to roost".

Haaarrrrwwwwk...Twooooooph...Ting!

Source:
Keith B. Richburg, Washington Post
Wikipedia
Ricky Dungca, US Correspondent