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[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
I don't see ethnic stereotyping in mascots as racist. The distincyion is subtle, but important.

Racism, as I understand it, is the classic "blacks should be separate" or "whites are more advanced than blacks, etc..." attitudes. It is an offshoot of slavery and the prevailing attitudes that made slavery acceptable in its time. Nobody is saying that Native Americans are less human than anyone else when they use the Seminole mascot. In fact, having read about what warriors, the Seminoles were (fucking up all sorts of Union Troops sent to kill them), its kind of a nod to state heritage, and a bit of a compliment. I mean, here's a school of drunk white kids who have an Indian as their mascot. But that's sort of an aside. My real point is that racism shouldn't be confused with ethnic insensitivity. I think the black/white base of racism is unique, and using the term "racism" to cover things like bad choice of mascots degrades the very specific and ongoing issue of racism that still exists today. I guess, simply put, racism to me is a black/white thing.

I get ticked when I hear people refer to anything as a "new racism" or a "modern Holocaust." I just don't think the two can be used as analogies to ethnic insensitivity. Perhaps I'm being too narrow in my definitions... You could say its nothing more than a semantic objection on my part - that "ethnic insensitivity" and "racism" are interchangeable. But I don't think so.

disengage Seb.

Call it whatever, you wouldn't see a team called the "insert any black or asian handle." This is true regardless of whether it were an insulting name or a "proud" name.