18th January 2003, 9:17 PM
I know I've read that Shaq claims that it was just a joke (and that some people actually believe that), but if it was a joke it was in pretty poor taste... and shouldn't have been said with microphones around at the very least... or, better, not at all...
Oh, and though right now it isn't Asians who are getting most of the insults, historically they did... just look at almost anything about Japan from the 1920s to 40s! US views were VERY racist... it was so normal then to be racist against Asians that many people probably didn't consider it racism to make derogotory statements about Asians. Like it was with Blacks in parts of the country for a long time.
Fortunately most of the modern world is past that... not all, of course. As stuff like this shows.
Oh, and though right now it isn't Asians who are getting most of the insults, historically they did... just look at almost anything about Japan from the 1920s to 40s! US views were VERY racist... it was so normal then to be racist against Asians that many people probably didn't consider it racism to make derogotory statements about Asians. Like it was with Blacks in parts of the country for a long time.
Fortunately most of the modern world is past that... not all, of course. As stuff like this shows.