I have been asked both on and off list how Max's making fun of my name is racist. What makes any remark racist is its social context. Calling an Englishman an Englishman is not racist, calling a Chinese a Chinaman is. Making fun of an American name may not be racist in some context, but making fun of a Chinese name is always racist, because in the American cultural context, making fun of Chinese phonetics is a racist act. Calling a American "shorty" may not be racist, but calling a Japanese "shorty" is racist. Calling a Chinese "Charlie" (unless that is his real name) is racist. In the Vietnam War, "I am going get me a Charlie" is a racist remark. Making a joke about watermelon and the Chinese is not racist, make the same joke in relation to America Blacks is racist. To deny that American society is afflicted with racism is a racist attitude. To accuse any minority member of being too sensitive about racism is a racist act. The fact that criticism is couched in racist terms or attitude, does not make it less racist, even if the criticism itself may be valid. It is necessary, in order to communicate, to preface any statement or act which would be perceived as racist, with a caustionary remark, such as "please don't take this wrong... " or something to that effect, rather than putting the burden of proof on the victim. As I have said, the challenge to prove why the remark is racist is more damaging than the remark itself. What a person says does not always have a congruent relationship to how what he said is received. If this is too difficult to understand, or too demanding for the dominant culture, then at least admit that racism is convenience or natural, but don't deny its exsitence. The fact that racism is common sense in America do not excuse it existence. I am not "pissing and groaning" about being a victim of racism as Max claimed in his racist characterization. Henry
