General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Tackling Asian Privilege [View all]mainer
(12,046 posts)along the lines of comedian Frank DeLima, who skewers every ethnic group with equal zingers.
I'm told that its context is a right-wing mag, which does indeed make it possible that this was meant in all seriousness, in which case it's just stupid and, yes, racist.
But if I were to read this in a Honolulu newspaper, or in Mother Jones, I would definitely take it as humor. Why? First, because of the use of that term "Orientals." It's so completely unacceptable nowadays that it seems to signal parody along the lines of Charlie Chan. When I saw "Oriental," I thought immediately that it had to be satire.
Then, the reference to Mr. Sulu. Surely that's something Frank DeLima would bring up.
Maybe I'm giving the writer too much credit for cleverness. Maybe he is perfectly sincere with this piece, in which case, yeah, he's racist. But it's just so over-the-top that I don't think it's serious.
And for what it's worth, I laughed.