Racist sweets?

[Humes fork]

In a recent op-ed, a Swedish person of Asian origin complained that many(?) Swedes have stereotypical views of Asians and make fun of them. Among the examples he pointed to is the sweets package above, which he felt reinforced the sterotype.

The firm (Fazer) took notice of it and announced that they would redesign it. The word "Kina" [Sheena] is just the Swedish word for China.

My question is, would the package be considered racist or stereotypical in other countries?

As for if Swedes have stereotypical views of Asians, I'm not an Asian so I can't tell how they percieve it. But it's very possible.

 

[Big Les]

Well, it is certainly racially stereotyped, and many would probably consider it racist too, though that is a more flexible concept.

Yellow skin, narrow eyes, coolie hat. Pretty much the stereotypical depiction of a SE Asian.

 

[TubbaBlubba]

Well, it seems a tad anachronistic.

 

[Ryokan]

It certainly is a stereotype (And anachronistic, for sure.), but is it racist?

Since I'm not Asian, I can't decide whether it's proper to be offended by this.. But if it used a stereotype of my ethnic group instead, say a Viking with a horned helmet and a big beard, would I be offended? Not really.

 

[TubbaBlubba]

Since I'm not Asian, I can't decide whether it's proper to be offended by this.. But if it used a stereotype of my ethnic group instead, say a Viking with a horned helmet and a big beard, would I be offended? Not really.

To be fair that's not a very derisive stereotype.


I think it'll be an image problem of the company, first and foremost. I doubt many Asians even think twice about it, but what do I know. Never asked them despite knowing quite a few. Though the non-tough kinds tend to run away.

 

[WildCat]

But if it used a stereotype of my ethnic group instead, say a Viking with a horned helmet and a big beard, would I be offended? Not really.

Are you sure?

 

[ProBonoShill]

I don't think it's racist on it's own, nor do I believe the logo for my favorite pancake mix and syrup is racist.

http://www.auntjemima.com/

If someone made a statement saying: "of course these candies are crap look at what's on the label", that would be racist.

 

[Pup]

I don't think it's racist on it's own, nor do I believe the logo for my favorite pancake mix and syrup is racist.

http://www.auntjemima.com/

Aunt Jemima is an interesting one, because the changing logo came straight from the Jim Crow era up through to the modern world, and one can see the evolution.

What about this? That's the original logo, based probably more on blackface minstrelsy than any real person.

It was softened to variations similar to this for a long while, based on a real model. And that's the point where racism gets tricky.

The message was: black women can cook really well, and our pancakes are that good. Racist, yes. Negative? Not at all. Just the opposite.

Except, it obviously played into the Mammy stereotype, so I think the racism that finally got Aunt Jemima revamped was not because of anything negative about her persona, specifically.

The persona was a successful, competent black woman, just the thing that advertisers would love to have symbolize their products today. The problem was that, based on her clothing and name, she apparently reached that success in the slavery/Jim Crow era, when that was as far as most black women could go, through no fault of their own. So rather than being a symbol of success, she became a symbol of limitations caused by racism, and that was the negative stereotype.

I'm not nearly as familiar with the cultural background of Asian peoples, specially not within Swedish culture, so I don't know if any of that is relevant.

 

[Skepticemea]

That "Aunt Jemima" packaging is a tad reminiscent of "Uncle Ben!"

If you're after racist foodstuffs, you need look no further than Australian cheese.

 

[uk_dave]

If you're after racist foodstuffs, you need look no further than Australian cheese.

 

[Pup]

Just remembered the Arizona Sweet Tea racism controversy. Very strange accusations there. A drawing of an obviously white woman was accused of being black, while most people ignored the fact that an apparently multi-racial man was depicted as having a white wife and owning a plantation in the 1850s-60s:

http://www.snopes.com/racial/business/arizona.asp

Personally, I thought the best way to imagine the drawing was that it showed what the white daughter was doing with the servants while her mother went out visiting.

But regardless, the label got pulled because of racism, probably mostly because it tried to tie the pleasures of drinking sweet tea into the lifestyle of being a rich white slaveowner, and yes, that was dumb. (I really do think the man was supposed to be white and his face was smudged.)

 

[HansMustermann]

It certainly is a stereotype (And anachronistic, for sure.), but is it racist?

Since I'm not Asian, I can't decide whether it's proper to be offended by this.. But if it used a stereotype of my ethnic group instead, say a Viking with a horned helmet and a big beard, would I be offended? Not really.

Dunno about offensive, but I do know one particular Swedish guy who must have told me about a dozen times so far, about how this or that depiction of vikings in horned helmets is stupid, how it would guide a blade, and that generally Vikings were not that stupid, okay? Or how supposedly the vikings were apparently stereotyped as unwashed barbarians, although they had better hygiene than the rest of the world.

So I'd suppose some people find the stereotype offensive or stupid or otherwise annoying. Might not spend their life fighting it, but still...

 

[TubbaBlubba]

Dunno about offensive, but I do know one particular Swedish guy who must have told me about a dozen times so far, about how this or that depiction of vikings in horned helmets is stupid, how it would guide a blade, and that generally Vikings were not that stupid, okay? Or how supposedly the vikings were apparently stereotyped as unwashed barbarians, although they had better hygiene than the rest of the world.

So I'd suppose some people find the stereotype offensive or stupid or otherwise annoying. Might not spend their life fighting it, but still...

Yeah, those stereotypes are a tad annoying.

 

[Ryokan]

Meh, even though most Norwegians know the Viking stereotype is wrong, they still proudly take ownership of that stereotype..

Maybe Swedes are different. You were never proper Vikings anyway, what the hell were you doing mucking around in the Ukraine when there was perfectly good plunder and ravishings to be had in Britain and France?

Where were we? Right, Asians.

 

[Foolmewunz]

That "Aunt Jemima" packaging is a tad reminiscent of "Uncle Ben!"

If you're after racist foodstuffs, you need look no further than Australian cheese.

And let's not forget Cream of Wheat. Why 'tain't nothin' racist 'bout that Massa Charlie.

http://www.authentichistory.com/diversity/african/products/1924_Cream_Of_Wheat_Ad_01.html

Uncle Ben, Aunt Jemima and the Cream of Wheat "chef" are all horrible throwbacks. And they were all blatantly racist, even if understandable for their times. The appeal, originally, was pre-packaged food that was quicker and easier for Mrs. Housewife, well, just like having your own "Slave in a Box" as M.M. Manring's book on Aunt Jemima was titled.

As to the little chinky Chinese person on the snacks? Yes, it's racist. Sweden just doesn't have much of an East Asian minority (not just Southeast Asia as someone mentioned above - China is East Asia). How do you think a bag of instant pita dough would go over in Malmo if it had a hook-nosed arab as its logo?

 

[timhau]

In a recent op-ed, a Swedish person of Asian origin complained that many(?) Swedes have stereotypical views of Asians and make fun of them. Among the examples he pointed to is the sweets package above, which he felt reinforced the sterotype.

The firm (Fazer) took notice of it and announced that they would redesign it. The word "Kina" [Sheena] is just the Swedish word for China.

My question is, would the package be considered racist or stereotypical in other countries?

Since the company making that candy is Finnish, this got a bit of press over here as well. The conclusion our yellow press arrived to basically seems to be "Hey, have a sense of humor, will ya?", which is most definitely a comment they're in no position to make. They themselves will always kick up a real storm if someone abroad as much as looks at us funny.

 

[Nogbad]

I really think one would have to go some to beat the South African gob stoppers called ****** Balls - I believe they changed their name in more recent time to Variety Balls (they started off black and changed colour as you made your way through them).

Edit: Apologies for activating the star device gizmo thing.

 

[Humes fork]

Dunno about offensive, but I do know one particular Swedish guy who must have told me about a dozen times so far, about how this or that depiction of vikings in horned helmets is stupid, how it would guide a blade, and that generally Vikings were not that stupid, okay? Or how supposedly the vikings were apparently stereotyped as unwashed barbarians, although they had better hygiene than the rest of the world.

So I'd suppose some people find the stereotype offensive or stupid or otherwise annoying. Might not spend their life fighting it, but still...

Your friend is right. The Vikings were not very different from other peoples (though Scandinavia at that time was less developed than continental western Europe), and culturally they were not too different from the Anglo-Saxons. The Norse and the Anglo-Saxon languages were close enough so that they could communicate. When the Normans conquered England, there were English nobles, not too fond of Norman feudalism, who left for Scotland and Scandinavia. The Vikings were also great ship-builders, their boats could sail well shallow rivers as well as in the deep oceans. The Vikings did found a colony in Newfoundland, even though it lasted for only a few years. And the Vikings were considered remarkably clean as they washed one day a week (on Saturdays).

So yes, your friend is right that many stereotypes about the Vikings are false. But I don't exactly feel "offended" by them. The thought has never even hit me to feel offended by them.

Maybe Swedes are different. You were never proper Vikings anyway, what the hell were you doing mucking around in the Ukraine when there was perfectly good plunder and ravishings to be had in Britain and France?

Meh... you guys failed to keep any foothold on the British isles, and couldn't even maintain the Vinland colony. The cities we founded (Kiev, Novgorod) still exist into this day.

As to the little chinky Chinese person on the snacks? Yes, it's racist. Sweden just doesn't have much of an East Asian minority (not just Southeast Asia as someone mentioned above - China is East Asia).

Many here of Asian origin were adopted as children. I strongly suspect this is the case for the op-ed author as well, given that he has a Swedish first name as well as a Swedish surname.

How do you think a bag of instant pita dough would go over in Malmo if it had a hook-nosed arab as its logo?

Probably not so good.

 

[TubbaBlubba]

And the Vikings were considered remarkably clean as they washed one day a week (on Saturdays).

This is why the Swedish name of Saturday is "lördag" from "lögardagen" or washing day.

 

[Humes fork]

This is why the Swedish name of Saturday is "lördag" from "lögardagen" or washing day.

I know. But I'm not sure if the English "Saturday" has a similar origin. The rest of their weekdays have the same linguistic origin as ours thought. Tiw is Tyr, Wodan is Odin, and so on.