America politicians use China fear mongering ads to get elected Options

[Mid-Night_Sun]

remember this?

Chinese Professor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTSQozWP-rM


now its worse.

Now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxw4uZAezaI

we have some asian fob on a bicycle and a rice patty hat speaking in broken english.

as usual they claim the actors are Chinese. as if it made it less offensive. really its irrelevant. what is obvious is how no chinese/overseas chinese/overseas asian seems to think these ads are a problem.

This post has been edited by Mid-Night_Sun: Feb 7 2012, 02:34 AM

[oolong]

At least shes hot.

[Yerroperil]

At least she isn't saying "me so horny me rove you rong time"...

[LoveNStrife]

The US has broader freedom of speech protection than Canada. This is why they can make this kind of ad. Plus, no one cares if the Chinese community complains there, because it's much smaller and less influential than in Canada.

[devils666]

The US has broader freedom of speech protection than Canada. This is why they can make this kind of ad. Plus, no one cares if the Chinese community complains there, because it's much smaller and less influential than in Canada.

Canada is better than America

This post has been edited by devils666: Feb 7 2012, 10:04 AM

[newties21]

Chinese Americans need to deliver a voice and protest the ad, otherwise it would be acceptable and OK to create depictions and images which can create negative environment and promote racial stereotyping, othering, xenophobia, and make Chinese Americans encounter gradual difficulties in their daily life.

Seems like Chinese American groups in America are weak.
If Chinese Americans stay in America and intend to stay on, and want better future for their next generations, they need to watch out for their safety and security and rights.
Nobody is going to speak up for them if they dont do it themselves.

Dont think these types of ads dont have any psychological impact.

By the way,
The girl is not FOB in any way. One look you can see she is a typical California girl.
So now by appearing in this ad, California girls, Asian-American people in general, are imprinted in peoples minds as "foreign job stealers"
It doesnt even have to be logical or rational, this is how the subconscious mind works, this is how ads work, and people wont take the bother to separate between "good local Asian Americans" or "Chinese in China"

So either Chinese Americans speak up, or otherwise just accept a slippery slope and accept being a target.

The situation is complicated due to politics and the foreign policy factor.
But Chinese Americans is a component group living in America.
Some of these friction in politics and foreign policy area is going to seep into the very real and very tangible local domestic racial dynamics.
Such as in this case of this particular ad.
What to do about it when that happens ?
I think Chinese Americans need to speak up and object.
Remember, if you dont speak up, who will defend you and your children ?
It's tough living as a minority but you must do things and go the extra mile, that is the cost living as a minority.

Btw this is the website of the ad:

http://www.debbiespenditnow.com/#

That includes....Chinese letters, teacup, lantern, lion dance, traditional door, and of course, a California Chinese girl with a bad fake accent.
If you think the welfare and wellbeing of Chinese Americans is not affected by these ads you havent understood how race riots happen.

[elleX0]

Chinese Americans need to deliver a voice and protest the ad, otherwise it would be acceptable and OK to create depictions and images which can create negative environment and promote racial stereotyping, othering, xenophobia, and make Chinese Americans encounter gradual difficulties in their daily life.

Seems like Chinese American groups in America are weak.
If Chinese Americans stay in America and intend to stay on, and want better future for their next generations, they need to watch out for their safety and security and rights.
Nobody is going to speak up for them if they dont do it themselves.

Dont think these types of ads dont have any psychological impact.

By the way,
The girl is not FOB in any way. One look you can see she is a typical California girl.
So now by appearing in this ad, California girls, Asian-American people in general, are imprinted in peoples minds as "foreign job stealers"
It doesnt even have to be logical or rational, this is how the subconscious mind works, this is how ads work, and people wont take the bother to separate between "good local Asian Americans" or "Chinese in China"

So either Chinese Americans speak up, or otherwise just accept a slippery slope and accept being a target.

The situation is complicated due to politics and the foreign policy factor.
But Chinese Americans is a component group living in America.
Some of these friction in politics and foreign policy area is going to seep into the very real and very tangible local domestic racial dynamics.
Such as in this case of this particular ad.
What to do about it when that happens ?
I think Chinese Americans need to speak up and object.
Remember, if you dont speak up, who will defend you and your children ?
It's tough living as a minority but you must do things and go the extra mile, that is the cost living as a minority.

Btw this is the website of the ad:

http://www.debbiespenditnow.com/#

That includes....Chinese letters, teacup, lantern, lion dance, traditional door, and of course, a California Chinese girl with a bad fake accent.
If you think the welfare and wellbeing of Chinese Americans is not affected by these ads you havent understood how race riots happen.

American Chinese prefer to keep low profile.

[newties21]

I understand......keeping low profile is good....but only for certain circumstances and you must know when too much is too much.....otherwise if you keep quiet all the time.....you are just forsaking the wellbeing of your people and your next generations.....

[elleX0]

I understand......keeping low profile is good....but only for certain circumstances and you must know when too much is too much.....otherwise if you keep quiet all the time.....you are just forsaking the wellbeing of your people and your next generations.....

That is the trouble with Chinese Culture. In China, if you speak out too much you will be branded a revolutionary and you will be arrested and put in prison. If you try to rally people by speaking out to get people agitated you are a revolutionary and you will be imprisoned. If you join the army, you are likely to be killed. So Chinese parents teach their children to keep their mouth's shut and do not get involved in politics or dissent groups. That is why most Chinese stay out of trouble because that is the way they were brought up.

But today, with the advent of the World Wide Web, communication is instant and world wide and no government can control thoughts any longer. But you will find that a large percentage of Chinese will still not speak out. Until they cannot stand the situation any longer then there is a revolution.

Freedom of Speech is good provided it is not inciting riots. The government gets a chance to monitor the mood of the people, but that can only occur when the government has confidence in her own security services.

[LoveNStrife]

While I'm not one to indulge in demographic fantasies, the crucial difference between Canada and the US is that the Chinese community is big in cities like Toronto and Vancouver. It's a major component of Canadian society. In the US, with the exception of San Francisco, we just aren't as big.

I have been in Vancouver all my life. My experience is that when your group is small, then you tend to keep your culture to yourself. When your group gets past a certain proportion of the population, not only are other people forced to get along with you, but your culture becomes far more open and expressed. Then you are more able to assert yourself.

Back in the days, people weren't as proud to be Chinese as they are today, whereas these days, people want to appear more Chinese than they actually are.

(The above does not intend to detract from the efforts of our allies within other ethnic groups in Canadian society.)

My friends from the southern United States is that the same thing happened with Hispanics there. People didn't get along with Hispanics back in the days. They still don't get along with Hispanics now, but they are forced to get along with them because there are just so many. (E.g. You wouldn't be able to function in society, if you cannot be civil with them.)

This is why when I read Asian American concerns - even the ones I like, such as Frank Chin - I feel that they are not seeing the big picture. You can talk all you want about asserting your identity, but things won't really change unless your community gets to a certain size.

The problem with Chinese people is that they don't have kids. This is because Chinese parents in both Canada and the US have this vision of their sons and daughters entering the upper-middle class by becoming doctors or lawyers. Therefore, I believe that while in Canada, the Chinese community will become a major player in the country, in the US, it will always remain on the margin.

[elleX0]

While I'm not one to indulge in demographic fantasies, the crucial difference between Canada and the US is that the Chinese community is big in cities like Toronto and Vancouver. It's a major component of Canadian society. In the US, with the exception of San Francisco, we just aren't as big.

I have been in Vancouver all my life. My experience is that when your group is small, then you tend to keep your culture to yourself. When your group gets past a certain proportion of the population, not only are other people forced to get along with you, but your culture becomes far more open and expressed. Then you are more able to assert yourself.

Back in the days, people weren't as proud to be Chinese as they are today, whereas these days, people want to appear more Chinese than they actually are.

(The above does not intend to detract from the efforts of our allies within other ethnic groups in Canadian society.)

My friends from the southern United States is that the same thing happened with Hispanics there. People didn't get along with Hispanics back in the days. They still don't get along with Hispanics now, but they are forced to get along with them because there are just so many. (E.g. You wouldn't be able to function in society, if you cannot be civil with them.)

This is why when I read Asian American concerns - even the ones I like, such as Frank Chin - I feel that they are not seeing the big picture. You can talk all you want about asserting your identity, but things won't really change unless your community gets to a certain size.

The problem with Chinese people is that they don't have kids. This is because Chinese parents in both Canada and the US have this vision of their sons and daughters entering the upper-middle class by becoming doctors or lawyers. Therefore, I believe that while in Canada, the Chinese community will become a major player in the country, in the US, it will always remain on the margin.

You are probably right. What is the point of making a nuisance of oneself in a country where one is a minority anyway? the Best thing is to prove yourself better qualified and better informed than everyone else and earn their respect for knowing about things in an intelligent way and not in an emotional way.

[LoveNStrife]

You are probably right. What is the point of making a nuisance of oneself in a country where one is a minority anyway? the Best thing is to prove yourself better qualified and better informed than everyone else and earn their respect for knowing about things in an intelligent way and not in an emotional way.

The way I see it, in both the US and Canada, there are three groups of Chinese people. First, you have those who are still live in a Chinese world - They hang out with other Chinese people, watch Chinese TV, etc. Second, you have those who on the one hand are westernised, but on the other hand identifies as Chinese or Asian - They hang out with other westernised Chinese people, but they watch English TV. Third, you have those whose primary society is "mainstream society", e.g. white people. Of the third group, there are some who identify as Chinese or Asian - sometimes very strongly - and some who prefer assimilation.

The first group of people aren't going to make a fuss, because they don't care - They live in their Chinese world with minimal interaction with "mainstream society". The second group might care a little, but as long as they have their westernised Asian society, they aren't seriously impacted. It's only the third group of people who have something at stake, and sometimes they make a fuss, but they are quite few compared with either other Chinese groups or "mainstream society".

I believe that many of the "angry Asian men" out there belong to the third group. Their primary society is white people, and so they are disproportionately impacted by every small thing white people do. While I can try my best to sympathise with their concerns, I find that I often can't relate to them, because the issues they are concerned with often seem quite insignificant to me.

...

But relating back to the ad in the OP, another reason, I believe, why this kind of thing can happen in the US but not in Canada, is because the Chinese community in Canada is relatively well-mobilised, especially people who belong to the second group. I don't know the precise history of this, but my understanding is that a lot of Chinese Canadian institutions were formed back in the 80s. This is why when Maclean's published that article on Chinese students in Canadian universities, all those groups immediately mobilised and demanded an apology.

This post has been edited by LoveNStrife: Feb 7 2012, 02:14 PM

[WoahZtong]

Bit off topic but some of you guys who think she's 'hot' have embarrassingly low standards

[faydabakery]

Newties - you do not know enough about Asian Americans.

That is the trouble with Chinese Culture. In China, if you speak out too much you will be branded a revolutionary and you will be arrested and put in prison. If you try to rally people by speaking out to get people agitated you are a revolutionary and you will be imprisoned. If you join the army, you are likely to be killed. So Chinese parents teach their children to keep their mouth's shut and do not get involved in politics or dissent groups. That is why most Chinese stay out of trouble because that is the way they were brought up.

But today, with the advent of the World Wide Web, communication is instant and world wide and no government can control thoughts any longer. But you will find that a large percentage of Chinese will still not speak out. Until they cannot stand the situation any longer then there is a revolution.

Freedom of Speech is good provided it is not inciting riots. The government gets a chance to monitor the mood of the people, but that can only occur when the government has confidence in her own security services.

This is more true with the older Chinese generations. They never want to be involved in politics. Then just want to be "safe." But its good that things have changed. And this ad is out of Michigan of all places. It doesn't get more middle America than that. People in the US are already attacking the ad:

http://www.freep.com/article/20120207/NEWS...l-insensitivity

Republican Pete Hoekstra's first major ad of Michigan's 2012 political campaign season -- aired before and during the Super Bowl -- was a doozy, drawing sharp criticism for racial insensitivity from Democrats, Republicans and civil rights advocates.

Hoekstra, a former Republican congressman from Holland, stood his ground Monday, saying the ad did what he wanted: It drew a clear contrast between himself and Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

The ad features an Asian woman riding a bike along a rice paddy, speaking in broken English and thanking "Michigan Senator Debbie Spend-It-Now" for her spending and resulting U.S. borrowing from China.

"We knew we were taking an aggressive approach on this, but we're in a time when people are fed up with the spending and we wanted to capture that frustration," Hoekstra said. "It hits Debbie smack-dab between the eyes on the area where she is most vulnerable."

Republican political consultant Mike Murphy, who worked for former Gov. John Engler, tweeted Sunday: "Pete Hoekstra Superbowl TV ad in MI Senate race really, really dumb. I mean really."

The Rev. Charles Williams II of the King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit called on Hoekstra to apologize and pull the ad. If he doesn't, Williams said ministers would begin calling Hoekstra's campaign contributors to urge them to withdraw support.

"The imagery in the ad is no different than the folks who had to put blackfaced paint on and tap dance," he said. "This whole thing makes me so sad because Hoekstra really doesn't get it."

The Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote's Michigan chapter said in a statement, "The use of these stereotypes is counter to the progress our country has made over past decades."

H. Sook Wilkinson, chairman of the Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, a department of the state Department of Civil Rights, said the ad could dissuade tourists, business owners and students from coming to Michigan.

"This advertisement is counterproductive to the state's efforts to make immigrants from all parts of the world feel welcome," he said.

Stabenow, who spoke with reporters Monday, said Hoekstra should be embarrassed.

"We had a Super Bowl with a lot of creativity and fun ads and we had another ad from Chrysler about how we're coming back," she said. "And Pete Hoekstra took us in the exact opposite direction."

Stabenow's campaign cited the "nasty, hypocritical" ad in a fund-raising e-mail to supporters Monday, asking for people to sign an online petition against the ad and make donations of at least $10 to help the campaign fight back.

Recent campaign finance reports show Stabenow, as of Dec. 31, had about $6 million in cash available, while Hoekstra had $1.5 million.

Using China as a punching bag is not new to Michigan campaigns.

Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm pounded Republican gubernatorial candidate d!ck DeVos in 2006 for closing a plant in Michigan and opening one in China. The commercials used photos of Asian people working in factories and helped Granholm to a 56-42% victory over DeVos.

The state Democratic Party also aired ads on the same theme that year, employing a loud gong, followed by a Chinese instrumental and pictures of a distinctly Chinese riverfront to accentuate its point.

"When Granholm did that to DeVos, I thought we were done with China," said political consultant Craig Ruff. "Why is it that elections in Michigan are based in China? Elections ought to be about Michigan."

And Republican political consultant Tom Shields of Market Resource Group in Lansing said while the commercial raises a legitimate issue of the U.S. being so heavily in debt to China because of out-of-control spending, "Any time you depict an ethnic group in a poor light in a political commercial, you're going to catch some heat."

But Hoekstra said the ad, filmed in California and featuring an actress whose parents are Chinese, was only insensitive to Debbie Stabenow.

"The Chinese benefit from the recklessness of U.S. spending. It doesn't criticize the Chinese," he said.

The ad aired during Super Bowl coverage in six markets across the state. It was produced by Fred Davis of Strategic Perception, who also made ads for 2010 Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell, who became known for her "I am not a witch" commercial. Hoekstra's commercial is scheduled to run for two weeks on cable stations across the state.

[Boron]

The way I see it, in both the US and Canada, there are three groups of Chinese people. First, you have those who are still live in a Chinese world - They hang out with other Chinese people, watch Chinese TV, etc. Second, you have those who on the one hand are westernised, but on the other hand identifies as Chinese or Asian - They hang out with other westernised Chinese people, but they watch English TV. Third, you have those whose primary society is "mainstream society", e.g. white people. Of the third group, there are some who identify as Chinese or Asian - sometimes very strongly - and some who prefer assimilation.

The first group of people aren't going to make a fuss, because they don't care - They live in their Chinese world with minimal interaction with "mainstream society". The second group might care a little, but as long as they have their westernised Asian society, they aren't seriously impacted. It's only the third group of people who have something at stake, and sometimes they make a fuss, but they are quite few compared with either other Chinese groups or "mainstream society".

I believe that many of the "angry Asian men" out there belong to the third group. Their primary society is white people, and so they are disproportionately impacted by every small thing white people do. While I can try my best to sympathise with their concerns, I find that I often can't relate to them, because the issues they are concerned with often seem quite insignificant to me.

...

But relating back to the ad in the OP, another reason, I believe, why this kind of thing can happen in the US but not in Canada, is because the Chinese community in Canada is relatively well-mobilised, especially people who belong to the second group. I don't know the precise history of this, but my understanding is that a lot of Chinese Canadian institutions were formed back in the 80s. This is why when Maclean's published that article on Chinese students in Canadian universities, all those groups immediately mobilised and demanded an apology.

For 3rd group north america is their only possible home, definitely the sensitivities are different (and to me boring and not relevant as well). Yeah I don't like the ad but I don't relate much to its characters. The actors are from that 3rd group and they will be hit hardest socially.

[WoahZtong]

For 3rd group north america is their only possible home, definitely the sensitivities are different (and to me boring and not relevant as well). Yeah I don't like the ad but I don't relate much to its characters. The actors are from that 3rd group and they will be hit hardest socially.

Is the '3rd group' the most assimilated?

[Boron]

Is the '3rd group' the most assimilated?

according to mr surrender, it's defined as "many of the "angry Asian men" out there belong to the third group. Their primary society is white people, and so they are disproportionately impacted by every small thing white people do."

[InitialDJay]

chinese american and usa are like a working relationship, a partnership between employee/employer. most come here to take the opportunity to maximize america great resource and most pay back with tax, skill, and conduct as a good minority citizen. being assimilated into mainstream culture and politics is not that important since most aren't that loyal or feel connected to this country. pretty sure if america is invaded, most will quickly left. and if china is in a war conflict with america, the US will put them in a concentration camp like they did to japanese american who was loyal to the US. it's part of racial distinction that is very be hard to change despite what the US stands for imho.

[Boron]

that ... is weird but right.

I suppose this forum is 100% group 2, or close to it.

This post has been edited by Boron: Feb 8 2012, 01:46 AM

[InitialDJay]

that ... is weird but right.

I suppose this forum is 100% group 2, or close to it.

what is group 2, boron? lol