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Tip for racists

posted by [personal profile] benlehman at 11:51am on 01/08/2009
Chinese people can distinguish between "l" and "r" sounds just fine, in fact probably better than English-speakers can. It's only Japanese people that have trouble with it.

If you're going to write stupid racist captions on pictures of the US-China summit, get it right. How can I be offended if you're not going to at least put in a minimum amount of effort on this one?
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There are 15 comments on this entry. (Reply.)
 

A letter from J.Q Racist

posted by [identity profile] judd-sonofbert.livejournal.com at 03:59am on 01/08/2009
Dear Ben,

But they all look so much alike!

Ignorantly,

J.Q. Racist

P.S. Some of my best friends are orienta....I mean, Asian.
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Re: A letter from J.Q Racist

posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 04:06am on 01/08/2009
Tip for telling Chinese politicians apart from Japanese politicians:

If the article says "US-China summit" chances are very high that they're Chinese.

yrs--
--Ben
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(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] denyse.livejournal.com at 04:15am on 01/08/2009
Yeah, the whole 'L' and 'R' thing really annoys me. The number of times I've had to put up with the 'flied lice' joke since coming to america...
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(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 12:48pm on 01/08/2009
Ugh. :(
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(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] karjack.livejournal.com at 04:54am on 01/08/2009
*facepalm*

The overwhelming sense of embarrassment I feel for these people is really cutting into my rage.
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(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 12:48pm on 01/08/2009
Exactly! I can't get angry. It's frustrating.
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(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] yurodivuie.livejournal.com at 09:25am on 01/08/2009
It bugs me when I listen to my japanese lessons; since they aren't sure about the l/r sound, they pronounce loan words like "restaurant' in a way that is sort of midway between an l and an r, so that I can't tell quite how to pronounce it. The same with k/t, and d/t. Actually, I suck at listening.

But I'm pleased to know that the chinese do not have this problem. Informative! This will hone my nascent racism.
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(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 12:47pm on 01/08/2009
Japanese "lr" is actually between English l and r, so you're listening is spot on. You're just listening to a consonant that doesn't exist in English.

yrs--
--Ben
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(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] nekoewen.livejournal.com at 07:37pm on 01/08/2009
The Japanese "r" sound is a... I think the proper term is a flap. It occurs in English only in places like the D in the lazy Americans way of saying "today". There are plenty of things about English that trip up Chinese speakers (and vice versa!), but that's not one of them.
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summercomfort: (Default)

(no subject)

posted by [personal profile] summercomfort at 06:18pm on 01/08/2009
What do you mean all Asians aren't the same? :/

Actually, that's an example I use to try to explain "racism" to Chinese people in China-- "Guess what... In America, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean people are considered the same." Them: ::aghast::
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(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] benhimself.livejournal.com at 01:17am on 02/08/2009
At the place I work, there will occasionally be jobs posted whose requirements include the ability to speak "Asian".

I always like to joke with friends, "Man, that's going to be a tough one!" while dying a little inside that people get paid way more than I do to write that shit.
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(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 06:01am on 02/08/2009
... Wow.
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posted by [identity profile] marcus-sez-vote.livejournal.com at 04:42pm on 02/08/2009
But you'd never see a posting like that asking for someone to speak "European". Very annoying.

Be well.
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(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] alexpshenichkin.livejournal.com at 07:58pm on 01/08/2009
The kind of racism that'll get you on the air or into office pretty much demands asserting ignorance at every turn.

Knowing how to pronounce a foreign word, knowing the difference between Mexico and Honduras, knowing that Chinese and Japanese don't sound the same -- that distances you from "the base". Just knowing things about foreigners or people of color taints you culturally, even if you only learn about them in order to sharpen your hate; you're much better off just making shit up. You have to be constantly asserting that it's your right and duty not to know the Other at all.

-- Alex
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(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] benlehman.livejournal.com at 05:57am on 02/08/2009
Yeah, but I'm addressing this to my peers: random people on the internet.

I understand the politicians have to seek a higher level of ignorance.
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