I normally reserve my ramblings on here for fluffy, funny things, but this is the first public forum where I can just say what I want to in long form.
So here’s the story of The Sushi Set.
While shopping at Canadian retailer Kitchen Stuff Plus, I came across this: Sushi Set by Joie/MSC International.
When I got to the cash register, the Caucasian guy beside me was buying it. And when the credit-debit machines went down, I actually became enraged while staring at the box. Politely, I said, “Please don’t buy that sushi set.” He said, “Why? It’s not cute and funny?”
No, it’s not cute and funny.
I find this item incredibly offensive, and I’m definitely not the only one who thinks so. People rallied with me, emailing me the manufacturer Joie/MSC International. For all intents and purposes, I can believe that the owner is a wonderfully kind man, but for a fact, he does not see the harm in selling this product outside of East Asia. Apparently, it has been on the market for five years without a complaint. Until mine.
There are lots of people who think nothing of an item like this. Four people told me to “lighten up”, “look the other way”, that I can “choose not to take offence.” But in the last few years since moving away from the multicultural and generally ethnically diverse Toronto, I’ve encountered more cultural ignorance and racial stereotyping than I care to remember. That description is polite. I’m tired of being polite. Call it flat out racism that I’ve encountered.
I’m tired of staying quiet so as not to embarrass someone when they talk about the “coloured people” at a dinner party or how I was too polite (and too shocked) to correct someone who called a Vietnamese man a “Chinaman” because I was in her house. I’m not staying quiet anymore.
Call it a personal agenda. I don’t care. But that sushi set was like a last straw. When people ask me if I (or where did I learn to) speak English, assume that I automatically like tofu, or confuse me for an employee of the local Chinese family-owned dollar store (despite my carrying a purse and keys), having that sushi set on a trusted retailer’s shelves doesn’t help to eradicate ignorance. It spreads it.
The Kitchen Stuff Plus president and I had a very lengthy conversation about the item, and while he commendably and thoroughly took my complaint seriously, he is surrounded by people who do not find the sushi set offensive. He still has to decide whether to de-list the item, but he would still have to sell off the remaining stock.
And in a very strange learning experience, which stemmed from the same conversation, East Asians from East Asia actually go for stuff like this. The item actually sells best in the Richmond Hill and Scarborough locations of Kitchen Stuff Plus where Asian populations are highest. And that the item itself sells extremely well in China.
I would argue that in a culturally homogenous society, sure, if it makes you take ownership of an image like this, then fine. Whatever floats your boat. In fact, Italian-owned company Alessi has a whole line of similarly designed products in partnership with the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. Canadian retailer Gabriel Ross sells Alessi items, but is smart enough to put the box on the website images that clearly state Alessi’s partnership with the Taiwanese museum.
So I’m going to clarify why I find this particular sushi set offensive, and why I don’t think it should be sold outside of East Asia, where Asians are not the majority.
1) This sushi set doesn’t even identify with the correct Asian group. For a Chinese figure to be on a product meant for a Japanese food is the first step on a slippery slope to grouping all Asians into one amorphous mass. While there are some similarities, there are very distinct differences in the language, culture, traditions and history of East Asian nationalities.
2) The composition of the figure bowing subserviently, offering chopsticks, with a bamboo hat and slanted eyes is a throwback to stereotypical and derogatory depictions of the 1800s. This kind of image is associated with denigrating names like “Chink” and “Chinaman” that maliciously categorize the Chinese (and/or Asians if used generally) as lower-class citizens, meek and backward. By singling out a racial group with such a portrayal makes them a target of racism. If the argument is that it’s “cute”, then that’s covert racism.
3) The context for where it is sold can heavily define the acceptance of an image. It’s like an advertisement. Consciously or subconsciously, passersby are being told that it’s okay to think of Asians as an amorphous foreign group. When sold by a mainstream retailer that can support and even define popular culture, ultimately, that only perpetuates derogatory stereotypes and ignorance.
There were lots of people who rallied to support me in my stand against having this on the shelves. Lots shared my link, retweeted, and voiced their outrage. Lots wrote me messages of encouragement and thanks for saying something and bringing the issues to the fore. I’ve made friends and reconnected with others. Thank you.
For what it is, it’s a fight to get one offensive product off shelves outside of East Asia. My campaign is not about boycotting the stores or the manufacturer. I am not asking you to spend money or donate to anything. In fact, I am asking you not to buy something and to discourage others as well. If it makes anyone think about cultural stereotypes and how people are portrayed, that’s a bonus. If it makes anyone educate someone else for the better, that’s an even better bonus.
If you want to speak up, please email the manufacturer at info@msc-international.com. Don’t just tell them that you find it offensive. Tell them why because they don’t understand why.
If you find a retailer that sells it (that is not on this list), please voice your concerns. Tell managers, tell customer service, and tell others, especially through social media.
Target (although not sold in stores)
Vat19
Amazon
Ebay
Ballpoint Penss
Shopping Nexus
