To the Editor:
As a Caucasian who speaks fluent Chinese, I find it amusing that Chinese in normal conversation will use terms such as “yang guei dz” — foreign devil or ghost, “shao bai gwei” — little white devil or ghost, “Hei Guei” — black devil or ghost, and refer to Americans as “Wai Gwo Ren” — foreigners.
You can go to any Chinese restaurant, party, or reception and hear these terms and many more — and worse — used in very casual conversation in Chinese, both Cantonese and Mandarin, with both educated and uneducated people speaking, yet, there is such outrage at some stupid teenage girl making these gestures?
— William N. Turnbull, Kent
Howie says
It should be obvious that the Chinese have learned from African, Japanese,
Mexican, Muslim and other minorities in this country to act offended at the slightest
little thing they can spin to be racial. They will blow it all out of proportion , or build it from nothing. Americans are extremely vulnerable to this kind of attack. it is our own fault for not telling them where to get off.