The Asians present of the shirt have straw hats, appear fairly old and work at a laundry service. They also have the last name of Wong. These are the stereotypes that people have of Asians. In the past many of the people in Eastern Asia may have worn straw hats because they farmed in rice fields but not all of them did. There is also the issue that both old Asian men look alike which is another stereotype, that all Asians look alike. Finally, in history many Asians may have also worked at laundry cleaning shops but again not all did.
Some people maintain that a T-shirt like this is meant in good fun, and that it can be embraced as humor by both Asians and non-Asians. What do you think? Should ethnic humor like this be fair game for major corporations like Abercrombie & Fitch? …show more content…
I can look at the shirt in the ways of the people being offended and the people who take it as a joke.
Being grown up in a more diverse area I can understand the humor and how it can be enjoyed by both Asians and non-Asians and how the shirt is really meant as a joke but I can also view it the other way. The stereotypes that are labeled to East Asians like they all wear straw hats or they all work at a laundry cleaning shop affects how people would treat you and its insulting your ethnic culture. In my opinion, ethnic humor should be allowed but not to this extent, at least not yet. If major companies use less stereotypes associated with that race, then the shirts should be fair game. If they use stereotypes like Abercrombie & Fitch did for East Asians, then more people will be upset about the shirt. Maybe later in the future, when there is less stereotypes labeled to Asians, or any ethnic culture, will these jokes be funny to everyone, Asian and or
not.