Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
The Stupid Little Racist, Sexist, Haiku That Won't Go Away
The Stupid Little Racist, Sexist Haiku I am referring to is a poorly, written haiku told by little kids in the playground way back in the day when I was a child. Kids who tell it and tell it often end up going insane. Asian kids get their feelings hurt by this stupid joke, while non-Asian kids who are told this joke laugh real hard about it, causing the playground to become a sea of insanity.
This is the joke and it is a visual joke. It is also a requirement to sing it in a pseudo-Asian style of music and sing it in an annoying high-pitch voice.
Chi-i-nese - "eyes slanted up using your fingers"
Jap-a-nese - "eyes slanted down doing the same"
Dir-ty Knees - "slapping your knees with your hands"
Look-at-these - "pulling your shirt out with your fingers, making you appear that you have a big set of boobies."
I don't know who came up with this haiku. I find it to be racist, sexist, and homophobic, made to offend Asian people. I have read so many articles about this joke using the joke line as a search.
Asian-American bloggers and web site servers tell their experiences in school when this haiku was told to them. It gave some of them a complex. It may them think that they are ugly. Some have discovered what the meaning of the "dirty knees" is all about. My assumption to this haiku refers to the days of the Old American West when the Western Railroad was under construction and the Chinese laborers were the ones building it. Some white Americans didn't like these guys, so they made up any excuse to get rid of them. One of these guys raped a white woman. So, the joke came into being. "Dirty Knees" referring to sex and rape and "look at these" referring to the sexual attraction or prowess. Don't take my word for it. It is only a guess. The dude who told me this dumb joke was from California originally. I was raised in Arkansas where I dealt with prejudices toward blacks by whites. This was something new as a child and to me, this must be "west coast bigotry" instead of "southern bigotry," prejudices aimed toward Asians by whites. At a young age of 1o, I wonder if white people are inherently racist and with me, technically being one of them. Was I suppose to hate and make fun of other people, too, on the basis of the color of their skin, the shape and color of the eyes, their religion, or their sexual orientation? Where was the logic in this? My 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Graham, heard this joke. I admit. I used to tell it. I only tell it around white people. I drove them crazy. The stupid haiku drove me crazy. My teacher just about considered me to perform a concert in front of some customers at a local Chinese restaurant she frequented quite often. That is when it all have to stop. But, I certainly was not the inventor of this joke. Gordy Frederick was the guy who told me this joke. I can never forgive him for doing that. To this day, I still remember it. The dude that shot all those people at Virginia Tech and then shot himself was someone who probably heard and visualized this joke. This might have been something he could never get over. It is a joke either told or heard and heard enough to drive a person insane. The joke is told like a mantra. It can be told over and over again like a Buddhist mantra of some kind, generating hysterical laughter for insensitive non-Asians but very hurtful toward Asians. I wonder if it still told in the school playground today. Why would 9, 10, and 11 year-old children tell it? It describes something that is only meant for mature people who get the idea behind it. Kids get a hold of it and they are laughing over the joker pulling his shirt out.
Like, I've said. I have read articles concerning "Chinese, Japanese, Dirty Knees, Look at These."
Asians and Asian-Americans have expressed hurt over this. And there is a video I have seen where a woman with blond hair tells the joke in front of her group of friends repeating the joke over, and over, and over again. It proves to me that this haiku, as stupid as it is, can lead a person into insanity with no way out. It is the joke that's dangerous to the soul and it is the joke that won't away.
That's all for now. Alhumdulillah. We must speak out against racism where it raises its ugly head.
This is the joke and it is a visual joke. It is also a requirement to sing it in a pseudo-Asian style of music and sing it in an annoying high-pitch voice.
Chi-i-nese - "eyes slanted up using your fingers"
Jap-a-nese - "eyes slanted down doing the same"
Dir-ty Knees - "slapping your knees with your hands"
Look-at-these - "pulling your shirt out with your fingers, making you appear that you have a big set of boobies."
I don't know who came up with this haiku. I find it to be racist, sexist, and homophobic, made to offend Asian people. I have read so many articles about this joke using the joke line as a search.
Asian-American bloggers and web site servers tell their experiences in school when this haiku was told to them. It gave some of them a complex. It may them think that they are ugly. Some have discovered what the meaning of the "dirty knees" is all about. My assumption to this haiku refers to the days of the Old American West when the Western Railroad was under construction and the Chinese laborers were the ones building it. Some white Americans didn't like these guys, so they made up any excuse to get rid of them. One of these guys raped a white woman. So, the joke came into being. "Dirty Knees" referring to sex and rape and "look at these" referring to the sexual attraction or prowess. Don't take my word for it. It is only a guess. The dude who told me this dumb joke was from California originally. I was raised in Arkansas where I dealt with prejudices toward blacks by whites. This was something new as a child and to me, this must be "west coast bigotry" instead of "southern bigotry," prejudices aimed toward Asians by whites. At a young age of 1o, I wonder if white people are inherently racist and with me, technically being one of them. Was I suppose to hate and make fun of other people, too, on the basis of the color of their skin, the shape and color of the eyes, their religion, or their sexual orientation? Where was the logic in this? My 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Graham, heard this joke. I admit. I used to tell it. I only tell it around white people. I drove them crazy. The stupid haiku drove me crazy. My teacher just about considered me to perform a concert in front of some customers at a local Chinese restaurant she frequented quite often. That is when it all have to stop. But, I certainly was not the inventor of this joke. Gordy Frederick was the guy who told me this joke. I can never forgive him for doing that. To this day, I still remember it. The dude that shot all those people at Virginia Tech and then shot himself was someone who probably heard and visualized this joke. This might have been something he could never get over. It is a joke either told or heard and heard enough to drive a person insane. The joke is told like a mantra. It can be told over and over again like a Buddhist mantra of some kind, generating hysterical laughter for insensitive non-Asians but very hurtful toward Asians. I wonder if it still told in the school playground today. Why would 9, 10, and 11 year-old children tell it? It describes something that is only meant for mature people who get the idea behind it. Kids get a hold of it and they are laughing over the joker pulling his shirt out.
Like, I've said. I have read articles concerning "Chinese, Japanese, Dirty Knees, Look at These."
Asians and Asian-Americans have expressed hurt over this. And there is a video I have seen where a woman with blond hair tells the joke in front of her group of friends repeating the joke over, and over, and over again. It proves to me that this haiku, as stupid as it is, can lead a person into insanity with no way out. It is the joke that's dangerous to the soul and it is the joke that won't away.
That's all for now. Alhumdulillah. We must speak out against racism where it raises its ugly head.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Things are okay so far
I'm back on the swing shift and things are okay so far. It is nice to sleep in for a change instead of getting up well before dawn. I have no idea how long I will be doing this. I still do prefer the free time spent in the evenings instead of in the mornings. The best thing I need to do is keep my faith and keep rolling along.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Back to Second Shift onMonday
This week at my job, someone bumped me from first to second shift. I will be back working the swing shift, a shift I don't much care for. It keeps me from nighttime activities and from working during the day and say at the end of it, "my day is done. I can go home." I have been thinking about looking for a new job. It may be time to do so. This situation just plainly stinks. I am flat tired of it. I am going to see what will come of this and if it is not good, I plan to make changes.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Super Tuesday
This is just a note to remind myself that Election Day is tomorrow. What I have to do is work the whole day before sunrise and end the work day in the late afternoon. Then. go to the polls and vote. I already have told you who I may be voting for as few messages back, but tomorrow is very important day in the US; to vote for a candidate to get out of wars in the Middle East and to rebuild this country. This is who I hope to be, but one thing I need to remember. Allah, God, is in control.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
The Muhammad Story
Mr. Estes walked into his library and saw that Thomas was reading the Qur'an. As Mr. Estes sat down he asked Thomas, "Tell me what you know of the prophet Muhammad."
Thomas looked up from his reading and said, "Muhammad was a descendant of the Prophet Ishmael through the lineage of his second son Kedar. Muhammad was popularly known as Al-Ameen for his unimpeachable character. The title Al-Ameen means the Honest, the Reliable and the Trustworthy, and it signified the highest standard of moral and public life. When Muhammad was 40, he was visited by the Angel Gabriel during his one of his many retreats to Mount Hira for meditation. This began a series of revelations that lasted 23 years and were later written down and became known as the Qur'an." Thomas held up the book as added emphasis.
Mr. Estes smiled, "You have learned a lot for a man, who a short time ago was an unbeliever in all things of religion. Have you discovered why the Qur'an is so unique?"
Thomas looked excited, "I have never seen a religion that had in its sacred text a reference to the Big Bang!" Thomas showed it to Mr. Estes, ["Surah al-Anbiya 21:30 "Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together, then We clove them asunder, and made from water every living thing? Will they not then believe?"]
Thomas jabbed away, "The Qur'an reveals the origin of the universe - how it began from one piece - mankind continues to verify this revelation, even up to now. Additionally, the fact that all life originated from water would not have been an easy thing to convince people of fourteen centuries ago! The Big Bang and the Theory of Evolution in one verse! The oldest fossil records are almost 3.6 billion years old and are simply algae."
Mr. Estes was impressed that Thomas had found that much already. "Is there anything in its history that is different from other ancient texts?" Thomas paused and said, "Well, it is the only religion I have found among all your other books and parchments that had an Angel deliver the message."
Mr. Estes stood up but just before he left he said, "That is because God used Muhammad to send a message of repentance to the people of Arabia but he also recorded a warning for the fallen angels."
Thomas brightened, "The Jinn."
Mr. Estes concluded as he left, "Yes, soon the angels who followed Lucifer during the great rebellion will be cat into the great abyss unless they repent. That is why Muhammad was the last of the Prophets. He is the only one God used to both mankind and the fallen angels."
Thomas muttered to himself as he went back to reading, "Now it makes more sense, a message to mankind and the fallen angels."
Thomas looked up from his reading and said, "Muhammad was a descendant of the Prophet Ishmael through the lineage of his second son Kedar. Muhammad was popularly known as Al-Ameen for his unimpeachable character. The title Al-Ameen means the Honest, the Reliable and the Trustworthy, and it signified the highest standard of moral and public life. When Muhammad was 40, he was visited by the Angel Gabriel during his one of his many retreats to Mount Hira for meditation. This began a series of revelations that lasted 23 years and were later written down and became known as the Qur'an." Thomas held up the book as added emphasis.
Mr. Estes smiled, "You have learned a lot for a man, who a short time ago was an unbeliever in all things of religion. Have you discovered why the Qur'an is so unique?"
Thomas looked excited, "I have never seen a religion that had in its sacred text a reference to the Big Bang!" Thomas showed it to Mr. Estes, ["Surah al-Anbiya 21:30 "Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together, then We clove them asunder, and made from water every living thing? Will they not then believe?"]
Thomas jabbed away, "The Qur'an reveals the origin of the universe - how it began from one piece - mankind continues to verify this revelation, even up to now. Additionally, the fact that all life originated from water would not have been an easy thing to convince people of fourteen centuries ago! The Big Bang and the Theory of Evolution in one verse! The oldest fossil records are almost 3.6 billion years old and are simply algae."
Mr. Estes was impressed that Thomas had found that much already. "Is there anything in its history that is different from other ancient texts?" Thomas paused and said, "Well, it is the only religion I have found among all your other books and parchments that had an Angel deliver the message."
Mr. Estes stood up but just before he left he said, "That is because God used Muhammad to send a message of repentance to the people of Arabia but he also recorded a warning for the fallen angels."
Thomas brightened, "The Jinn."
Mr. Estes concluded as he left, "Yes, soon the angels who followed Lucifer during the great rebellion will be cat into the great abyss unless they repent. That is why Muhammad was the last of the Prophets. He is the only one God used to both mankind and the fallen angels."
Thomas muttered to himself as he went back to reading, "Now it makes more sense, a message to mankind and the fallen angels."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)