Spanish men's team causes a stir with offensive ad

Did the Spanish men's basketball team inadvertently poke itself in the eye with an advertisement in a Spanish sports newspaper that shows the team members making slit-eyed gestures?

The controversy began with this story by Sid Lowe, a reporter for Britain's Guardian newspaper. The headline on his piece: "Olympics: Spain's eye-catching faux pas."

El Mundo, one of Spain's largest newspapers, didn't run the advertisement. But it does have a story with a photo (above) of the advertisement question. And the headline for El Mundo's story translates as "Racism or an affectionate gesture?"

Meanwhile, Olympian and Toronto Raptors player Jose Manuel Calderon tries to ease the tension on his website. (Also worthy of note: Calderon, Pau Gasol and the Spanish team on Tuesday upended China, 85-75, in an overtime victory in Olympic basketball play.) Here's part of what Calderon had to say:

I would like to share a story with you about something that happened with the Spanish National Team that someone interpreted incorrectly. It happened in the photo session where the Spanish National Team was introduced; one of our sponsors asked us to pose with a “wink” to our participation in Beijing, we made an oriental expression with our eyes. We thought it was something appropriate and that it would always be interpreted as somewhat loving. Nevertheless some of the European media did not see it this way.

From here I would like to declare that we have a huge respect for the East and their people, some of my best friends in Toronto are from China and one of our Spanish National Team sponsors is the Chinese brand Li Ning. Anyone who would like to interpret this differently is absolutely confused.

Getting back to basketball, now we have to prepare because the next game against Germany will be at nine in the morning, so we have to get up at five. I hope that our “foolish” day is now history.

Hope springs eternal.

-- Greg Johnson

Photo: The Spanish men's basketball team in an advertisement that has sparked controversy over whether it is racist, ill-advised or funny. Credit: El Mundo

Comments

[manawyddan]

I am amazed reading this comments. Do the Spaniards need a lesson?? What have they done? How can the Americans speak of lessons when the most racist people in the world have always been the Anglo-Saxons? We have many examples of that: South Africa, Ireland, the South in the States, and more. Someone has written the Spaniards call South americans "sudacos"? Do I have to detail how many names and nicknames, some of them humilliating, the Anglo-Saxons use to call the non-Caucasians?
Please, at least once, let us be not so hipocrite and cynical as usual!

[Benjamin Erickson]

None of you are spaniards and therefore have no insight apparently into their culture or demeanor.

The fact that americans will take insult at any and all is by now almost a given, but the Spanish have a way of dealing with the world that y'all ain't used to. Their very existence is marked by sarcasm and having to fight for things, just like they've done since the beginning of their days. If you live with them, you realize how their perspective of the world makes sense. If you don't, it's kinda like when the chinese eat dogs and americans throw up at the very thought.

The Spanish attitude is one of good humor and toughness, and they are most usually this way. Get used to it people, they weren't making fun of the chinese, and if they were, it wasn't to offend them.

You americans just happen to be really good at feeling offended.

[Al-Masyaf]

Oh man, how can be say so many stupid words at the same time? Spanish racists??? Who say that? North America People? ENGLISH PEOPLE????? Please be serious!!! You North American are English sons, u have no culture, no roots nothing! u comes from the worst part of old europe, thieves, killers, Ragpickers, Rapists, etc... how u can be able to teach something to the world??? u don't know anything but to kill, to bombard, to invade, to attack any country which don't are agree with your mentality and "way of life". It¡s hillarious that a country like USA, the USA citizen give lessons of urbanism to eurepean people. One day, when your small culture country will have about 3 centuries more, please nock our door. Now, please continue continuing being the capricious clown of the world, that it is the only thing that gives you well...

[Jaime]

I think none of you guys get it, except for El Hombre Malo. Maybe in your country that's racist, but it's not in Spain, and it has never been. So, why are we racists then? And most of you who speak about Spain (yes, my country, in case you were wondering) don't know what you are talking about. "Spanish are racist. Period","I wonder how many Spaniards have a passport?" What the f*** does that mean? I'm sorry, you are free to get as mad as you want with us, but I'm afraid History shows that you are nobody to teach us lessons on racism.
And by the way, I haven't heard that Chinese people find this offensive. Just you guys.

[Jonh]

This photo is nothing to be with the a racism.
I am a Spaniard living in USA since two years and here the people are extremely sensitive with the racial stuff.
Ladies and gentleman in the WORLD exists races: the blacks are blacks and the white are white. For me say afroamerican instead of black is a bullshit. It looks like that you want to avoid the fact that you skin is black. What happens if your skin if black?: NOTHING!! The Americans do not want to speak about that but the black man lives in guetos. This is hypocrisy!!!!!
How many nativeamerican let alive in USA: less than 3%, How many in latin-america? How the racist, the Spanish o the USA?
The world don't finish in America and you should remember: 50% of the current USA belonged to Spain three centuries ago.

[AG]

Let me see?
Hispanics are mostly blacks, indians, and mestizos.
Yeah Sean these people have never experienced genocide or slavery.
Read a history book buddy....
Let me see the word Mexican is the original name of the Aztecs.
When the Spanish arrived there were around 20 million Aztecs and in 50 years less than 2 million survived.
Thats 18 million about 3 times the jewish holocaust and we could also get into the Mayas if you'd like or other groups.
Is that a genocide?
All slave labor was performed by indigenous groups in all of central America, South America and the Carribean.
In certain areas Indians and mestizos survived and had enough numbers to maintain the labor force for example Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala.
The Spanish did not need to import slaves but in other areas especially the carribean most Indians died after about a century from warfare, disease, and the areas smaller geography no areas to be isolated and hide.
The concept no one seems to grasp is that the Spanish are not Anglos.
Anglos historically were extremely racist and puritanical and warred with the Celts for centuries and did not mix with them imagine how they felt about blacks and Indians in the Americas.
Now the Spanish being from the meditteranean viewed things differently not only did they rape and mix with blacks and Indians but married them.
Thats why some Hispanics are a lighter shade and may even look white.
Racism experienced by Jews what they are white and thriving all over the world?
Asians are part of the white establishment and have been for a long time.
They don't have the history of either blacks or Indians in the Americas of genocide and enslavement except the Chinese in California.
Lastly, just so you know Hispanic "Blacks" laugh at American blacks for all your complaining over 150 years of slavery. How about you try 3 to 4 hundred years of slavery like many Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans and still be humble and hard working....
Read some history!!!

[Jose]

I have read a lot of stupid comments here. People from USA must remember, for example, that in USA Muslim people are all considered as terrorist, is it not racism? For USA people in Brazil there are only monkeys and the cities are in the jungle.... The same for the English people.... three years ago British police killed a Brazilian guy because they though that he was a Muslim and these policemen are still free. During 80's and 90's was usually to see at British pubs that was not allowed to entry dogs and Spaniard..... it is not racism? Historically, British and Americans were the most racism people in the world and now they want to insult other cultures because they do not understand them.

[DB]

Sean K- Sean, you can't bet on something you don't know about. If your saying that it's only Latinos and Whites that don't see this as racist just because you argue that these are two superior races compared to the others since we haven't been through mass genocide, holocaust, slavery, etc, then you are completely wrong. Come one man, if you are anything but White/Caucasian in this society, you are likely to experience racism one way or another. You can't say that we aren't subject to racism and oppression just like Asians, Blacks, Jews, etc. We've never experienced indentured servitude, terror, violence? Get your facts straight man! Take a trip to Central America or any 3RD WORLD Latin American country and you'll see that it's something we've been experiencing for the longest time. And don't come here stating that we haven't been through anything and that we accept racism!! That is just plain ignorance!

[Gorka]

Sorry, I'm spanish, I understand it's easier to think of negative things than it is to think of positive things, usually I read and I hear about terrible things about US, here people use to say american people are racist too, go to other countries just to stole petrol or rape girls, and doesn't know anything of another culture.
I'm sure people in US are not like this, and I'm sure US government is not better or worse than Rusia government or another one.
Sometimes is just funny, for example, when I see on an hollywood film the spanish(stupid, from a little town), french(drinking wine), german(cube head or just nazi) , or even chinese stereotype(making kung fu), is not offensive for me,really I don't mind cause this is not the reality, at the same time I know there are US people who knows another cultures, are not KKK fans, has good education, even can speak another language.

[Emiliano]

Next I expect the men's basketball team to cup their chests to mimic having women's breasts. It would be their "affectionate" way to demonstrate that they are horny little bastards.

[Fernando]

I cannot believe that this country can be forced to trust any British paper. The Black Legend is their invention, and now, we must believe that Spaniards are more racist than anyone. Came on, USA is racist, Spain is racist, UK is very racist (I've been living there too), Mexico is racist (against Anglo-Saxons and Spaniards or "Gallegos"), Guinea is racist (against whites, I've been living there too), ... Every country in the world is racist. What we have to understand is that Gasol, next to the other Spanish players, were trying to promote the Olympic Games with their "Spanish" sense of humour, which is different from ours.
The only people who should be offended are the Chinese from China, and if they ask for an apology, the Spanish basket team should give it to them, and only to them.

[Paco]

The column itself and most of the comments posted reveal the lack of knowledge of Spain and its people. Spanish are puzzled about english and US newspapers reactions due to the pictures. That should be sawn as an affectionate gesture to chinese people, because that was the intentionality of the picture. It shoud be said that one of the spanish basketball team sponsor asked the players to put in the photograph like this. It should be said that Li Ning, an sport material company is one of the spanish basketball team sponsor, and they renewed last week their contract. Maybe they (that are chinesse) are not so offended.

I consider the information that you give in your column is quite tendentious, and as I said at the beggining of my post, I think it is because lack of knowledge. I'm not going to say that a part of the spanish society is not racist, but I would like to remark "a part of the society". Because we are very plural, and all the ideas are listened, discused and respected. Please, read carefully the "El Mundo" new, wich headline can be translated as "Racism or an affectionate gesture?". The conservative editorial newspaper is not debating between racism or affection; they are only echoing about the information given by english and US newspapers, and the opinion of Calderón.

[Pepito]

As a Spaniard, I take exception at the suggestions of racism. This is not someone trying to single out an immigrant of Asian origin by making fun of him or her. This is the Spanish basketball team saying in a single image that they are going to be "the Chinese team," a play on words with "the team that will go to China" or "the team that will win the gold in China." Are they intending to mock or ridicule? No. Are they highlighting a defect or handicap? No. I can understand that, sadly enough, immigrants of Asian origin in different parts of the World may have been mocked repeatedly, and this gesture may have been used in the act repeatedly as well. But that doesn't make anyone using it automatically a racist. Is an apology in order? To the extent that there are some that feel offended, of course. Was it a clumsy move? Probably. Is it racist? I find it preposterous to assume that it is. People should go check "racism" in the dictionary. Making a reference to race is -not- automatically racist. Context matters.

[js]

"The Spanish are racist. Period. Anyone who has lived there knows this. It stems from their lack of experience with immigration and other cultures. Most Spanish people are born in their small town, move to Madrid or Barcelona for work, vacation on the Costa del Sol and retire in Baleares. I wonder what percentage of Spaniards have passports." HA HA HA!!

So you read an article and everybody knows all about Spain. I have read many comments but I'm not surprised. Most of people who post a comment in webs like this share this behaviour.

Of course! Go to the States. But do not meet many people! Once you talk to one of them, you can figure how 300 million people are. THAT BEHAVIOUR.

Sure! Go to the UK. Go to France. Go to Spain. Go to China. Go to Russia. Go to Brazil. GET PREPARED, YOU PEOPLE WHO POST. GET PREPARED YOU referred reader. Here they come to teach us how your country is. How your people are. How racist and How dumb you are.

I'm sick of it.

Articles like this make ignorant people post stupid comments. This site should be moderated. This is the real racism. This is the real ignorance. This is how press change the way people think and act.

[Christine Andres]

I am a spaniard and I am shocked and offended, yes, offended, by some articles about Spanish Basket Ball Team insulting Chinese people by making slit-eyed gestures. Nobody here has seen that pictures as offensive, it´s just a funny gesture we all have made sinde we were a child and that just meant to show we feel chinese because we go to the Olympic Games, simple and nice. Some puritan, narrow-minded people may think it´s racist, of course, is it a coincidence that a country that is one of the most racist, but always trying to hide it, the USA, is the leader of the controversy? Maybe that´s just because they have always racism in mind, also simple and not so nice. Fortunately, as the Chinese embassy in Madrid has announced, chinese people are more clever than that and just saw it as it is, just funny and innocent.

Have you asked yourself why Chinese people stay silent about this and only you feed the fire all the time? Why do you see always bad things in innocent ones? Please if you feel guilty about your own feelings, cope with it and leave the rest alone. We may be a small country, but it´s a multicultural one, I live in the same building with south american people, romanian and bulgarian ones, no problems at all, you see problems everywhere, because you have problems, instead of judging us, judge yourself, a country where if you are in the death row and you are black or latin you have far more "chances" to die than if you are white.

Is the hidden reason of that that Spain is the main rival for the Dream Team? Anglosaxon twisted minds...oh dear

[Marie]

Why on earth would it be racist to imitate a racial characteristic? Those players have not insulted anyone. I am (kind of) white. Is Michael Jackson racist because he's tried to be white? Give me a break!

[Magdalena]

I'm Spanish (not from Mexico or Cuba, people, from Spain - Europe). I lived in the USA for 6 years.

There are great people in the USA, I have many dear and good friends but as a country, really you are in no position of giving any tips or lessons on racism or morality. How many programs and ads in American TV made jokes with racial remarks? Apart from some minority group in the States, Americans have a great ignorance of the rest of the world. Yes, Silvie, we have passports and speak other languages. How many Americans do that? Americans love controversy, are sue happy, make a media show out of a tragedy (any hurricane or tornado is turned into a media frenzy extravaganza).

I read some of the comments posted here and I don't know whether to laugh or be angry. I will say this clear and loud and I think I speak for most Spanish: The Spanish basketball team did nothing wrong if they did not offend the Chinese people. The Chinese embassy was called to check and they stated they were not offended.

If you ask for apologies do this first: Apologize to the Native American Indians you brutally killed and put in reservations. Apologize to the Chinese people you used as slaves to build America's railroad. Apologize to the African Americans for the years of slavery and racist treatment – yeah, seat on the back of the bus or no, you cannot eat or drink in my restaurant. Apologize to the Americans of Japanese origin you put in jail after Pearl Harbor. Apologize to the Irish Catholics that were treat it like dirt and portrayed as drunken fools. Apologize to the Muslims living in the States because in your eyes there are all terrorists. Apologize to the thousands of hard working immigrants you treat like second class citizens every day. And the list can go on and on.
So, NO, I don’t think we should apologize. PERIOD.

[MM]

It is quite interesting the countries that permitted racial segregation until the 20th century (USA and UK in South Africa) are the ones naming racist another country it is clear they don't have intention to know.

being black, yellow, white, big eyes or slit eyes is not offensive, It is what we are all. Those who are seeing this as offensive is because they think being like that is horrible, so I am sorry, you, americans are the racists. By the way, are you bored of your lives to spend so much time in these crap comments?

[Luis]

It is quite hilarious when people here say that Spaniards are racist but them start talking about this "little County in the middle of nowhere", wondering how many Spanish people have passport (when it is a fact that the US citizens are the one of lowest passport ratio in the Occidental world), just Anglo-Saxon twisted mind working

Regarding the one said that reads a lot talking about how Spaniards killed Aztecs or Maya, once one thing to say to this "genius", most of the Latin American people died from flu or other diseases not killed by anyone, you only have to ask any Latin American who knows just a little bit of History(as an example Pizarro's army was composed by 13 people, what a huge holocaust you can do being 13) and by that way, I can ask you, What happened to the Indian people when Americans decided to move to the West?

Every Country has its own Culture, for example Spanish has 2,000 years of Historical heritage with a real mixture of people and cultures (Roman, Greek, Muslims etc), How many years has the US culture and of how many cultures is composed?

[Vicente]

I'm Spanish, I live in Spain (rural area) and I think we are not racists and that gesture from the Basketball team is just affectionate. English and American medias have intentionally misinterpreted it for several reasons, some people have already mentioned in these comments.
I have travelled to many different countries all over the world and one was the USA. I was in Tampa (FL) and I remember the pice of advice that a friend of mine told me (she was American) before going: "When telling your origing don't forget to say that you are European because they are going to think you are South American, and that's bad"

[Marcial]

Any Nike tv publicity is more racist and stupid and you don't say a word about it. Do you remember that one with Yao doing tai chi? Of course he never talks in the publicities, I supose because the american publicists thinks he's chinese, and speaks in a"strange way". And, as chinese, the only thing he can do in a publicity is tai chi (cause the slam dunks is just something than kobe and lebron can do... isn't?).

Apart from that, most of Hollywood films, the embassadors of american culture all over the world, doesn't represents the real demography in the States and uses cliches all the time with the diferent races (the tough black man, the silly asian, and, of course, the white hero).

Do you really think you can give lessons about racism, americans? You, that just had white Presidents in 200 years of inmigrators, you that still have ghettos in your cities, you that make all the foreigners citizens feel like criminals when we go there as tourists, you that have killed millions of innocent people all around the world in the last 50 years just to preserve your economy? Even when it's obvious that LA is the city in the States where there are more inmigrants and live together with no many problems, I really would like to know if the Direction of this newspaper represents the % of the diferent races there... I'm sure It doesnt.

I have much pain about all this, cause its obvious that people from different parts of the world can't live together in peace with people like you, Greg Johnson, that try to confrontate us just for stupid things...

Ah! Now you can laugh and make comments about my "strange" way of speaking english (you will be not the first ones americans to do it, I tell you...). You "warriors" of the rights for the no american people...

[Alrome]

May I say something? I'm Spanish, and Spain is not racist at all. If you see racism in that picture... Ain't know want to think.

First apologize by the wars and human rights broken for your own country. Then we talk about racism you see. We and Chinese people only see a spot picture.

Gasol won't say sorry because he do nothing. Are you afraid about the Saturday's match against Spain?

See you ;)

[MMR]

I'm really scared with some of the posts included here...It's sad to read how people who hasn't even been or lived in Spain are able to say that A WHOLE COUNTRY that they don't even know is racist. Isn't that racism or xenophobia? I honestly think that such a generalization denotes certain degree of ill will towards the people from Spain. I assume that those of you who think like that, anytime you meet a Spanish will think of him that he is a racist just because he's Spanish.
No matter how many times this absurd incident has been clarified by the Spanish players, there's people insisting on seeing Spain as a racist country.
People, and not countries, are racist. By the way, I've met lots racist in the US and much more in the UK and that doesn't convert the whole Americans or Brits into racists...
What really causes stir to me is the way it has been deliberately brought up by the British press that is obsessed with inisiting on characterising Spain as racist country. Of course, that doesn't stop loads of Britons to keep on going to Spain (the most racist country in the world) to drink all what they can, urinate in the middle of the streets, and do the things they are not able to do in their home country. Luckily, Spaniards are intelligent enough to know that not all the Brits are like that

[Luis]

How can you say this is racism?

Imagine USA national basket team making a similar ad for Madrid 2016 (sorry Chicago xDD). They're characterized as bullfighters. Is that racism? No. That's an and to show how NBA stars sympathise with Spain. Period.

Now apply that with Spain and the narrow-eyes. They're trying to sympathise with chinese people. Chinese people have understood it, but I think "The Guardian" is resentful with Spain (don't know the reason, but they've made several articles attaking Spain).

So, yeah, I live in Madrid, Spain, and Gasol has nothing to apologize for. He just should explain what the ad means. How can anyone seriously think Spain National Basket team would make a racist ad?

A lot of people should check the dictionary searching for the word "metaphor".

[Jaime]

The only clear thing is that american people think asian eyes are a defect... Who are the racists? Apologize you with Pau Gasol, the Chinese embassy in Madrid has said it isn't racist or offensive.