The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) is asking folks to take action against the above campaign publicizing a new Asian fusion restaurant owned by Chow Fun Food Group, Inc.
Thankfully, because of the outcry over the ad - it's been pulled by Chow Fun Food Group owner John Elkhay. But NAPAWF says that's just the first step.
NAPAWF denounces the Chow Fun Food Group for leveraging, in this marketing campaign, the lowest common denominators of Asian female exoticism and the commodification of a generalized Asian culture. NAPAWF is also disturbed by the flippancy with which the restaurant appropriated the name "Chinese Laundry" without recognition of the significance that line of business played in Chinese American history and oppression.In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Chinese Americans were largely forced to enter the laundering business due to intense discrimination that closed the door of opportunity to most other forms of work. Chinese Americans came to be associated with the laundry business because, as with railroad work during the mid-19th century, it was one of the few available industries that Chinese workers could enter into to pursue a livelihood. Mr. Elkhay clearly missed the mark in naming his restaurant "Chinese Laundry" to "honor the time honored traditions of those before us," as Mr. Elkhay has stated.
Similarly, the advertisements' evocations of passive, faceless hypersexuality resurrect the struggles that Asian American and Pacific Islander women have historically fought against. For centuries, Asian American and Pacific Islander women have been represented as objects of submission, foreignness and sexual exoticism. The advertisement is proof that this "orientalism" continues today.
Sign this petition calling on Elkhay to issue a formal apology and discontinue this "business practice."
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Thank you for posting this. I have seen this on other AA/API blogs and listservs I belong to/read and am happy to see it posted here. It is so frustrating that ads and stereotypes like these can "work" and sell products, but kudos to NAPAWF for getting it pulled.
And I'm with them on the offensive name. Wasn't there (or is there) a brand of shoes called that?
I understand the concern about the name of the restaurant, and yes they should have thought more carefully about it. But my impression is that it is borrowed from Thomas Keller's high-profile "French Laundry" restaurant.
http://www.frenchlaundry.com/frenchlaundry.htm
Whenever you create an ad campaign that uses images of people of another culture -- and nearly every ad does use images of somebody -- you have to consult people who identify with this culture in a focus group. This is the only pro-active solution to SNAFUs like this.
I do not doubt that "Wonderwoman's" account of the restarateur's "innocent" intentions is accurate. But cultural sensitivity requires more than a lack of malice, that is, more than what we commonly think of when we use the word "sensitivity." It requires cultural background knowledge -- like the history lesson that NAPAWF has provided here.
When advertisers think to consult groups like NAPAWF beforehand -- then we'll move a giant step forward.
But my impression is that it is borrowed from Thomas Keller's high-profile "French Laundry" restaurant.
I'm unclear on how that would be "honor the time honored traditions of those before us," though. Also, as you point out, even if that were the case, they still should have thought more about it, and recognized that "Chinese Laudnry" has a very different history than does "French Laundry".
Whenever you create an ad campaign that uses images of people of another culture -- and nearly every ad does use images of somebody -- you have to consult people who identify with this culture in a focus group. This is the only pro-active solution to SNAFUs like this.
I do not doubt that "Wonderwoman's" account of the restarateur's "innocent" intentions is accurate. But cultural sensitivity requires more than a lack of malice, that is, more than what we commonly think of when we use the word "sensitivity." It requires cultural background knowledge -- like the history lesson that NAPAWF has provided here.
When advertisers think to consult groups like NAPAWF beforehand -- then we'll move a giant step forward.
*petition signed*
Gracias! Migwech!
There is a shoe company that's been around forever named "Chinese Laundry," which always struck me as slightly offensive and I couldn't put my finger on why. Now it makes sense. There's been no outcry over this company, though - possibly because they haven't campaigned using a naked, headless woman.
The one itty bitty silver lining for me: she's not super sickly skinny.
Petition signed. That was an excellent letter on the petition by the way.
"But cultural sensitivity requires more than a lack of malice, that is, more than what we commonly think of when we use the word "sensitivity." It requires cultural background knowledge -- like the history lesson that NAPAWF has provided here."
jakobfabiano1 - very well put!
You can tell Elkhay directly how you feel by commenting on his blog: http://chowfunfoodgroup.com/blog/. By all means, sign the petition, but he seems to reply directly to commenters on his blog. Could be an interesting exchange.
I actually used to work for Chow Fun at another restaurant. The print ad began in October, I believe , throughout local outlets. In the past they have used the same concepts to publicize the other restaurants, including a billboard with a similar picture. I ran across the ad while working at the restaurant Big Fish (now Rick's Roadhouse). The manager and others there found no problem with the ad, they thought it was fantastic. Nobody minded the blatant sexism and racism. Then again, the restaurant business often thrives on both.
There are five restaurants total in the corporation, XO, 10, Citron and Rick's Roadhouse. For those in the Providence area, join me in boycotting these restaurants.
The Angry Asian Man has been following this story for a bit and has some nice summaries of events.
http://www.angryasianman.com/2008/03/chinese-laundry-update.html
Also, is anybody else made uncomfortable by just how small that "censor" bar is? The whole thing is just super pornographic (in a bad way); the only things missing in that image are two areolae and some pubic hair.
I think that I would be turned off on the restaurant even if I wasn't a race-conscious feminist.
"The one itty bitty silver lining for me: she's not super sickly skinny."
Same here. It's especially itty bitty since I realized that not making her look super sickly skinny was probably less "let's not pressure women to starve themselves" than "we sell food"...
Elkhay has not learned a thing from this hoopla over the sexist/racist ad. At his opening, he served sushi on a prone woman. From his website http://chineselaundryri.com/press.php
"For the VIP party only, Elkhay outfitted that private dining room with a model, scantily clad in red silk, to serve as a live platform for the wide selection of sushi that was set down on leaves. Imagine if the angry blogger saw that scene? Once the model left, another female, wrapped in a sheet, appeared, only this one was a photograph, larger than life-size, embossed on the table.
On the top floor is the “O� Ultra Lounge with another bar as well as low to floor red chairs and a bed-like couch. Two restrooms in the restaurant have television sets that show kung-fu movies from the ’70s (with subtitles). "
Kung-fu movies are another topic altogether.