>:^|
12-10-2003, 03:21 PM
Dear Friends,
I am writing to you about an issue that has been disturbing me
greatly in the recent weeks. Lifeway, a Christian resource supplier,
has chosen "Rickshaw Rally" for its 2004 vacation bible school
theme. "Rickshaw Rally" has been approved for use by the Southern
Baptist Convention (one of the biggest denominations in the country),
and Lifeway's products are used in thousands of other churches on a
regular basis.
However, "Rickshaw Rally" perpetuates stereotypes and misconceptions
about Japan and about people of Asian descent. As a result,
children's first exposure to Japan will be one that is grossly
misleading.
Some of the more offensive depictions in the curriculum include the
following:
- Animation of a little slant-eyed man wearing a cone hat and
pajamas, who pulls a rickshaw, grinning. This is an image that dates
back a hundred years or more, and has long been used to dehumanize
people of Asian descent.
- Prominent positioning of the rickshaw, a device not used in Japan
except as tourist entertainment. Japan is perhaps even more
modernized than the United States.
- Use of slogans from the movie "Karate Kid," including "Wax On, Wax
Off!" Lifeway maintains that it researched and used authentic Asian
sources in developing this curriculum--apparently Hollywood movies
qualify.
- Images of non-Asian children pressing their hands together and
bowing and making "karate moves." I note that both of these gestures
have long been used to mock Asian Americans. Shaquille O'Neal's
repeated use of pseudo-martial-arts moves to mock Yao Ming brought
great criticism from Asian Americans and other thinking individuals.
- Repeated use of the terms "far east" and "Oriental"--which are
widely recognized as ethnocentric and derogatory.
I am more upset by Lifeway's response and the response within the
church than I was by the original curriculum. Lifeway maintains that
its intent was never to offend; however, its leadership refuses to
consider that Asian Americans may have a different perspective than
their own. And individuals within the church have been expressing
viewpoints such as "everybody will be offended by something" and "we
can't cave in to the concerns of the minority."
In addition, insistence that this material is not offensive speaks to
the privilege and patronage displayed by Lifeway. A Lifeway
representative stated that no Asian American can speak for all
Asians, and yet Lifeway has chosen to speak for us by deciding that
this material should not offend Asian Americans. Well, it does. I
know I don't speak for all Asian Americans since we are all
individuals and have our opinions. However, I believe it is fair to
say that most of the Asian Americans I know have been dismayed and
disheartened by the insensitivity displayed by Lifeway.
Lifeway also maintains that this curriculum is "biblically sound." I
believe that material offensive to a group of people can never
be "biblically sound" as it goes against the very tenets of
Christianity.
Please consider writing to Lifeway and expressing your concerns. If
you are a member of a church, please consider contacting your church
and requesting that it does not use the "Rickshaw Rally" curriculum.
Request additionally that your church leadership contact Lifeway and
express concerns about this curriculum. "Rickshaw Rally" will expose more than a million children to these stereotypical images of Asian Americans.
-----------------------
You can contact Lifeway at:
Jerry Vogel
Director of VBS Curriculum
jerry.vogel@lifeway.com
Louis Hanks
Director of Publications
louis.hanks@lifeway.com
If you would like to call Lifeway to register your protest, their
administrative office number is: (615) 251-2000. You can also contact
their customer service:
LifeWay Church Resources
c/o Your VBS
MSN 136
One LifeWay Plaza
Nashville, TN 37234-0136
Phone: 1-800-458-2772
customerservice@lifeway.com
By the way, this is undoubtedly a big money-maker for Lifeway, which
might contribute to its reluctance to hear concerns.
Feel free to use the attached form letter.
Dear Mr. Vogel:
I was very dismayed to see that Lifeway is continuing to promote the
theme "Rickshaw Rally" for its vacation bible school curriculum.
While I understand that your stated intention was to incorporate
cultural diversity, the use of stereotypical imagery has instead
resulted in modern orientalism, or the casting of Japan as exotic and
foreign. The term "far east" in itself has been discontinued in
modern-day usage because of its negative connotations.
The curriculum includes many images that have long been used to denigrate people of Asian descent.
It is my understanding that you have received many letters expressing
similar concerns from people of Asian descent. If the intent of the
church is to bring us all together rather than to divide us, the
concerns of Asian Americans must be taken into account.
Sincerely yours,
Information about the protest can be found here:
http://www.geocities.com/reconsideringrickshawrally/
Article in Ethics Daily can be found here:
http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=3418
Petition can be found here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/sbcvbs01/petition.html
Thread to discuss this issue can be found here:
http://forums.yellowworld.org/showthread.php?t=9160
I am writing to you about an issue that has been disturbing me
greatly in the recent weeks. Lifeway, a Christian resource supplier,
has chosen "Rickshaw Rally" for its 2004 vacation bible school
theme. "Rickshaw Rally" has been approved for use by the Southern
Baptist Convention (one of the biggest denominations in the country),
and Lifeway's products are used in thousands of other churches on a
regular basis.
However, "Rickshaw Rally" perpetuates stereotypes and misconceptions
about Japan and about people of Asian descent. As a result,
children's first exposure to Japan will be one that is grossly
misleading.
Some of the more offensive depictions in the curriculum include the
following:
- Animation of a little slant-eyed man wearing a cone hat and
pajamas, who pulls a rickshaw, grinning. This is an image that dates
back a hundred years or more, and has long been used to dehumanize
people of Asian descent.
- Prominent positioning of the rickshaw, a device not used in Japan
except as tourist entertainment. Japan is perhaps even more
modernized than the United States.
- Use of slogans from the movie "Karate Kid," including "Wax On, Wax
Off!" Lifeway maintains that it researched and used authentic Asian
sources in developing this curriculum--apparently Hollywood movies
qualify.
- Images of non-Asian children pressing their hands together and
bowing and making "karate moves." I note that both of these gestures
have long been used to mock Asian Americans. Shaquille O'Neal's
repeated use of pseudo-martial-arts moves to mock Yao Ming brought
great criticism from Asian Americans and other thinking individuals.
- Repeated use of the terms "far east" and "Oriental"--which are
widely recognized as ethnocentric and derogatory.
I am more upset by Lifeway's response and the response within the
church than I was by the original curriculum. Lifeway maintains that
its intent was never to offend; however, its leadership refuses to
consider that Asian Americans may have a different perspective than
their own. And individuals within the church have been expressing
viewpoints such as "everybody will be offended by something" and "we
can't cave in to the concerns of the minority."
In addition, insistence that this material is not offensive speaks to
the privilege and patronage displayed by Lifeway. A Lifeway
representative stated that no Asian American can speak for all
Asians, and yet Lifeway has chosen to speak for us by deciding that
this material should not offend Asian Americans. Well, it does. I
know I don't speak for all Asian Americans since we are all
individuals and have our opinions. However, I believe it is fair to
say that most of the Asian Americans I know have been dismayed and
disheartened by the insensitivity displayed by Lifeway.
Lifeway also maintains that this curriculum is "biblically sound." I
believe that material offensive to a group of people can never
be "biblically sound" as it goes against the very tenets of
Christianity.
Please consider writing to Lifeway and expressing your concerns. If
you are a member of a church, please consider contacting your church
and requesting that it does not use the "Rickshaw Rally" curriculum.
Request additionally that your church leadership contact Lifeway and
express concerns about this curriculum. "Rickshaw Rally" will expose more than a million children to these stereotypical images of Asian Americans.
-----------------------
You can contact Lifeway at:
Jerry Vogel
Director of VBS Curriculum
jerry.vogel@lifeway.com
Louis Hanks
Director of Publications
louis.hanks@lifeway.com
If you would like to call Lifeway to register your protest, their
administrative office number is: (615) 251-2000. You can also contact
their customer service:
LifeWay Church Resources
c/o Your VBS
MSN 136
One LifeWay Plaza
Nashville, TN 37234-0136
Phone: 1-800-458-2772
customerservice@lifeway.com
By the way, this is undoubtedly a big money-maker for Lifeway, which
might contribute to its reluctance to hear concerns.
Feel free to use the attached form letter.
Dear Mr. Vogel:
I was very dismayed to see that Lifeway is continuing to promote the
theme "Rickshaw Rally" for its vacation bible school curriculum.
While I understand that your stated intention was to incorporate
cultural diversity, the use of stereotypical imagery has instead
resulted in modern orientalism, or the casting of Japan as exotic and
foreign. The term "far east" in itself has been discontinued in
modern-day usage because of its negative connotations.
The curriculum includes many images that have long been used to denigrate people of Asian descent.
It is my understanding that you have received many letters expressing
similar concerns from people of Asian descent. If the intent of the
church is to bring us all together rather than to divide us, the
concerns of Asian Americans must be taken into account.
Sincerely yours,
Information about the protest can be found here:
http://www.geocities.com/reconsideringrickshawrally/
Article in Ethics Daily can be found here:
http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=3418
Petition can be found here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/sbcvbs01/petition.html
Thread to discuss this issue can be found here:
http://forums.yellowworld.org/showthread.php?t=9160