At first, I though that your "no one's paying attention to desis" take on this was kind of f-ed up and divisive. I still think it's a little parochial, but on consideration, I realized that I basically agree with the underlying sentiment.

It is being addresed to the wrong audience. You don't have to tell us we feel invisible; we already know. We should make sure the people who are organizing these kinds of things (particularly people with a pan-asian identity) know that we're not taking any shit anymore. I do think (based solely on the materials) the people organizing this demo get that (it's about multiracial justice).

At first, I though that your "no one's paying attention to desis" take on this was kind of f-ed up and divisive. I still think it's a little parochial...

Dude, China wasn't even affected by the tsunami AFAIK. So the tsunami song was really more like 'I'm from Austria' - 'I'll throw a shrimp on the barbie for ya' from Dumb and Dumber.

I get your point, and Chinese-Americans were clearly the target of this ignorant, drive-by foaming. But if there's one thing I demand of our lowlifes and skinheads, it's this: insult intimately and accurately. It shows you care! ;)

It is being addresed to the wrong audience. You don't have to tell us we feel invisible...

But you come to Sepia Mutiny to twist the knife in the wound, don'tcha. Else I'm going to have to stop these discrimination posts. Wrong audience. Should start preaching at the discriminators instead :)

SAALT (South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow), the organization I work for, sent a letter to The Washington Post on Bias Against South Asian Americans--including the Power 99-Philadelphia Incident and increasing backlash against South Asian Americans as a result of outsourcing. To see it, http://www.saalt.org/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=169&z=3

Should start preaching at the discriminators instead :)

Exactly. Or at least the "pan-Asian" folks who think that they can speak for all of us without asking us if it's okay.

Anyway, I'm sorry if I was a little harsh:) I truly do appreciate posts that I can actually participate in the discussion of (i.e. the ones that don't quickly devolve into how straight desi men and women hate each other and may or may not sleep together).

Oh, and yay Imrana! :)

i think there is a difference in scale between insulting one woman (bad, of course) and making fun of the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people while the bodies are still warm.

The insult was about the broader outsourcing trend and East Asian stereotypes ('rat eater'), not just one call center worker.

funny. i had no idea that "rat eater" was a slur against East Asians, but this article cites a use by Leland Stanford, after whom the university and its e-mail addreses are named. According to the same, he supported the legislation that basically banned Chinese immigration to the United States in the late 19th century and was a railroad magnate that "employed" a lot of Chinese folks and had a lot Chinese peope working in his house. Learn something new everyday.

Also, according to wikipedia it was used by Jewish people in Yiddish to derogatorily refer to gypsies at one point.

Strangely enough:
Etymology: by shortening & alteration from Egyptian
1 : a member of a traditionally itinerant people who originated in northern India and now live chiefly in south and southwest Asia, Europe, and No. America

I feel like the "Everything Comes from India" guy on Goodness Gracious Me...