Thread on racism in Korea:
1. Sam Okyere, a Ghanaian celebrity working in Korea, criticized a blackface yearbook photo from a Korean high school. The public response has been mostly hostile and racist: there’s a nationwide petition asking for his deportation. https://twitter.com/Squarecle_/status/1292280637039116288

2. The backlash includes the following: 1. He’s overreacting because the students merely wanted to parody a famous meme 2. He’s being hypocritical because he pulled his eyes to the side in a TV Show in the past.

3. While his action in the show should be criticized, the overwhelmingly racist harassment in response to his criticism of blackface exactly proves the point. Having grown up in Korea, I acknowledge that the idea of blackface is not well understood there.

4. But this ignorance does not excuse the students nor the public. Sam’s criticism of blackface should have been an opportunity for Koreans to reflect on the lack of discourse around race relations, not a chance to expose how racist they actually are.

5. Even though I cherish many things about Korea, such intolerant attitudes towards minorities were a big factor in ultimately deciding to live in the US for me. I’m thankful that I have the choice to leave.
#I_Stand_with_Sam_Okyere
#나는_샘_오취리와_연대합니다

Oh btw Sam apologized for “causing trouble,” explaining that he had no intention of criticizing the (lack of) education in Korea

6. I did have a convo with a Chinese American friend about whether it’s wrong to impose the Western moral standards to Asian societies. But the lack of history of racial conflict is not an excuse for perpetuating racism, especially when it is brought up by those who are offended.

7. The double standard of expecting foreigners who use the rising sun flag to apologize for using an offensive symbol, regardless of the intention, while not respecting others’ request to do so is sickening.