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BEIJING — An international storm of controversy has erupted over an advertisement in which 15 members of the Spanish Olympic basketball team are slanting their eyes to appear Chinese.
The storm reached as far as Toronto yesterday when Chinese-Canadians demanded that the Toronto Raptors condemn the advertisement. One of the Raptors' key players, Jose Calderon, was among the Spanish team members who made the controversial gesture.
The photo, which has been running since Friday in a Spanish newspaper advertisement, has provoked outrage from many who feel it is offensive to Chinese people.
Chinese-Canadian and Chinese-American groups have sharply criticized the Spanish team's gesture, and the International Olympic Committee said it was "clearly inappropriate." Many people in China said they felt insulted by the photo, although others said they didn't think it was a big deal.
A woman poses with a newspaper showing a photo of Spain's Olympic basketball team making slant-eyed gestures while posing for an Olympics publicity photo, in Madrid Wednesday. (Associated Press)
The advertisement, for a Spanish courier company, shows 15 members of Spain's Olympic basketball team using their fingers to pull back the skin above their eyes to make their eyes appear narrow. Team members say it was never intended to be offensive, but many people of Chinese origin were angered by it.
"This photo is deeply offensive and racist - it's surprising that members of an Olympic team preparing for the Games in Beijing of all places would show such poor judgment," Victor Wong, executive director of the Chinese Canadian National Council, said in a statement yesterday.
"The Spanish Olympic basketball team owes a full and unconditional apology to their hosts, to their fellow Spanish citizens and to the people that they have offended and disappointed with this photo."
He said the Raptors should also condemn the photo. But in a statement to The Globe and Mail yesterday, Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said Mr. Calderon would face no discipline.
"It is very unfortunate that this happened, but I seriously question whether Jose or his teammates realized at the time what harm might come of the organizer's suggestion," said Mr. Colangelo, who will be travelling to Beijing later this week to watch several games of the men's Olympic basketball tournament.
"Jose Calderon is far too classy to intentionally insult anyone. There is no doubt, however, that better judgment could have been used by everyone."
On his website, Mr. Calderon defended the controversial photo. He said that some of his closest friends are Chinese.
"One of our sponsors asked us to pose with a 'wink' to our participation in Beijing, [so] we made an Oriental expression with our eyes," the Raptors point guard said on his website. "We thought it was something appropriate and that it would always be interpreted as somewhat loving."
He added: "From here, I would like to declare that we have huge respect for the East and their people, some of my best friends in Toronto are from China ... Anyone who would like to interpret this differently is absolutely confused."
The Spanish team includes three other NBA players: Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers, Juan Carlos Navarro of the Memphis Grizzlies, and Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trail Blazers. Also on the Spanish team is former Raptor Jorge Garbajosa, whose NBA contract was bought in June, and 17-year-old sensation Ricky Rubio, who is a top prospect for the 2009 NBA draft.
In Beijing, NBA vice-president of basketball communications Tim Frank said the league had no comment on the issue.
Clement Chu, a former basketball commentator for Toronto Chinese Radio and long-time Raptors fan, said the ads were clearly not well thought out, but that condemning the photo would be going overboard.
"They were trying to be funny, it didn't necessarily come across as such, and I think they made the appropriate gestures to apologize and as long as they learn from it we can all move forward," he said.
Some observers said the advertisement evoked memories of other racial incidents in Spain, including monkey chants aimed at black players on England's national team, and racial abuse directed at Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona.
On the popular Sina.com website in China, many people were angered by the photo. "This gesture is a way of laughing at Asians," one person wrote. "It's racial discrimination for sure," added another.
But others said they didn't understand what all the fuss was about. On another website, one person said: "I don't get it. What's supposed to be offensive? Is it that badly drawn dragon in the middle?"
With a report from Kate Hammer in Toronto
