From ESPN:
Saudi Arabia 0-4 Ukraine
Andriy Shevchenko scored his first World Cup goal as Ukraine put their dismal display against Spain firmly behind them in Hamburg with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia.
Oleg Blokhin’s team had lost their opener 4-0 to the Spaniards but bounced back to take a comfortable three points against the outclassed Asians, whose uncertainty at set-pieces was ruthlessly exposed.
When did Saudi Arabia become “Asia” and Saudi Arabians, “Asians?” And even if they were Asian, how racist is it to call them out like this?! Maybe I’m tripping.
7 comments
Comments feed for this article
June 19, 2006 at 23:19 p
Anonymous
It could that the Near East and Far East are both considered Asian.
June 19, 2006 at 23:19 p
Maxjulian
Never known the Saudi Arabia to be considered Asia - in this day and age anyway.
Just wondering: Would saying “the outclassed Europeans,” if it were, say, the French who were getting their ass handed to them, be similar?
The usage of “Asian” in this context is a slur, whether SA is considered Near or Far East, in my opinion.
June 20, 2006 at 09:20 p
Gandalf Mantooth
Well actually Saudis are Asian, Persian, actually, under our arbitrary rules of categorization.
June 20, 2006 at 10:20 p
Maxjulian
GM: Okay, but still…that sentence reeks of racism: “…the outclassed Asians.” It was Saudi Arabia’s World Cup soccer team on the field, NOT Asia.
June 20, 2006 at 10:20 p
Gandalf Mantooth
Wondering if the person who wrote/said it is British. I . . . I can’t go all the way with calling it racist, though if he’d said “the outclassed Africans” would it be an easier call? I dunno.
I’m blogrolling your ass.
June 20, 2006 at 14:20 p
Asabagna
GM: Saudis are NOT Persians! Iranians are Persians. They are totally different cultures. Saudis are also not “Asians”… not in the classic sense of the term anyway. This is the first time I have heard them referred to as such. However I don’t get the sense that the commentator was being racist, just showing his ignorance of the world.
June 20, 2006 at 15:20 p
Gandalf Mantooth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Cup
First, this is where the commenter was coming from. Second:
http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/sa.htm
June 20, 2006 at 19:20 p
Maxjulian
Some may consider Saudi Arabia “Asia” some may not. That’s a secondary point.
I find it hard to believe that if, as I stated, the French were the team this man were referring to, that he’d refer to them as the “outclassed Europeans.” He’d have said most certainly, “the outclassed Gauls/French/whatever.
Or, if it was the US team, saying the “outclassed” North Americans would be vague and euphemistic to say the least.
The fact that the cat uses the name of the continent (which is quite a diverse land mass) is suspect; the fact that many if not most Asians are non-white people is interesting.
Not a huge deal, but the language of the author is suspect. IMHO.