Some longtime customers of Chink’s Steaks in Philadelphia don’t understand why the restaurant is changing its name, while Asian American community leaders applaud the move, reports Fox 29.
The change scheduled for tomorrow comes after years of controversy. The manager acknowledged the time was right.
“We just want to be more culturally sensitive,” manager Stefani Mahoney said. “And we want to be able to expand, and that was hard to do with the ‘Chink’s name.”
The name came from the nickname of the steak shops original owner, who was so nick named because friends thought his eyes looked slanted. Change is hard for many of its customers.
“They don’t mean nothing by it,” said one woman. “It’s just the name of the place.”
“The first time I heard it I was like, ‘Really? It’s called Chink’s Steaks?’ said a man a few booths away. “But, that’s what it’s called.”
But Asian Americans say its about time. Kay Kyungsun Yu of the Asian Pacific Bar Association negotiated as far back as 2008 to try to get the restaurant to change its name.
“We welcome the change,” said Yu. “We never wanted to harm Mr. Groh’s business in any way. We wanted to find solutions that would work for all of us. Would we have preferred for it to have happened sooner? Absolutely. But we welcome the fact that it’s happening now.”
You can read how the name change has already sparked a boom in the steak shop’s business on Fox 29.
from @SaulCarma via Twitter re: Restaurant Removes Offensive Asian Slur from its name: "How can Americans be more culturally sensitive, when they dont even understand their own culture. Thin skin."
Thin skin? I would consider it more of a lack of respect for how others feel.
from @SaulCarma via Twitter Re: Restaurant Removes Offensive Asian Slur: "It's not about feeling its about interpretation."
AsAmNews responds to @SaulCarma: Perhaps. But the point is if someone tells you they're offended, why would you want to continue offending them.?