An illustration in the New York Post showing recently signed New York Yankee pitcher Masahiro Tanaka flying in a World War II Japanese bomber is being condemned for its “poor taste,” reports iMediaEthics:
In its letter, the Asian American Journalists Association (disclosure: I am an active member) demanded an apology.
AAJA acknowledged that the paper pulled the illustration in later editions after realizing the picture might offend people, but the group thinks more should be done.
“When something that egregious is published, we believe it warrants a more direct apology.
“We’re sure you understand how hurtful and damaging stereotypes are. Seeing Tanaka, a Japanese national, depicted in such a way conjured up hateful imagery.“To this day, the “kamikaze” imagery remains a powerful reminder of past racism. We all know about Pearl Harbor, but many people in our communities also remember how strong anti-Japanese sentiment sent 120,000 innocent Japanese Americans to internment camps.”
You can read an earlier statement the Post made about the imagery in iMediaEthics.
