im all for cracker way, nuprin blvd, and gwailo lane.

There is a local chain of Italian restaurants in the Saginaw/Bay City area at which you could get a Wap Salad. At first it surprised me that a complaint like that in the article was never raised, but then I got to know Saginaw better...

i thought jap meant jewish american princess? and my jewish friend proudly calls herself a jap.
Anyway, I think there are bigger problems in Texas, such as the Bush Family. Now Bush could be construed as offensive to women can't it? Let's change their name to Shrub. President Shrub. I like it.

joce

"It's not about being a bigot or a racist, it's about being offensive."

hmmm... let's go back in time 2 weeks...
These words are coming from the same person who declared to the Southern Baptists:

""get the fuck out of my town!" You have no place here."

That seems pretty offensive... It certainly isn't very friendly.

Jap IS a really bad name for a road, and it probably should be changed... if someone in the area is offended by it. But you need to get off your high horse with this shit until you show a little tolerance yourself. You seem to have some chip on your shoulder about the South, and Texas in particular. Have you ever even been there? I'd love to wake you up to the reality, that the things you criticize are generally stereotypes and isolated instances. NYC has its own fair share of these, but I don't see you claiming that they represent the whole of the city. Whether you believe it or not, the world outside of New York isn't brimming over with inbreds, ignorance and racism. In fact, Since my arrival 6 years ago, I've slowly come to realize that more blunt racism exists in NYC than anywhere else I've ever lived. Whether it's the Asian store owner that eyes and curses the Black man that just left his counter, the primarily White owned store fronts on 5th Ave boarding up their businesses during the Puerto Rican Day Parade, or the feeling any non-Black individual feels walking through Bushwick.

It's everywhere... and if you want to think that's it's worse in the South, and that things are A-Okay here is the NYC... then there's not much that I, or anyone else, can do to convince you. Someday you'll grow up and learn these things for yourself.

PS - I still think you have a great site, that's why I keep coming back!

hey there pf - i'll agree with you on the not friendly thing. in case you haven't noticed, i'm no friend to religion and those that push it on others. this is where you say, "but you push your rabid rants on others." and where i respond, "my site, my dime, my opinions."

i have actually been to texas, and if it fell off into the gulf of mexico, or if it was annexed by mexico, i wouldn't be too upset.

and no, things in new york aren't all rosy, but i think it's better than many parts of the country. "closet racism" is everywhere and in some places it is worse than others. and outside of new york, i think it's less "closet" and more overt. what's worse though, could be a matter for debate.

Why do I think there's probably a Chink Street in Texas also?

Please don't judge the whole state by the tiny, stinking corner that's Beaumont (literally stinking, what with the refineries and all). Most Texans don't like Beaumont. I spent my whole life in NY before moving to Texas 7 years ago, and just like you get sick to death in NY of people saying that the city is a cesspool and that the people are rude, it gets old to hear people say that Texans are backwards, racists, etc.

Yes, it's unfortunate that they won't change the name. It's also unfortunate that there is a mural of a crucifixion scene in the auditorium of the high school in Schuylerville, NY that the town residents refuse to remove (making the Jewish minority there more than a little nervous). Native Americans are horribly offended by the use of the term "squaw" in place names, and locals are less than obliging in requests to rename valleys, passes, roads and other things.

Actually, they are changing the name. However, just to give you a little more insight, I grew up about five miles from this road. (Yes, Beaumont does stink from sulphur plants.) I don't live there anymore, but I've been following the story online.

It wasn't until I was in college that I heard 'Jap Road' might be considered offensive. And the only reason I heard about it was because some Japanese people saw the name of the road, didn't like it, and decided to squawk on tv about it. It had never even occurred to me what it meant. It was just a name. The Japanese man who had a rice farm there, Mayumi, apparently called himself Jap to everyone. Probably so that white people could remember who he was. That was before WWII. I grew up down the road from some Japanese-Americans, and they never let it bother them. Maybe because they understood the history. Or maybe, just maybe, they were comfortable with who they were and didn't let things like road names bother them. As a matter of fact, I don't see their names being mentioned in the protest, and they were the ones who saw it the most often.

They'll probably change it to Mayumi Road. That's fine, everyone wants to honor the man. They're going to put up a memorial as well.

So, just to set the record straight, "Jap Road" was named BY a Japanese man named Mayumi, and nobody said anything about it for nearly 90 years.

Schuylerville is not so far behind the times as it took its painting down in 1990. (www.buildingequality.us/ifas/fw/9009/crucifixion.html)

Why play with all the racist or non racist ideas ?
Why does someone always have to decide they are offended and decide everybody else has to change to meet their egos ?
Now, there is a Jap family name and you all have insulted the hell out of their name and you should all be drug thru the crap that your white horse has spewed all over their family that never did anything to you and don't give a dam if you like japs or not
When are you going to grow up and realize that there are more important people than you and they have the family name of Jap and deserve your apologies. Now, get down on your knees and pray your worthless souls don't rot in hell
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