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New argy bargy over 'slitty eye' gestures
Shekhar Bhatia and Kiran Randhawa in Beijing19 Aug 2008
A third Olympic team have been photographed making "slit-eyed" gestures, it was revealed today.
Argentina's women's football team, which lost all its matches in Beijing, were pictured pulling the skin away from their eyes to impersonate Chinese facial features.
The picture follows two similar images of the Spanish Olympic basketball men's and women's teams which were widely criticised.
The latest photo, which emerged today, shows Argentine players Maria Potassa, Eva Gonzalez, Fabiana Vallejos and Andrea Ojeda and was printed in the Argentine sports newspaper Ole earlier this month to preview the team's first Olympic game.
In the Olympic village today, one Chinese official said: "Even though they don't mean to offend the Chinese people, it does not make us very happy."
Reader views (7)
This political correctness is going to far, it seems it is only ginger haired people you can make fun of nowadays without getting arrested.
- Tom, Watford UK, 20/08/2008 08:38
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Oli. To say that these gestures are not offensive show how ignorant people can be. These gestures are made to make fun of the Chinese people and are disrespectful. However I do understand where your comments are coming from because you probably have never been on the receiving end so cannot be expected to understand.
- Wjc, London UK, 20/08/2008 00:14
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These people think nothing about calling us round eyes, blacks think nothing of calling us white boys, but we are the ones who always get in trouble...
- Mark Spencer, london, 19/08/2008 15:46
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To suggest that imitating another race is insulting, suggests a repressed racism or insecurity in the accuser. Why is it that this 'slitty eye gesture' or colouring ones skin black is supposedly deemed racist? Would anyone think a Chinese person, whitening their skin or colouring their hair blonde racist? No I thought not! Grow up.
- Oli, London, 19/08/2008 14:50
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Just who do they think they are?
Prince Phillip?
- Dave, Stafford, UK., 19/08/2008 12:51
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If people were making faces to look like black athletes there would be official measures taken. Why not the same outrage when it is Asian athletes that have been so rudely insulted?
- Mark, London, 19/08/2008 12:40
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I love it!
- Neil, london uk, Airstrip ONE ., 19/08/2008 12:35
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