Posted on 01/06/2007 9:45:07 AM PST by CrawDaddyCA
NEW YORK — Toys "R" Us Inc. has come under fire for denying a Chinese-American infant a $25,000 savings bond prize in a contest for the New Year's first baby because the company said the girl's mother is not a legal U.S. resident.
The company's decision — which came less than a month after it opened its first mainland China store, in Shanghai — has infuriated some Chinese-American advocates.
Yuki Lin was born at the stroke of midnight at New York Downtown Hospital, according to hospital officials. She won a random drawing held to break a tie with two other babies entered in the contest, Toys "R" Us spokeswoman Kathleen Waugh said.
The Wayne, N.J.-based company had said the prize would go to the first American baby born in 2007.
Although promotional materials called for "all expectant New Year's mothers" to apply for the contest, Waugh said eligibility rules required babies' mothers to be legal residents. Many sweepstakes have such requirements, Waugh said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Actually, I think he was being sarcastic.
Actually, it doesn't, because the mother wasn't a citizen of any class.
The way I read it the mistake was made here.
She won a random drawing held to break a tie with two other babies entered in the contest
They should have confirmed illegibility before she was placed in the drawing.
It's not like the baby knows what the hell's going on. Maybe the baby can sue them when she/he gets of age :O
I agree.
I agree, and that is why I feel the money should go to the first baby, or maybe even both. Kind of reminds of the guy who had won down at the casino on Florida, where after celebrating with him over his winning, came up to him and told him he had not won because of a mechanical error. (he eventually got the money)
As far the many people complaining that she is an illegal, I never saw anything that mentioned that is the case. She could have been over here as a student, or maybe the wife of a student, studying at one of our universities, perfectly legal to be here in the states. Maybe not a legal resident, but still, she is not an illegal.
And you were right! (And I did wait.)
Contact: www.toysrusinc.com
January 07, 2007
Under pressure from the Chinese American community, Toys 'R' Us has reinstated a $25,000 prize awarded to a local New Year's baby. NY1's Cindi Avila filed the following report.
"She's the first baby born, so everything in the future should go smoothly for her," said Yan Zhu Liu through a translator.
But since Liu's daughter Yuki Lin was born at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day in Lower Manhattan things haven't exactly been smooth sailing; a roller coaster is more like it. Yuki Lin was declared the first baby of the year and the winner of a Babies R' Us sweepstakes, a $25,000 savings bond intended to help pay for a college education.
But when the company got wind that the baby's mom may be an illegal immigrant, the prize went to a Georgia newborn instead.
"This is particularly troublesome given the history of Asian-Americans in the United States, where we have been seen as invisible or treated as perpetual foreigners or second class citizens," said Liz OuYank of the Organization of Chinese Americans. "And here, clearly, she was born in the United States, is a U.S. citizen and the award should be based on simply that."
It turns out where the baby is born isn't the only factor in determining who wins the prize. According to the official rules, the mother must be a legal U.S. resident. That news didn't sit well with people NY1 spoke with.
"I don't think that's right, because it's just about whether the kid was the first born in the United States," said one New Yorker.
Several Chinese organizations put a call out for Babies 'R' Us to return the award to the 6 and a half pound girl, and everyone NY1 spoke with seemed to agree.
In the end, it looks Babies R Us heard the community's call.
On Saturday, the company released a statement saying "We deeply regret that this sweepstakes became a point of controversy. As a result, we have decided to award all three babies in the grand prize pool a $25,000 savings bond."
That means Yuki Lin, the Georgia baby and one born in Bay Shore, New York all win.
"I think it's a great idea that they are giving the bond to the baby's mother even though she isn't a U.S. resident," said a New Yorker.
When NY1 visited the baby and her parents Monday, through a translator Yuki Lin's father said, "the baby will bring us much more luck this year."
It looks like that luck is already in effect.
- Cindi Avila
If one sentence says you must be a legal resident of the United States, and another sentence says ALL expectant mothers can apply, guess what some lawyer will concoct?
-PJ
Read my post above this one.
yeah, I just saw it. Damn
Somewhere else I won't shop.
I'm tired of all this PC caving.
What punish? It's a prize. A freebie.
Read #31.
Moreover, federal judges are "underpaid" at six figures because the law profession is getting wealthy off of this system.
sw
Disgusting, isn't it?
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