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 ...
Disqualified!!
There is something my son wants to buy that is available at Toys R Us or a few other stores. I guess I am going to have to buy it at Toys R Us, now...and send them an email and tell them why I chose to buy it with them.
in this PC society where everyone is offended by everything, since when do rules matter??
I'd wait to see if they cave first.
Exactly. Read the rules before playing.
If the mother were from a foreign nation, but had come here through the legal process, she would have won. She didn't. She wasn't qualified to participate.
Toys-R-Us made the right call. And it's refreshing to see a corporate entity make the right call even though it was sure to bring some heat it's direction.
They are probably going to cave if the promotional materials said for all expectant mothers to apply - a lawyer will threaten to sue and coughing up the $25,000 bond will be cheaper than fighting it out in court.
So the baby is an American citizen, but the mother is not, so punish the baby?
I say they cave. Wait.
The Devil is in the details and Mr. Scratch lives and thrives in the fine print.
But I thought everyone was just American.
The hyphenated American is the biggest multiculturalist wet-dream of all.
And the most damaging.
I will not live to see the day we call Somebody in China an "American-Chinese"
How is it ONLY western countries have to put up with this bullshit?
Good for Toys 'R Us on this one.
If the baby is an American citizen, but the mother is not. The amswer is to give the baby $12,500. Thank you. (The familiy will most likely spend the $$ anyway, thus boosting the economy, so a win-win)
Some Chinese-American advocates say the company's decision smacks of second-class citizenship.Memo to John and Albert: Although greatly degraded, this country still, sorta, lives by the Rule of Law. Throw down all the race cards you want and scream victim until your lungs bleed. The Mom broke the rule. Period. End of story. Get over it."People are just pretty much outraged," said John Wang, president of the New York-based Asian American Business Development Center.
Albert Wang, an attorney, has launched an e-mail campaign on the issue. "She was deprived of $25,000 intended to be used for her college education because of who her parents are," he said.
Janet Keller, a grandmother of the winning baby, said revisiting the contest would be unfair.
"She was disqualified that should be it," Keller said. "Don't go changing your mind now."
BUMP to Janet Keller!
The only mistake here was announcing a winner before checking the qualifications.
Describe the "punishment" if you would please and then tell us how the baby knows it's being punished.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.