Sunset High paper says grill's ad left a bad taste (High school PC run amok)

The Oregonian ^ | October 26, 2005 | AMY HSUAN

[crazyhorse691]

Stereotypes The newspaper refuses to publish a logo that students say portrays Asians negatively

BEAVERTON -- When John Lee designed the logo for his Cedar Mill restaurant, he opted for an illustrated cartoon he thought resembled himself: a Korean man.

But that logo, which depicts an Asian man waving an "OK" sign, is now at the center of a conflict between Lee and Sunset High School's student-run newspaper.

Last week, editors of "The Scroll" banned Lee's advertisement for the Hawaiian Grill after running it once, saying his logo stereotypes Asians and negatively portrays members of a minority group.

Now, Lee and the students are in a debate that student newspapers face across the country over stereotyping, free speech and censorship.

Sunset High administrators say they plan to use the flap as an opportunity to further discussions about race and representation in the school. And "The Scroll" staff plans to cover the story, journalism adviser June Yi said.

Lee, who immigrated from Korea at age 10, thinks the students are going too far. He says his logo, which dominates his restaurant's signs and menus, has never drawn a protest, even after being published in other newspapers.

Lee, whose ad appeared last Wednesday in the Sunset High newspaper, will have to redesign it if he wants to continue advertising. Lee has signed a contract to advertise for the school year's seven remaining issues.

"I think they're wrong," Lee said. "I'm Asian American, so why would I want to make fun of Asians? Why are we pushing the racial issue to the farthest extent?"

"The Scroll" is the project of a 25-student class of mostly juniors and seniors.

Yi said some student staff members were offended by Lee's ad. Several students visited him Thursday, voicing concern about the caricature, which they felt perpetuated stereotypes of Asians. Their concerns included the cartoon's enlarged head, bulging eyes, haircut and hand gesture, Yi said.

"As a student newspaper adviser, I feel that if one child feels offended, we change the ad," Yi said. "We have a policy."

The school newspaper's policy states that editors have the right to reject, edit or cancel any ad, and that "advertising should be free of statements, illustrations or implications that are offensive to good taste or public decency based on the opinion of the staff."

Principal Carl Mead says the newspaper's editors acted on the values they felt appropriate for a student population.

"As an educational institution, we have to look at things through a variety of lenses," Mead said. "We speak for 2,000 kids, and the reality is we have to lead by example and be a little more sensitive."

While a first for Sunset High, school newspapers across the country often face similar issues, said Mark Goodman, executive director for the Student Press Law Center in Arlington, Va.

Lawsuits brought against student newspapers have led courts to decide that students have the right to reject advertisements for any reason, Goodman said.

"Reasonable people can agree or disagree about what's appropriate or not," he said, "but ultimately a student publication has the right to reject an advertisement for almost any reason, or no reason, for that matter."

Kelly McBride, who teaches ethics to professional journalists at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., says the tolerance threshold for student papers is often lower than that for others in the industry. The actions of student papers at times fall into a gray area that can border on censorship, McBride says.

"In terms of rejecting advertisements, they can be more restrictive than the industry," McBride says. "I'm in favor of setting the threshold higher to generate a dialogue. This is not a black-and-white issue, so there's probably room for a genuine discussion."

Lee is considering changing his ad, though he thinks the caricature is an integral part of his restaurant's brand.

"At least the people who come by my shop will see the face," he said.

Amy Hsuan: 503-294-5954; amyhsuan@news.oregonian.com

[Valpal1]

"As a student newspaper adviser, I feel that if one child feels offended, we change the ad," Yi said. "We have a policy."

Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Pretty apparent why she's a teacher, cause she obviously doesn't know carp about running an actual newspaper that has a payroll to meet.

[Onelifetogive]

"As a student newspaper adviser, I feel that if one child feels offended, we change the ad," Yi said. "We have a policy."

Unless, of course, one child is offended by the inclusion of the ad.....and one child is offended by the exclusion of the ad. What are you going to do then, Einstein?

[Wolfhound777]

Sunset High administrators say they plan to use the flap as an opportunity to further discussions about race and representation in the school. And "The Scroll" staff plans to cover the story, journalism adviser June Yi said.

Great, just what the little "geniuses" of today need to be spending their time on. What a waste of taxpayers money. How about they discuss english, math, non-revisionist history, and the sciences? Then maybe the students will be employable after they get "socially" graduated and will be able to stay off the welfare rolls.

[Buddy B]

Sunset High School, 13840 NW Cornell Rd. Portland, Oregon

These words are at the top of the home page:

"A Challenging Educational Community Promoting Life-long Learning, Social Responsibility, and Respect for Diversity".

Beaverton School District - Home > Schools > High Schools

Sunset High School
Principal: Carl Mead
13840 NW Cornell Rd.
Portland, OR 97229

[newfarm4000n]

That's not zero tolerance. It's cowardice in the face of pathological oversensitivity.


There are COMPETING RIGHTS here. Free speech doesn't mean you can Force papers to run your ad . As owners they have absolute right to discriminate as they see fit. otherwise church bulletins would be sponsored by Log Cabin republicans!

[newfarm4000n]

Great, just what the little "geniuses" of today need to be spending their time on. What a waste of taxpayers money. How about they discuss english, math, non-revisionist history, and the sciences? Then maybe the students will be employable after they get "socially" graduated and will be able to stay off the welfare rolls.

Great point but what broad employable use has history ?

[toddlintown]

Let's see. If you're Korean, a drawing of you will look Korean too. Hmm.

[Ciexyz]

I fear for the future of this profession.

Well said.

[joebuck]

So the guy uses a portait of himself as his logo and the paper rejects it because he is ethic and an ethnic using his own portrait is a sterotype. Do I have this right? How in the heck do you connect those dots? Does logic or deductive reasoning play any part in a modern liberal education?

[jimfree]

There are COMPETING RIGHTS here. Free speech doesn't mean you can Force papers to run your ad. As owners they have absolute right to discriminate as they see fit. otherwise church bulletins would be sponsored by Log Cabin republicans!

Okay, I'll honor that. If you want to support freedom of choice in all businesses I'm cool with that. "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason." I just like consistancy.

[Albion Wilde]

"We speak for 2,000 kids, and the reality is we have to lead by example and be a little more sensitive."

"We speak for 2,000 spoiled brats who will not learn tolerance at this school. We have to lead by example: we are people with a zero tolerance policy for humor in any form!"

[newfarm4000n]

Okay, I'll honor that. If you want to support freedom of choice in all businesses I'm cool with that. "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason." I just like consistancy

I just hate the fact that my taxes are supporting that paper ! I guess we taxpayers are the only people to whoem "choice' doesn't apply !

[Khurkris]

gee...an Asian with a bad hair-cut and somebody is o-fen-ded. The mind boggles.

[clee1]

Tell these whining students to STFU and get back to class!

A HIGH SCHOOL "newspaper" for Christ's sake!

[VeniVidiVici]

Well, there goes Sambos advertising in the school paper.

[willyboyishere]

I think Mr. Lee should turn the offended students into Poi
Soylent Poi, for example.
Where is the ACLU in this case?
It would be very instructive to get the hard facts about the kinds of cases which just don't interest them, like this one. THeir natural allies are the offended ones------
how could they go up against their natural supporters?

[uncadave]

That's not a derogatory portrayal of an Asin. This is a derogatory picture of an Asian...or at least today it would be considered as such. And lest someone accuse me of posting racist material, it's only there as an illustration. Personally, I wish I lived in Beaverton so I could patronize Mr. Lee's restaurant.

As far as the crybaby who was supposedly offended, first let me suggest that you get a life! My second point for study is the US Constitution. We have many rights enumerated in that document, but nowhere will you find any reference to a right never to be offended. In fact whiners like you offend me. I'm sick and tired of everyone calling everyone else racists! If you want to know what racism is, think back about 50 years to what things were like. As recently as about 35 years ago I remember a local Civil Defense official refusing to purchase a particular brand of 2-way radio because "they're made by Japs." That's racist. Less than 10 years ago, I know of an electronics plant manager wh insisted on hiring only Vietnamese for fine soldering, supposedly because "their slanty eyes see better than our round eyes." That's racist

So, please back off. Mr. Lee, I wish you all the best. If you ever decide to open a restaurant in the St. Louis area, I'll be one of your first customers.

[SALChamps03]

He should tell them to stuff it, and sue for breach of contract if they refuse to run the ads. Draw a line in the sand and tell the PC police to go f#@k themselves.

[SALChamps03]

That statement has always been an unfair cheapshot. Teachers do. A politically correct idiot doesn't represent all teachers. Come walk in the shoes of a teacher for one day and then see how you feel.