Another Karen Cancelled

As a Hawaiian-born Asian American, I never encountered overt racism until I went to the Mainland for college in the 1970's. (There was plenty of racial consciousness in the Islands; everyone was very aware of and often made disparaging comments about each other's race, culture, foods, hygiene, etc. In many ways the atmosphere was healthier then.)

At first it was surprising to be the target of epithets by people who didn't know me. It was hurtful and rare, but I always fell back on the old "sticks and stones" couplet. If you wanted to be a man like my Dad and his generation who went off to war, words were comparatively nothing and you moved on.

Mt. Tam website states that dogs aren't allowed on trails

Which brings me to a minor incident on the local news last night. A middle-aged white woman encountered a young Asian-American family on the hiking trail at Mount Tamalpais State Park. She reprimanded the family for taking their dog on the trail and uttered the phrase "you can't be in this country."

It was clear from the video that she was upset about the dog, but the father took umbrage about "you can't be in this country." The result was that the woman's face was shown on the news, she was identified as Beth Taska, a Human Resources executive, and she was fired by her employer.

Yes, Ms. Taska let out a seemingly racist remark (she claims it was misheard) and may not be in the right job. In her defense the racial identity of the family didn't seem to be what triggered the encounter. However, the father, Hiroshi, focused on the offending phrase and expanded it to mean "go back to your country." In the TV interview he talked about his resentment about being called "chink" and "gook." None of that history was Ms. Taska's fault.

Further thoughts:
1) We all have the tendency--me, too!--of attributing racial stereotypes to individuals who may not have them at all. Beth Taska may have done this to the family, but Hiroshi definitely did it to her.
2) But go easy on Hiroshi; she is the classic Karen.
3) This is an example of TV and the Internet inflaming a situation far beyond its significance to society.
4) Speaking for myself, I would never react to a personal insult if that reaction would get someone fired. Contra the saying, the words may indeed hurt, but that doesn't mean you have to pick up the sticks and stones.