This was at a time when white Goldrush miners had particular hatred towards Chinese immigrants who they saw as a group moving in on their gold claims. In the 1800’s, California had laws that made it illegal for Chinese people to testify in court. The name itself, Chop Suey, comes from a time of real racism, hatred and violence towards Asian Americans. No one should have to see their own race caricatured in a venue that hosts so many great touring bands. As a Chinese person, seeing fake Chinese decor in a club that is not owned by Chinese people makes my heart sink. However, many of us have avoided going to the venue because of the racial implications that the name and theme have. I and many other people I know love the acts that have come through Chop Suey over the years.
But, most importantly, I’m excited because you have the opportunity to enact some real change. First of all, as a fellow musician it is great to hear that another musician will keep the tradition of bringing great bands to Seattle. I was very excited to hear that you have become an owner of Chop Suey. I'm still just looking for them to actually have a conversation with all of us who have proposed the name change. If Chop Suey keeps its name and décor, will you take any other steps to try to effect change, to expand the protest? Just looking at the support that my letter received over the last couple of weeks, it's clear that people realize that subtle forms of racism still exist and that it's important to keep talking about how it still affects people today. I just see this as a real opportunity for the new ownership to make a quick an effective change in the way that racism persists today.
In the grand scheme of social injustices, this is pretty minor." The décor is just kitsch and the phrase 'chop suey' has been assimilated into mainstream culture. How do you respond to people who say something to the effect of, "Chill out.
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