A Knight in Dragonland

23 responses so far ↓

• 1    Michael Davis // Jun 9, 2008 at 1:22 pm

  I grew up in a small town of 2300 people. When the tornado siren went off for weekly testing, we used to joke that it was the “black person alarm,” because of how small-minded some of the town’s folk had become.

  It’s a sad state of affairs for sure.

• 2    Billy Dennis // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:03 pm

  $20 says they didn’t use the phrase “black person alarm.”

• 3    Little Dragon Incubator // Jun 11, 2008 at 7:21 am

  That reminds me… I heard on the radio that the T-shirt house re-opened. Are they still selling those “Chink” shirts?

• 4    Rixblix // Jun 11, 2008 at 1:51 pm

  Saying “re-emerges” works off the assumption that racism actually LEFT the area.

• 5    Knight in Dragonland // Jun 11, 2008 at 9:05 pm

  Of course it hasn’t left. It just likes to lift its ugly head out from the slime occasionally.

• 6    Ed // Jun 12, 2008 at 9:54 am

  There is no doubt that Pekin is still a racist town no matter what anyone says, however is wearing a T-shirt with what used to be the schools logo or name of sports teams going to hurt anyone?

• 7    Jason Juchems // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:16 pm

  It will be interesting to see how many Obama signs are in Pekin lawns. Being a new home owner I will have one, but it will be interesting to see how many people are willing to wear him on their sleeve in Pekin.

• 8    David Hartman // Jun 13, 2008 at 6:55 am

  Now it is rare to meet someone from Illinois who remembers the “Chinks” days, but I lived through the years of embarrassment especially in college when disclosing my hometown. I don’t think the rest of the world thought we were racists as much as ignorant rubes, which was probably more painful to hear and almost surely more accurate. So, I thought the “Dragons” were long overdue.

  Still, I have very mixed feelings about the t-shirt issue, as one who lives in China and has a Chinese spouse. First, my wife has seen the shirts and likes them; it is impossible to explain to her what is insulting about them. It is even harder to explain the appeal of wearing one, except as a joke on ourselves for having been so naive back in the day. Second, you should hear what the Chinese call us foreigners to our faces and in polite company – references to nose size, skin like the ghost of a sheep, and so on, all said casually by people who are in the same sentence being kind and generous. And, yes, these people are actually commenting because they admire our light skin which is treasured in Asia.

  I guess what I am saying is that we have become a tad too sensitive about our language rather than what is in our hearts. But, that’s probably just me.

• 9    Knight in Dragonland // Jun 13, 2008 at 7:50 am

  You make some good points, David. However, in the American context, Chink is certainly a derogatory term. Thus celebrating this term is, in my opinion, inappropriate. Secondly, celebrating the Chink perpetuates the image of Pekinites as racists and rubes, and that hurts this community in a very palpable way.

  Pekin has a lot going for it. It has great transportation access for business – highway (which will be even better when the Veteran’s Drive extension is completed), rail, river and air. It has extremely affordable housing. The public schools, although they have some difficulties, are good. The park system is FANTASTIC. It’s this damn image – and the underlying reality that perpetuates it – that is a large part of keeping Pekin down compared to the other communities surrounding Peoria that are experiencing much more rapid growth (Dunlap, Morton, Washington, Metamora / Germantown, Tremont, Chillicothe, Bartonville, East Peoria).

• 10    Mark Staff Brandl // Jun 16, 2008 at 1:59 pm

  I agree that the “rube” aspect was always more prevalent and embarassing. Probably IS a part of the problem with wider perception of my ex-hometown, because if you look at voting, The Celestial Village has often been much more progressive than areas nearby who were quick to denounce Pekin (such as Morton, which is a wannabe-suburb-of-Nowhere in my perception). Local people still often had fond memories of the State Champ Basketball team and linked that strongly to the team name when I was in HS and College. Dragons was first brought up and fought when I was in HS. I always thought it a much better name. Now if they would just win several championships the name would rise above the earlier one.

• 11    Michael // Jun 17, 2008 at 1:28 pm

  Sorry … having been raised in a time before “politically correct” was in fashion I have to disagree with people taking pride in their school mascots. There was absolutely nothing derogatory meant or taken by those names … they were simply names. It wasn’t until the butt-in-skis came along and started making noise did anyone even consider that being a Chink was anything other than being a proud student or alumni of PCHS. The same is true of the multitude of Braves, Redskins, etc. In an age when people are losing their homes, have no health insurance, lost loved ones in Iraq, etc. etc. etc. I should think we could find some real issues to get irate about.

• 12    Knight in Dragonland // Jun 17, 2008 at 10:06 pm

  Michael,
  I really don’t care what people in Pekin thought at the time. Slavery was considered OK by many at the time. Segregation was considered OK by many at the time. Apartheid was considered OK by many at the time.

  You know what? They were wrong. Certainly a derogatory mascot is relatively tame in comparison to the above examples, but the point is made.

  In the American historical context, “Chink” is a condescending term for Chinese in particular and Asians in general. In 2008, there is no question that it is wrong to celebrate the Chink. It’s basic human decency and common courtesy to let the Chink lie buried in the dust of history where it belongs. Don’t attempt to resurrect it like some stank zombie horror.

  And if you don’t think that the image and reality of racism in Pekin is detrimental to the community in very real and tangible ways, you’re fooling yourself. Many professional people moving into Central Illinois don’t even consider settling in Pekin because of this image. Many realtors don’t even mention Pekin as an option because of this image. Many people from other communities in Central Illinois don’t come to visit Pekin and its businesses because of this image. This economic damage is hard to quantify, but it’s very, very real.

  In the eyes of many in the communities that surround us and in places farther afield, Pekin is a JOKE. I tell people I work in Pekin and they often snicker and roll their eyes. When I tell them that I also live in Pekin, the most common reaction I get is “REALLY?!?! … Oh” … with the unspoken addendum of “Why the heck would you do that???” in their eyes. Tell me that doesn’t hurt this community.

  Longtime natives will now become overly sensitive and defensive regarding this issue and want to bury it in the sand along with their heads in 3 … 2 … 1 …

• 13    Jenny // Jun 17, 2008 at 10:29 pm

  I completely agree with the negative thoughts of Pekin. I am from Morton (suburb to nowhere I guess but great all the same) and moved to Pekin because it was where we could afford to buy a nice sized home. However, when people ask where I am from, I always say Morton but live in Pekin. As Knight stated, I always get the ‘why?’ question….I would say 98% of the time!! So, this opinion, has to effect the housing and businesses in general in Pekin. And crucify me, but I hope to move back to Morton one day! lol

• 14    Tom // Jul 2, 2008 at 4:26 pm

  I have lived in Pekin all my life and have never been racist. I could really care less how well those other small communities are doing. Most of those families moved there to get away from Peoria, not Pekin. Lot’s of them deem themselves better than the rest, also. that’s fine. They can have those outrageous property taxes.
  Most of those in Pekin who carry on the racist image are boderline white trash anyway. they are the ones who hurt this city’s image. Give me a decent law abiding African American family to live next to me any day.
  As far as the shirts, you will never see them go away. Some alumni are dead set on going to their grave with the old school name. I’m sure 95% of them mean nothing racial about it, but the other 5 % just do it to stir the pot.
  I was a “Chink” for 3 of 4 years and got over it. i guess it is easier to get past it having been there when it was changed.

• 15    Joel Steinfeldt // Jul 19, 2008 at 11:03 am

  I don’t think Pekin is any more or less racist than Peoria, Morton, East Peoria, Bartonville, or any other central Illinois town. Racism doesn’t begin and end at invisible lines drawn on maps. What’s especially ironic is that “You live in Pekin = you are a racist” is that it’s a stereotype! What, all the nuns and doctors that happen to live just inside the city limits are racists, but their neighbors across the street in the county aren’t?
  Pekin is perceived as being more racist than its neighbors perhaps because it might be, but more likely because racism has a “mascot” or icon or emblem in Pekin, the Chink. The Chink markets Pekin as racist, it brands it, makes racism in Pekin memorable, just like the Nike logo or the Starbucks logo, which is why I agree with Knight.

• 16    Kay // Jul 24, 2008 at 3:51 pm

  More than 10 years ago, when we had just recently moved to Peoria, my husband and I were commenting to a Mortonite friend that we’d been in Pekin for some reason and that it seemed like a pleasant small town, probably affordable to live in. She laughed and said something like yeah, if you like cross burnings. I kid you not, within the week the awful Benjamin Smith story broke and guess where he lived? A few blocks down the street from our Morton friend.

  So yeah, there’s plenty of prejudice to go around in this area. When my husband started his new job (when we moved here), he heard more racist/sexist/homophobic and even jokes mocking the disabled in his first couple of weeks than he’d heard in the previous decade or so.

• 17    Knight in Dragonland // Jul 25, 2008 at 7:25 am

  I’ve always tried to make clear the following points:
  1. Central IL, in general, seems to have an ugly amount of racism (as well as sexism and homophobia). My only comparison is the St. Louis area, which was probably a bit worse and definitely more segregated.

  2. Pekin has no more or less racism among its citizens than any other local community. Perhaps racist attitudes are less “in your face” in more affluent parts of this region, but they’re still there. It wasn’t socially acceptable to use the N-word in North Peoria where I grew up (although I still heard it with some frequency), but the predominantly black areas of town were treated like leper colonies by folks from the north end.
  So yes, Pekin has a problem with racism … but so does every other community around here.

  3. Pekin has an image problem that won’t go away … especially when some idiots want to parade around in public wearing “Chinks” memorabilia.

• 18    Jessie // Jul 25, 2008 at 2:04 pm

  Racism is keeping Pekin down?
  That certainly doesn’t explain the new shops/restaurants in town, the new subdivisions which will be going up soon, the extension of Veterans (as you had mentioned), ICC coming to Pekin, etc.

  Sure, some of Pekin’s racist history still haunts from time to time but let’s not exaggerate and make it sound like we’re just deteriorating because of it…
  I think most logical people can look at Pekin (as a whole) and not form negative, stereotypically opinions about all Pekinites based on the actions of a few.

  And to Jason’s comment about Obama signs on Pekin laws:
  Don’t forget that Tazewell County is a red county -far more voting republicans than democrats- so if you don’t see too many Obama signs, that might be part of the reason why. (I have noticed this in elections- always seems to be more republican signs than democrat signs, in general, at least in the city of Pekin.)
  I currently proudly sport an Obama pin or two on my purse (they’re 2 for $5 at the Tazewell Co. Dem. Hdqtrs.) and just as soon as they get the signs in, I’ll be putting one of those up in my yard on N. 14th Street.

• 19    Knight in Dragonland // Jul 25, 2008 at 5:56 pm

  As I’ve said before, Jessie, Pekin has a lot going for it. I’m sure some businesses and families look past the racist image or simply aren’t aware of it when they locate here. The real estate in Pekin is extremely affordable, and that’s a major consideration especially with the economy in a slump.

  However, I know many people who work in Pekin but never even considered living here because of its racist / redneck image. They’d rather commute an extra 20 miles round-trip each day with gas at $4 per gallon. If people are willing to pay that much to avoid living here, I’d say that Pekin’s image problem is a fairly powerful negative force.

  I never said Pekin was deteriorating because of its racist image. I stated that it’s not growing like it could. However, I do think your economic assessment may be a bit on the rosie side. Several of those new restaurants (La Villetta & Cici’s Pizza off the top of my head) have now closed. I’m seeing significantly more “For Sale / Lease” signs and boarded up businesses than I did 2 years ago when I moved here. I’m sure that’s a reflection more of the general economic situation rather than anything specific to Pekin … but the image problem doesn’t help.

  As far as Tazewell County being red, I’m sure that’s true … but more in Morton than Pekin. From my view, Pekin is a Blue Dog (conservative) Democrat community with lots of blue collar union workers. Mike Smith retained his State Rep seat easily two years ago despite a challenge from a Pekin city council member with great local name recognition and an aggressive campaign (Dagit).

• 20    DMG // Jan 3, 2009 at 5:23 pm

  I want someone to tell me how many black people live in pekin? I am sorry, somebody already told me none. I dislike the town of pekin, illinois so bad, I will not visit it. I have relatives that live there, and will not give them the time of day. I don’t care what color you are, you should be able to live where you want(not pekin). Somebody asked the other day why pekin is always in the news, we’ll figure it out. Pekin,Illinois is the racist capital of Illinois. Don’t go there if you are the wrong color, they will be waiting for you. Speaking of Morton, at least black people are allowed to live there.

• 21    Knight in Dragonland // Jan 4, 2009 at 10:28 am

  In the year 2000, according to the data collected with our last census, Pekin had a population of 33,857. 2.55% of those people were African-American. That would be 863 African-Americans living in Pekin in 2000. Every other community in Tazewell County had African-Americans making up less than 0.5% of the population in 2000. Compared to Pekin (2.55%), Washington (0.26%), East Peoria (0.47%), Marquette Heights (0.39%), Creve Coeur (0.39%), Delavan (0.44%), and Tremont (0.15%), Morton had the lowest percentage of all … 0.13%. Those are the FACTS.

  DMG … if you have something valuable to contribute, I welcome your commentary. However, I dislike the propagation of ignorance from either direction, and that comment was ignorant in the extreme. I also think it’s incredibly petty to decline to speak to relatives because of their zip code.

• 22    Gina // Jul 24, 2009 at 11:49 pm

  Hey there. I was a chink. I would not have come up with the racist thing had it not been blown up like this. We were chinks because our town was named after Peking. Nothing to do with black at all. Go look at the Pekin website. I know that I am not ignorant or stupid. Just an everyday white woman who hates what has been done to our heritage.

• 23    Gina // Jul 25, 2009 at 12:04 am

  Hey! Quit trying to make something awful, evil and wrong out of our glory days! Take a look, because the NEGATIVATY is not the Chinks Jenny. Step back and look at yourself. I am proud of who I am, where I came from and not afraid to keep it real. But then again I am not making something horrible out of something so innocent. GO CHINKS!!! Sorry but I got mad!!! Yuck that is not a good feeling. Now I feel as low as those finger pointers that hide from who they are.

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