{"id":14639,"date":"2017-06-12T16:13:19","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T02:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=14639"},"modified":"2021-05-19T11:20:58","modified_gmt":"2021-05-19T18:20:58","slug":"denver-post-columnist-terri-frei-fired-after-racist-tweet-re-japanese-drivers-indy-500-win-contrast-with-how-j-media-treated-nigerian-japanese-hs-baseball-player-okoe-rui","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=14639","title":{"rendered":"Denver Post columnist Terry Frei fired after racist tweet re Japanese driver\u2019s Indy 500 win (contrast with how J media treated Nigerian-Japanese HS baseball player Okoye Rui)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Hi Blog. \u00a0I thought it prudent to archive here on Debito.org another case<\/a> of how other societies deal with discrimination. \u00a0We keep on hearing that, “Well, people discriminate all over the world, and it’s just as bad in [insert country, usually the US] as it is in Japan. \u00a0So do something about racism in your own country before you lecture Japan.” \u00a0Okay, but here’s yet another example of what American society, for example, often does when somebody says something racist. \u00a0There are social repercussions that deter both the current and future racists. \u00a0In the case mentioned below, the racist got fired. \u00a0Not ignored<\/a>, defended<\/a>\u00a0(including being defended\u00a0by foreign media in Japan<\/a>), given a venue<\/a> (or his own political party<\/a>; see here too<\/a>) to spout and normalize even more racism, or even further elected to office<\/a>, as can happen in Japan.<\/p>\n

For your consideration, and for the record. \u00a0Dr. Debito Arudou<\/p>\n

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Denver Post columnist fired after \u2018disrespectful\u2019 tweet about Japanese driver\u2019s Indianapolis 500 victory<\/strong>
\n By Scott Allen and Cindy Boren<\/strong>
\n Washington Post, May 30, 2017<\/strong>
\nhttps:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/early-lead\/wp\/2017\/05\/29\/denver-post-sportswriter-issues-apology-after-facing-backlash-for-indy-500-tweet\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Terry Frei, a columnist who has been named Colorado\u2019s sportswriter of the year four times, is out of a job after tweeting that he was \u201cvery uncomfortable\u201d with Japanese driver Takuma Sato winning the Indianapolis 500 on the day before Memorial Day.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Denver Post publisher Mac Tully and editor Lee Ann Colacioppo apologized Monday for a \u201cdisrespectful and unacceptable tweet\u201d as they announced that Frei is no longer an employee of the newspaper because of the social media comment that sparked intense backlash.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe apologize for the disrespectful and unacceptable tweet that was sent by one of our reporters,\u201d the statement reads. \u201cTerry Frei is no longer an employee of The Denver Post. It\u2019s our policy not to comment further on personnel issues. The tweet doesn\u2019t represent what we believe nor what we stand for. We hope you will accept our profound apologies.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Denver Post’s statement on Terry Frei https:\/\/t.co\/HPYG08FpCJ<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/PnN0tXO2oL<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Denver Post (@denverpost) May 29, 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

Frei apologized for the tweet he put up shortly after Sato\u2019s historic win. He later deleted it.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing specifically personal, but I am very uncomfortable with a Japanese driver winning the Indianapolis 500 during Memorial Day weekend,\u201d Frei tweeted after Sato became the first Japanese driver to win the prestigious race.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI apologize,\u201d Frei tweeted hours later. The Denver Post tweeted an immediate apology Sunday night and indicated that Frei\u2019s tweet \u201cdoes not reflect the standards and values of our organization.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I apologize.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014 Terry Frei (@TFrei) May 29, 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

Frei later tweeted a lengthier apology, which he deleted and replaced with a slightly revised version to remove the title of one of his books. \u201cI made a stupid reference, during an emotional weekend,\u201d wrote Frei, who said his father was a World War II veteran.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Frei also apologized to Sato, who has had no public reaction to Frei\u2019s comment.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the full text of Frei\u2019s apology:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I fouled up. I\u2019m sorry. I shouldn\u2019t have said what I said when I said it. I should have known better and I regret it. I in no way meant to represent my employer and I apologized to The Denver Post.<\/em><\/p>\n

On Sunday, I was going down to Fort Logan National Cemetery to place flowers on the grave of and to salute my father, Jerry Frei, who spent the four-year gap between his sophomore and junior seasons at Wisconsin flying the F-5 unarmed version of the one-man P-38 fighter plane in the 26th Photo Squadron. (And I did make that visit.) He flew alone, or with a partner in a second plane, over Japanese targets in advance of the bombing runs. When Blake Olson of Channel 9 asked him about being unarmed, he laughed and said, \u2018I had a pistol.\u2019 He flew 67 missions, crossing the 300 combat hours threshold, and earned the World War II Air Medal three times. I have written much other material about American athletes in World War II. I researched and wrote quite graphically about the deaths of my father\u2019s teammates, Dave Schreiner and Bob Baumann, in the Battle of Okinawa. I have the picture wallet containing photos of his family and girlfriend that Schreiner was carrying when he was killed. That is part of my perspective.<\/em><\/p>\n

I am sorry, I made a mistake, and I understand 72 years have passed since the end of World War II and I do regret people with whom I probably am very closely aligned with politically and philosophically have been so offended. To those people, I apologize. (In fact, the assumptions about my political leanings have been quite inaccurate.) I apologize to Takuma Sato. I made a stupid reference, during an emotional weekend, to one of the nations that we fought in World War II \u2014 and, in this case, the specific one my father fought against. Again, I will say I\u2019m sorry, I know better, and I\u2019m angry at myself because there was no constructive purpose in saying it and I should not have said it, especially because The Denver Post has been dragged into this.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ENDS<\/p>\n

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Contrast this reaction with the kind of treatment Japanese media gave a Japanese high school baseball player Okoye Rui nearly two years ago. \u00a0Okoye, who just happens to have Japanese-Nigerian roots, brought forth reactions from the Japanese press that portrayed him as an “animal” with “wild instincts” on the “savannah”, and more. \u00a0Yes, there were criticisms, as noted in Huffpost Japan, but nobody was fired or in any way clearly sanctioned for saying this about a schoolboy! \u00a0Where’s the deterrent? — DDA.<\/p>\n

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