Family fights racism

Press, 12 August 1989, Page 10

Family fights racism

NZPA-Reuter Washington A Japanese boy, aged 10, and his parents said yesterday that they will keep fighting to end sales of Black Sambo dolls and other items that caricature blacks in Japan, in spite of opposition which has included death threats. Hajime Arita and his parents, on a six-city tour of the United States to get to know blacks better, have led a year-long campaign in Japan to fight racism against blacks. The president of the United States Black Business Council, Albert Nellum, said the family’s

campaign had been successful, although their mail was 40 per cent negative and included some death threats. At a news conference, the family displayed dozens of examples from their collection of dolls with satchel mouths, fat black figures depicted on floor mats, clothing with black stereotypes and cartoons as examples. The family’s letters to 11 publishers stopped publication of a children’s book, “Little Black Sambo,” but they said the book is still on display in schools and libraries. The family was unaware that blacks resented the minstrel-like dolls un-

til reading a news article last year, according to the father, Toshiji Arita. On his son’s suggestion, they started a family organisation, The Association To Stop Racism Against Blacks. Their efforts have been targeted against companies making popular black dolls with exaggerated features, and books and other products displaying blacks in an unfavourable light Their efforts have led to the ending of Bubble Face Gum depicting a black, and another company’s long-established trade mark showing a caricatured black on beverage labels.