Lacorte News In detail: CNN published a story on Thursday, titled “Karate, Wonton, Chow Fun: The end of ‘chop suey’ fonts,” that focused on different fonts it claimed are linked to the Chinese culture. The piece, penned by Anne Quito, refers to these fonts as “chop suey” fonts, after noting that’s how American historian Paul Shaw calls them.
“It’s hard not to cringe at the Chinese stereotypes bundled up with each font package — especially when seen through the lens of today’s heightened vigilance toward discrimination and systemic racism. Critics believe that using chop suey typefaces is downright racist, particularly when deployed by non-Asian creators,” Quito writes.
At one point, Quito accuses “white politicians ….of using chop suey fonts to stoke xenophobia for over a century” and cites two examples. “For an older generation of Asian Americans, spotting the faux brushstroke lettering can trigger past traumas,” she notes later in the article.
Quito even mentioned Nazis, writing that in 19th-century Germany the Fraktur font “was considered as an expression of nationalism.” Eventually, the piece acknowledges that Chinese immigrants have used the fonts themselves.
Critics were quick to dismiss CNN’s verdict on “racist” fonts and criticized the publication.
“Reaching much! I swear.. everything that is just isn’t. I’ve seen many Asian restaurants and stores use this font.. you guys need to fire your staff for perpetuating racism.. The media is to blame for a lot and people seem to forget that,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Does racist even mean anything anymore? It used to be reserved for nasty people. Now it’s a marketing tool,” another said.
“Stop looking for ways to divide people. Typography is a communication tool, and in the vast majority of instances this is well-intentioned and informative,” a third user tweeted.
Sooo… fonts are racist now?
This is what you’re trying to get clicks off of? Pathetic.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) April 8, 2021
— Five Times August (@FiveTimesAugust) April 8, 2021
No a font cannot be racist in my opinion.
— Scot Tanner Buchholz (@BScotTanner) April 7, 2021
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