In mid-November, the app “Make me Asian” went public through the Google Play app store. This application allowed users to take a screenshot of themselves and add details such as a Fu Manchu mustache, slanted eyes, and yellow skin. Alongside it was the equally offensive “Make me Indian” application, which added a broadened nose, war paint, and a feathered headdress to users’ faces. Developed by the user KimberyDeiss, these racially derogative stereotypes sparked public outrage.
A change.org petition, which aimed at getting Google to remove the apps from the Play store, was signed by almost 9,000 people. The heart of its message was this: “By choosing to allow these apps to proliferate on their branded Google Play store, they [Google] are implicitly normalizing these characterizations. THESE APPS NEED TO COME DOWN NOW.”
In addition to the change.org petition, there was also a Twitter campaign bent on getting the applications removed. However, despite the public outcry, there was no change in the Play store until January 18th, when the applications were taken down.
Peter Chin, a pastor in Washington D.C., and the organizer of the change.org petition, said of the triumph, “This may seem like a small victory, but it made an important statement: that minorities will not simply accept dated and offensive stereotypes that are wrongly foisted upon them. We stood up, our voices were heard, and something changed.”
Sources:
Chin, Peter. “@Google: Remove the racist ‘Make Me Asian’ & ‘Make Me Indian’ apps from @GooglePlay.” Change.org. Nov. 2013. 20 Jan. 2013 <http://www.change.org/petitions/google-remove-the-racist-make-me-asian-make-me-indian-apps-from-googleplay?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=url_share&utm_campaign=url_share_before_sign>.
Gold, Jon. “’Make me Asian’ app yanked from Google Play amidst racism concerns.” ComputerWorld. 18 Jan. 2013. Fairfax Media. 20 Jan. 2013. <http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/telecommunications/make-me-asian-app-yanked-from-google-play-amidst-racism-concerns>.