A People by Another Name Isn’t Rosey

There’s many a slip between cup and lip. Or, in the case of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, between mouth and microphone. On Tuesday, at a meeting with the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, he made a gaffe — ‘Our common target is safe and secure Games… most importantly also for the Chinese people [stumble, pause] Japanese people.’ The people of Japan listening in were not amused. The rest of us can guiltily thank ourselves for not making it.

Confusing one nationality for another because of (ill-)perceived common traits is embarrassing, and can be offensive especially with the two mixed-up countries having a prickly history. Hercule Poirot famously corrected all, with deep Belgian irritation, each time he was called French. Canadians are kinder towards people mistaking them for Americans, but less so after the Trump presidency. Indians, understandably riled up each time they’re called Pakistani, have a tendency of believing all goras are English (or American) unless proven otherwise. North and east Indians mixing up Malayalis and Tamils can be hair-tearing. It’s more seriously racist when far too many people from India’s northeastern states are abused by being called a derogatory form of what Bach miscalled the Japanese. The Austrian IOC president is German. But as a penalty, let’s just say for a few days he isn’t.