On Tuesday, the National Post published an article about the AMS’s decision to cancel a Food Bank fundraiser called the “SUMO Showdown” that would have made use of two sumo wrestling suits.
The suits, oversized plastic costumes designed to mimic the ancient Japanese sport of sumo wrestling, are yellow-tinted and include helmets with structures resembling black buns of hair on top.
Upon hearing from a group of deeply offended students, the AMS published a two-page apology letter on their website and cancelled the fundraiser altogether.
The apology letter said having students wear sumo suits “appropriates an aspect of Japanese culture” and “turns a racial identity in a costume.” The letter further states use of the suits “devalues an ancient and respected Japanese sport, which is rich in history and cultural tradition” and apologizes for the student government’s failure to consider potential racist meanings behind the use of the suits.
The sumo suits are owned by the Athletics Department and have been used in the past at sporting events like halftime shows at football games. Mike Grobe, speaking on behalf of Athletics, said no complaint had previously been brought to his attention about offensive aspects of the sumo suits.
The Post quotes AMS communications officer Brandon Sloan as having identified “white privilege” as a factor that made the student government blind to the gravity of the issues implicated in using sumo suits.
The Post further states Queen’s “has a proud tradition of inclusivity” for being the first university in Canada to graduate a black student and for naming a campus bar after Alfred Pierce, who was the son of a runaway slave—but that current Queen’s students’ understanding of political correctness suffers from the school’s “reputation for drawing its student body from the privileged neighbourhoods of Toronto and Ottawa.”
The AMS’s mission statement is “to serve and represent the diversity of students at Queen’s.” This is the Society’s mandate, so it follows that any event that marginalizes a group of Queen’s students would represent a deviation from the mission and a failure to be inclusive.
If students feel discriminated against by a course of action the student government intends to take, it’s reasonable to consider the potentially oppressive aspects of the initiative.
The AMS should be commended for their quick response to concerns that surfaced after the “SUMO Showdown” event was posted on Facebook. The AMS’s course of action in quickly drafting an apology letter shows thoughtfulness and tact.
After giving the issue some consideration, students and the broader media should see how sumo suits can be construed as offensive. The helmet is problematic for its mockery of traditional sumo hairstyles, while the coloured tint of the suits can also be seen as appropriation.
The costumes are a caricature of a noble, culturally meaningful sport and as such, they are offensive.
The suits’ comedic effect is tied largely to their size rather than their cultural aspects, but the line is easily blurred. It’s inappropriate to go forward with an event that could be misconstrued as mocking a cultural identity.
It’s also out of line to suggest that groups of people shouldn’t take offence to issues such as these. People naturally have different degrees of internal connection to what is being satirized and have little choice how they feel about racial mockery. The harm caused by this event is troubling, but the ensuing discussion invites thought about the potentially harmful implications that linger beneath the surface of culturally accepted things like sumo suits.
The Post’s treatment of the issue is deplorable for its willingness to tie this event, which was handled quickly and responsibly, to the issue of systemic racism, and also for its readiness to capitalize on loaded terminology like “white privilege.” The AMS discussed “privilege” in their apology letter, but never used the term “white privilege.”
Examples the Post invokes from Queen’s distant past are largely irrelevant to the current problem. By posting the article online beside links to articles addressing issues of free speech at universities, the Post misread this situation.
The sumo suit issue is not one of free speech, but rather a misguided choice made about an event that was meant to be fun.
Featuring the article on the Post’s front page also sensationalizes the issue. Sumo suits hardly qualify as national news.
By quickly formulating a thoughtful apology rather than a recycled statement, the AMS demonstrated a real desire to understand the issues brought forth and a strong focus on continued dialogue.
It’s clear the plan to use sumo suits in a fundraising event was hurtful to a group of Queen’s students. Othering and oppression is not the business of a responsible student government. We can be proud that the AMS, unlike the Post, has its priorities straight.
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