Asian American Congresswoman Calls Out Game Studio for Racist ‘Dirty Chinese Restaurant’ Game
September 26, 2017
An independent game studio has recently come under fire for its inaugural game, Dirty Chinese Restaurant. The title, currently in development by Big-O-Tree Games (wordplay on “bigotry”), features a slew of racist themes, including a “sweatshop mode”, employees with rice-picker hats who occasionally get deported, and a Chinese chef chasing cats and dogs with a meat cleaver and fishing for ingredients out of dumpsters. Its release date is yet to be determined and will be available for download on Google Play and the App Store.
The mobile game is fairly straightforward; players take on the role of Wong Fu, who inherited a Chinese restaurant from his brother, Wang Fu. Players can choose to run a “prestigious Oriental establishment” by giving customers high quality food and service or “a real filthy dive” by evading taxes and gambling away your profits in Mahjong.
Big-O-Tree Games, headquartered in Ontario, Canada, is forthcoming about the blatant racism in their game, stating that the title is “a shining example of our unorthodox modus operandi.” They have positioned themselves as makers of “games that are tongue-in-cheek, shockingly humorous, and full of satire inspired by the mad world we live in,” because “being politically correct is so…boring.”
Although Dirty Chinese Restaurant’s development began in 2016, it wasn’t until recently that any attention was given to the title; most notably, Representative Grace Meng took to social media to denounce the indie studio and its project on Monday, imploring platforms to block the game.
“I wish I could say that I was shocked that there is a new video game soon to be released called ‘Dirty Chinese Restaurant.’ This game uses every negative and demeaning stereotype that I have ever come across as a Chinese American. From the names used for the characters of the game, to the types of food they cook, to the disturbing depiction of their faces, this game epitomizes racism against Asian Americans. I fear that prejudice against and othering of Asian Americans remains a form of racism that is too frequently brushed off and tacitly accepted. Racism against Asian Americans is just as harmful and pernicious as racism against any other group, and we must call it out when we see it. How we portray people matters. I urge Google, Apple, Android, and any other platform to not carry the game Dirty Chinese Restaurant, or any other game that glorifies in hurting any community.”
Netizens have also expressed their outrage via Twitter:
Big-O-Tree Games has not responded to inquiries from the media.
Share this Article
Share this Article
