I stumbled across this cover of the latest issue of the National Review (pictured at right) and it struck me as...weird. "The Wise Latina" being depicted as a stereotypical Asian is just flat out strange. Rich Lowery apparently anticipated that this was going to cause some controversy and then, when it did, he accused the "PC cops" of not having any sense of humor.
I don't think that the image is racist, just a depiction that makes you scratch in regard to the intent. Matt Yglesias weighs in:
Unfortunately, there’s not a good shorthand term for the psychology behind this kind of behavior. “Racism” doesn’t, I think, capture it. But there’s this deranged fascination with walking up to the line and dancing around there in hopes of getting called on it. Then you get to become indignant. Because, again, the contemporary right’s main view on race is that actual racism against non-white people is only a tiny problem compared with the vast social crisis that allegedly exists around people being vigilant against racism.
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