Oh. Mah. Gawd.

Normally, it's Laura who sends out e-mail about stuff like this, but when I found this online, I just had to say something. The headline from the fora at the Straight Dope says, "Tacky Asian Stereotypes for Kids -- New, From Lifeway!"
LifeWay : VBS 2004 - Rickshaw Rally
This is a "Vacation Bible School" program for Southern Baptist churches. The theme is supposed to be a Japanese setting. Things included:

� A theme song that has a chorus that goes: "Wax on, wax off, get your rickshaw ready . . . to the far out, Far East...."

� Name tags in the shape of Chinese (!) take out boxes.

� The entire VBS package is enclosed in an oversized tin again shaped like a box from a Chinese restaurant.

� One of the suggestions made on the website is to use oversized decorations, such as big "chop stix," perhaps made from old crutches wrapped in brown paper and marked with Chinese characters. (Most chopsticks I've seen are plain wood or have cartoon characters...)

� Another suggestion is to use an authentic gong to signal class changes. (?) One response to this one is that one church group will just go with a metal garbage can lid.

I'm...speechless.

Some of the reactions from REAL Asian Americans can be found on the site Reconsidering Rickshaw Rally.

Later,
Rob