# Did I just hear this (Yellow Power) on The Early Show? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395 "2006-01-17T19:13:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/1 "2006-01-17T19:13:09Z")
This morning as I performed my usual coif, I had The Early Show on and was only half paying attention when I heard one of the ladies (sorry, not sure of their names, as I never actually sit down and watch it)report that a book or log or some such that was written by a Chinese explorer and predates Columbus’s writing by 70 years was found, indicating that he arrived in America first. I could swear I heard the other lady say “Wow, Yellow Power!”. Huh? Could I have heard correctly? Did anyone else hear this and find it extremely odd, to say the least? On a side note, and please don’t take this as a racial slur in any way shape or form, but does anyone else think that Huey from The Boondocks looks a little bit like the black lady on the show (who, by the way, is gorgeous)? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/2 "2006-01-17T19:15:21Z")
I saw a story on this just this morning. What it reported was that a 1700s copy of a Chinese 1418 map of the world is being discussed as proof that the Chinese explorers had visited the new world 75 years prior to Columbus. It’s subject to some debate but still cool. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/3 "2006-01-17T19:25:48Z")
Which did you find extremely odd - the report, or the “Yellow Power” comment? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/4 "2006-01-17T19:37:17Z")
[I knew I’d seen this somewhere.](http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/1641/2006/01/17/65@43816.htm) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/5 "2006-01-17T20:27:15Z")
A book a few years ago by Gaven Menzies made the claim that the Chinese discovered America, Australia, and all sorts of places in between. He makes a tolerable case, but there are some questions (most importantly, to my mind, the time frame: it doesn’t seem likely they did everything he claims in the time involved, though this map, if genuine, gives him a bit more time). Menzies also assumes for the sake of his argument that there was a passage north of Eurasia, which raises the question of how the Chinese knew about it and how they knew it would take them back home. Still, the case he makes is intriguing. The problem is that the actual map was made in 1763, when the New World was well known. It purports to be a copy of a map made in 1418, but there’s no way of knowing if that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/6 "2006-01-17T20:40:47Z")
While it’d be interesting to turn over the whole …1492…ocean blue…apple cart (I guess), my post is really about whether or not someone on a nationally broadcast show that isn’t MadTV or SNL would actually utter “Yellow Power”. Am I being a dufus in thinking this could be offensive? Is “yellow” not a derogatory term toward Asians? I’m not trying to be funny, or dense for that matter, but in today’s PC climate it seems like there’d be some kind of flap about it (and rightfully so, if it’s as inulting a term as I interpret it to be). ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/7 "2006-01-17T20:44:52Z")
That’s what I thought you meant. I dunno - if it’s OK to refer to other “races” by color name, why not Asians? “Black Power” doesn’t raise an eyebrow with anyone I know. “White Power” does, but that’s because of the Nazi/KKK implications; if not for that, would it still be OK? My gut says no. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/8 "2006-01-17T21:01:47Z")
Yellow Power? Come on, people, that is rather offensive. We are not yellow, that is Asians are not, we are all shades from nearly white to nearly black. Look, blacks often identify themselves, using terms like “Black Power”. Fair enough, I am OK with a race identifying themselves with it. But just as “White Power” has negative connotations, so does “Yellow Power”. Please don’t call your Asian friends yellow, unless you know they’re OK with it, we are neither jaundiced nor cowards, the other two definitions of the word. As for the show? It’s the Early Show, like it has any respect. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/9 "2006-01-17T21:31:21Z")
> [@YaWanna](#): > > That’s what I thought you meant. > > I dunno - if it’s OK to refer to other “races” by color name, why not Asians? “Black Power” doesn’t raise an eyebrow with anyone I know. “White Power” does, but that’s because of the Nazi/KKK implications; if not for that, would it still be OK? My gut says no. Personally, I find any type of “xxxxxxxxxx power” expressions to be meaningless at best, but to hear it on what is _supposed_ to be a reputable news show is a bit jarring. Not trying to argue with you, **YaWanna**. Just struck me as odd and wrong, is all. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/10 "2006-01-17T22:04:34Z")
I have modified the thread title to make it more clear. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/11 "2006-01-17T22:11:08Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Yellow Power? Come on, people, that is rather offensive. We are not yellow, that is Asians are not, we are all shades from nearly white to nearly black. True. There’s no word for “used-to-be-‘Oriental’ power,” I suppose. I don’t watch this show- is the woman who made the “Yellow power!” comment Asian? ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/12 "2006-01-17T23:17:49Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Yellow Power? Come on, people, that is rather offensive. We are not yellow, that is Asians are not, we are all shades from nearly white to nearly black. Agreed - but the same is true for those of us that everyone has no problem calling “white.” Personally, I have a very noticeable yellow undertone to my skin. If I said “don’t call me white,” though, I guarantee that would cause eye-rolling and derisive snorts, at best. I’m not arguing against you about the color issue, **Anaamika** ; just saying there’s a double-standard and I hate those. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/13 "2006-01-18T03:10:54Z")
Personally I find the slogan “Yellow Power” quite amusing. I have never heard the term “Yellow” used pejoratively. Also, part of the humor value, sad to say, is the fact that in general, Asians in this country are rather apolitical; even in areas where there are large concentrations of Asians, you don’t hear much about “the Asian voting bloc” the way you do about the Hispanic or Black voting blocs in other areas. I am often a part of a swirling mob of (Yellow) Asians with a guy in the middle shouting to be heard, but he’s yelling out table numbers for Dim Sum, not political slogans. Singing: _I’m just mad about saffron…_ ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/14 "2006-01-18T03:25:26Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > I have never heard the term “Yellow” used pejoratively. You and I are too young to remember things like [“the Yellow Peril.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_peril) ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/15 "2006-01-18T04:24:44Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You and I are too young to remember things like [“the Yellow Peril.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_peril) Outside of history books, yes… But I suppose I should mention that my high school (a) had purple and white as its school colors, (b) a high percentage of (yellow) Asians 😉 and (c) an even higher percentage thereof on its girl’s volleyball team, and (d) said team had the (self-dubbed) informal nickname _The Purple Peril_, which (e) by and large we thought was clever and amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/16 "2006-01-31T20:46:10Z")
Yes the lady said “Yellow Power”. I imediately thought “Yellow Peril”. Whatever “color power” is not a very nice thing to be hearing. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-hear-this-yellow-power-on-the-early-show/340395/17 "2006-01-31T20:59:09Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > True. There’s no word for “used-to-be-‘Oriental’ power,” I suppose. I don’t watch this show- is the woman who made the “Yellow power!” comment Asian? Yes. I think this is a one time moment, “I don’t believe I said that.” I shuddered more on the thought, that some idiot would start the press repeating the phrase every 5 minutes.