Chinese eatery ends offensive advertising

Mike Reynolds, owner of Eggrolls Etc., apologized in a telephone interview Monday for using the word "Chinamen" in his ads, saying he was initially unaware that it was widely considered a derogatory term.

Reynolds said he still doesn't think his menu, on the whole, could be construed as "intended to hurt or damage anyone," but apologized for any "misunderstanding" created by the jokes on his menu, which included a parody of the inability of immigrant Chinese to pronounce words containing the letter "r."

Reynolds said his menu and advertising fliers were "never intended to harm or insult the Asian-American or Chinese-American community."

Reynolds, who never responded to letters from local and national groups urging him to be more sensitive in his advertising, said he doesn't now plan to respond or issue a formal apology.

At a press conference last month, leaders of Tucson's Asian community, the YWCA, Chicanos Por La Causa, Tucson Urban League and members of the Tucson City Council and the Pima County Board of Supervisors denounced Reynolds' advertising as racist and further criticized him for failing to respond to concerns first raised in February by the Tucson Chinese Association.

Jason Wong, president of that group, said he was pleased that the business finally responded to the complaints, but was disappointed that it took so much community pressure to make it happen.

"The issue wasn't solely just the Chinese community," Wong said. "Any group or member of the community should not have to feel there is no one to support them if an injustice has been done. The support showed this is a wonderful community," he said.

Reynolds said the changes to his advertising were planned before the groups held their May 16 press conference.

He said he sent word to the groups "through back channels" that it would change. "I have reached out," he said, "but not in the manner they wanted. I didn't show up for a firing squad. I'm not going to do it in a way that brands me as a racist or bigot."

He said copy for his ads was vetted by lawyers at ADVO, the direct-mail media company that handles his advertising. He said advertising for EggRolls Etc. and for his other restaurants, Canal Street Pizzaria and Brooklyn's Burgers, "walks the line" and requires "conversations about sensitivity."

Wong said he had tried without success to get ADVO to change the ads when Reynolds would not respond to him.

Finally, Gabriel "Jack" Chin, a law professor at the University of Arizona, reached Barry Hoffman, corporate counsel for Valassis, ADVO's parent company. Hoffman told Chin in a letter that ADVO's CEO had been instructed to pull the ads.

Reynolds said he is concerned that "we're taking ourselves too seriously," noting that Chin had also objected to a menu item at Canal Street Pizzaria — "Mussolini's Pizza Fingers."

Chin said he once appeared on Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" in a parody about Arizona's Voter Rewards initiative that turned into "a whole Jackie Chan bit," and rejects "the idea that I don't have a sense of humor."

"There are certain situations in which you know it's a joke and it's a friendly thing," Chin said. "When you ask somebody to stop and they say 'no,' then it's clear it's not a joke anymore — or it may be a joke and you're not in on it. It's not a joke that takes your concerns into consideration," said Chin.

Vallasis spokeswoman Mary Broaddus confirmed Monday that Valassis and ADVO had stopped distribution of the Eggrolls Etc. ads. "We are working with the client to ensure that any future version is revised," she said in an e-mail response to a request for comment.

"I have reached out, but not in the manner they wanted. I didn't show up for a firing squad. I'm not going to do it in a way that brands me as a racist or a bigot."

Mike Reynolds

Eggrolls Etc