I am a "Chink"!

My ancestry is French/Dutch.

I graduated from Pekin High School, in Pekin, Illinois.......

We were known as "The Chinks".....and it was, to us an honor to be a "Chink".....still is.....

We thought of the term, as explained in the only actual explanation we ever got, as "Worker".....

There was nothing at all negative in our thoughts or comments on the subject.....In fact we were proud to be named such!

We, each year, elected a "Chink & Chinklette" who appeared at our football and basketball games as representatives of the school.....
complete in coolie hats and robes. Their job was to welcome the visiting teams cheerleaders...

It was an impressive ceremony, especially in the basketball games, as they walked to center court, greeting the cheerleaders from the opposing team under a spotlight while the main lights were lowered.....in the background we in the band were playing "Chinatown".....

Pekin was reported to be halfway around the world from Peking, China, and our movie theatre had a glorious dragon over the marquee...and dark reds inside with dragon heads all about.

There was never a negative connotation placed on the entire thing.....although I understand today's attitudes given our near-rabid lurch toward political correctness.