Racist NPC & Item Naming

[Bandlero.6312]

There is an NPC named Great-Uncle Tombo and a Middle Eastern styled armor set named Haimi's. For those that may not understand why these may be racist: Uncle Tom/Sambo are racial slurs against African-Americans; and Haimi (and other spelling variations) is a racial slur against Jews (and in the context that it is being used to name Middle Eastern styled armor "Haimi's" (owned by Haimi) it creates a clear connection to Antisemitism.) I am not making any accusations that these names were intentional on the part of ArenaNet or its employees; or that they may have even realized that they were offensive and racist; or that there was any racism, intentional or not.

However, speaking as an individual that is a member of an ethnicity that is targeted by one of these racial slurs, I found myself very shocked, appalled, and offended to see the inclusion of these names in the game. This NPC and the armor set need swift review and renaming in the game. In this day and age, and especially coming from a company like ArenaNet with its reputations, it is just really shocking and surprising to see racial and cultural insensitivity of this level ending-up in the game. It doesn't matter that the game is fiction, fantasy, and art; this sort of content crosses the line.

@"Gaile Gray.6029" or whoever might be in charge of "Community Relations," this is a massive ball-drop in that regard. Please review and rectify this as soon as reasonably possible.

[SkarletRaven.2346]

Totally agree with this; the NPC and item names ought to be changed, at the very least.

[Ygomogad.1836]

@Bandlero.6312 said:There is an NPC named Great-Uncle Tombo and a Middle Eastern styled armor set named Haimi's. For those that may not understand why these may be racist: Uncle Tom/kitten are racial slurs against African-Americans; and Haimi (and other spelling variations) is a racial slur against Jews (and in the context that it is being used to name Middle Eastern styled armor "Haimi's" (owned by Haimi) it creates a clear connection to Antisemitism.) I am not making any accusations that these names were intentional on the part of ArenaNet or its employees; or that they may have even realized that they were offensive and racist; or that there was any racism, intentional or not.

However, speaking as an individual that is a member of an ethnicity that is targeted by one of these racial slurs, I found myself very shocked, appalled, and offended to see the inclusion of these names in the game. This NPC and the armor set need swift review and renaming in the game. In this day and age, and especially coming from a company like ArenaNet with its reputations, it is just really shocking and surprising to see racial and cultural insensitivity of this level ending-up in the game. It doesn't matter that the game is fiction, fantasy, and art; this sort of content crosses the line.

@"Gaile Gray.6029" or whoever might be in charge of "Community Relations," this is a massive ball-drop in that regard. Please review and rectify this as soon as reasonably possible.

... Are you for real?lol

[Drew.1865]

Screen capture? I've never seen these npcs and don't see them on the wiki.

[Beezlebub.1538]

lmfao maybe you shouldn't be so racially insecure, and these things wouldn't bother you as much

[Bandlero.6312]

@Drew.1865 said:Screen capture? I've never seen these npcs and don't see them on the wiki.

Great-Uncle Tombo is the Hero Point at the Necropolis in Vabbi. Haimi's armor set is awarded from a box, I forget which one.

[Exqq.7451]

You know... if the game is too triggering for you, you could... not play?

[Syktek.7912]

Haimi means golden in another language. A pun following a book title isn't racist.

[Deihnyx.6318]

OP, you do realize most of us have no idea what you're talking about... right?Like, I google that "Tom Kitten" thing and it shows me a book about cats.Googling "Haimi" it's an Indu name.

I can't find anywhere any reference of what you claim

[Peura.3796]

Pick a language and a random word and you will most likely find it means something else in another language. They should rename everything in the game in that case.

[Voreo Sabrae.5416]

Maybe someone at Arenanet has a family member named Tom and was just poking fun at them? Just because it seems to reference one thing does not mean it is equal to another. :3

[SkarletRaven.2346]

https://imgur.com/a/RL5rZ

Screenshot of NPC in question.

@Drew.1865 said:Screen capture? I've never seen these npcs and don't see them on the wiki.

[Coulter.2315]

You are choosing to be offended, get a grip.

[Drew.1865]

Not being a white knight but I don't think any employee at Anet would do anything to offend the game's players. I declare shenanigans.

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

Haimi isn’t a slur. In Arabic for example, it’s a girl’s name and it means Golden. You’re thinking of another word that sounds similar but is spelled differently.

[Peura.3796]

@Deihnyx.6318 said:OP, you do realize most of us have no idea what you're talking about... right?Like, I google that "Tom Kitten" thing and it shows me a book about cats.Googling "Haimi" it's an Indu name.

I can't find anywhere any reference of what you claim

There are people that gets offended by the color of your eyes these days lol. None of this surprises me anymore. Could also be a good troll. It's the internet.

[Bandlero.6312]

@Just a flesh wound.3589 said:Haimi isn’t a slur. In Arabic for example, it’s a girl’s name and it means Golden. You’re thinking of another word that sounds similar but is spelled differently.

In Hebrew/Yiddish, it is derived from Chaim, essentially meaning life. Haim, Hayim, Hyman, Haimi, etc; are variant spellings and usages of Chaim. A notable example of usage: Jesse Jackson in 1984 used Haimi (spell it how you like) as a derogatory to reference Jews.

[Razor.6392]

2017, the year where we get offended at LITERALLY ANYTHING.

How do you people actually survive out there? I'm genuinely curious.

[Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582]

@Bandlero.6312 said:There is an NPC named Great-Uncle Tombo and a Middle Eastern styled armor set named Haimi's. For those that may not understand why these may be racist: Uncle Tom/kitten are racial slurs against African-Americans; and Haimi (and other spelling variations) is a racial slur against Jews (and in the context that it is being used to name Middle Eastern styled armor "Haimi's" (owned by Haimi) it creates a clear connection to Antisemitism.) I am not making any accusations that these names were intentional on the part of ArenaNet or its employees; or that they may have even realized that they were offensive and racist; or that there was any racism, intentional or not.

However, speaking as an individual that is a member of an ethnicity that is targeted by one of these racial slurs, I found myself very shocked, appalled, and offended to see the inclusion of these names in the game. This NPC and the armor set need swift review and renaming in the game. In this day and age, and especially coming from a company like ArenaNet with its reputations, it is just really shocking and surprising to see racial and cultural insensitivity of this level ending-up in the game. It doesn't matter that the game is fiction, fantasy, and art; this sort of content crosses the line.

@"Gaile Gray.6029" or whoever might be in charge of "Community Relations," this is a massive ball-drop in that regard. Please review and rectify this as soon as reasonably possible.

Stop being an absurd SJW and trying your best to get offended by everything. It's just a made-up word/name that has no racial under/overtones whatsoever. You are being racist yourself in even suggesting they are or that people should be offended by them.

[Deihnyx.6318]

@Bandlero.6312 said:

@Just a flesh wound.3589 said:Haimi isn’t a slur. In Arabic for example, it’s a girl’s name and it means Golden. You’re thinking of another word that sounds similar but is spelled differently.

In Hebrew/Yiddish, it is derived from Chaim, essentially meaning life. Haim, Hayim, Hyman, Haimi, etc; are variant spellings and usages of Chaim. A notable example of usage: Jesse Jackson in 1984 used Haimi (spell it how you like) as a derogatory to reference Jews.

So people in India should stop using that name?Just curious.

Also, from what you say it means life, which... in my opinion is something positive?Because one guy used that name negatively, it means a game decades later should not use that noun?

I just don't understand this generation...

[TexZero.7910]

As a man of African American descent i quote the following

"I ain't even mad".

No really, it's a non-issue.

[OriOri.8724]

Jesus this is ridiculous. Speaking as a Jewish person, this is fucking fine.

A - Its a video game

B - This is Anet we are talking about. The company that literally destroyed part of DR and wiped it from the game completely because it received a negative reaction from the Asian community (https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Divinity%27s_Reach#cite_note-lincolncast34-1). And you claim they are being insensitive?

The only thing that needs to happen here is you need to grow up and stop looking at the world, trying to find something to be offended at. This is all that happened. You chose to be offended. Even in this very thread you are ignoring rational arguments and points that others are making in a desperate attempt to try to defend your claim that this is offensive. You can't even form a coherent argument other than "Yea that's how most cultures react to that word, but you can choose to interpret it in this negative way too, which is how I choose to interpret it". just stop already.

[Drew.1865]

@Razor.6392 said:2017, the year where we get offended at LITERALLY ANYTHING.

How do you people actually survive out there? I'm genuinely curious.

I'm a minority and I agree!

[hourglass.2486]

Uncle Tombo is not racist you are trying to take things out of context and make it into something it is not.

[Lambent.6375]

Nothing wrong with Uncle Tombo.