STOP RACISM IN the classroom
We celebrate birthdays with cake, presents and birthday songs to put someone in the spotlight, right? Yet sometimes these songs completely miss the mark; like the song ‘Hanky Panky Shanghai’ that stems from persistent and racist stereotypes.
The song shows that racism against East- and Southeast Asians is normalised in the Netherlands. This has to stop.
We recorded a video for the Stop Hanky Panky Shanghai campaign. This video illustrates the feelings that listening to 'Hanky Panky Shanghai' elicits in East- and Southeast Asians: exclusion and, commonly, shame. This video will also be part of the teaching package we made for primary school teachers and pabo students. We encourage you to share this video on your social media or show it to your friends and family!
through the
'stop hanky panky shanghai' campaign, we aim to
Raise awareness about the racist nature of this song.
Spark conversations about (anti-East and Southeast Asian) racism at school.
Ban the song ‘Hanky Panky Shanghai’ from (primary) schools and pabo programs (primary education teacher training programs in the Netherlands).
Shed light on the invisible character of anti-Asian racism.
By banning 'Hanky Panky Shanghai' we fight racism in the classroom and create a more inclusive birthday party for every child.
Will you join us?
Why this campaign?
In short, the goal of the campaign is to ban the racist song
‘Hanky Panky Shanghai’ from schools and pabo programs.
Children shouldn’t be confronted with racism. Because children cannot always verbally express their emotions when they feel hurt or upset, adults are responsible for creating a safe environment.
Racism is unfortunately taught from a young age. Therefore, it’s essential for children that the adults in their life understand that the song ‘Hanky Panky Shanghai’ is racist. This is how we make sure that everyone stops singing the so-called birthday song ‘Hanky Panky Shanghai’.
By educating adults, we can fight racism within classrooms and contribute to a fun birthday party for every child. You can also contribute!
Follow the campaign
All information about the campaign is shared on Instagram. Do you want to follow how the campagin develops?
Nice! Check our social media:
Stop racism in the classroom
In 2021, Asian Raisins conducted a survey on experiences with the song ‘Hanky Panky Shanghai. The results show that many East- and Southeast Asians in the Netherlands have negative associations with the song: they feel uncomfortable when it is sung at their own birthday party and at other's. Read about a few experiences below:
supported by
By working together with other organisations and forming alliances, we can make a bigger impact. This way, we can ensure that the problem of racism in education becomes more visible, so we can combat this.
We gained a lot of support from organisations who also believe that ‘Hanky Panky Shanghai’ should be banned from schools. Is your organisation interested in supporting our cause? Let us know or read ‘How can you help’ to see what you can do. Below are organisations (already) in support of our campaign:
STOP RACISM IN the classroom
