Japanese publisher defies Little Black Sambo protest [View All]

[kskiska]

Seventeen years after it was removed from bookshops for its racist content, the children's story Little Black Sambo has made a comeback in Japan.

The tale of Sambo, a boy who uses his wits to survive after being stalked by tigers, was a hit in Japan when it was first published here in 1953.

In 1988, Japanese booksellers agreed to remove it from their shelves after a US-led campaign against its racist language and imagery.

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In the late 1890s Helen Bannerman, a Scot, wrote Little Black Sambo for her children while they were living in India.

"Times have changed since the book was removed," Zuiunsha's president, Tomio Inoue, told the Guardian. "Black people are more prominent in politics and entertainment, so I don't think this book can be blamed for supporting racial stereotypes. We certainly had no intention of insulting black people.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/japan/story/0,7369,1506575,00.html