Some sports mascots just aren't worth rooting for.
The wily ringleaders of cheer and fandom, mascots are the visual representations of team pride. However, that pride can easily be marred when a mascot's appearance is racially charged.
A California high school recently had to learn this lesson on racial sensitivity. It just banished a mascot called the "Arab," a caricature of a Middle Eastern man, with thick black hair and a large nose, sporting a white head scarf, commonly known as a "keffiyah."
For realsies this is the mascot of the Coachella Valley High School Arabs pic.twitter.com/iud4tmnZMR— James Ryan O'Meara (@ItsJimOMeara) May 6, 2014
The team, which will still be known as the Arabs, is working on a redesign of the mascot. And yes, it'll still be an Arab man.
Coachella Valley H.S. retires scowling Arab Mascot.... Here's what they are thinking for the new one. Do you like it? pic.twitter.com/t9xJ6rIUjN— Coachella Valley (@AnInsidersGuide) August 30, 2014
On a larger scale, mascots with troublesome roots are a dime a dozen. In the U.S., some of the most offensive mascots often lift from American Indian culture. All across the history of baseball, football, hockey and even rugby, you'll find nicknames derived from tribes. Oddly enough, there are also quite a few hockey teams in Sweden with similar ties, like the Frölunda Indians and the Malmö Redhawks.
While some believe these sports mascots are harmless, stereotypical caricatures leave behind psychological effects. Research studies conducted by the American Psychological Association have shown that American Indian mascots, for example, can leave behind layers of damage. It teaches people outside of indigenous culture that it's fine to perpetuate misconceptions, while also presenting a "hostile learning environment" for American Indian children. These mascots some deem harmless can easily eternalize discrimination.
Though there are almost too many to quantify, here are nine sports mascots people have deemed offensive over the years.
[seealso slug="tech-mascots-logos"]
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