Things were fine and dandy for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (the “LPGA”) when Se Ri Park was the only Korean woman golfer winning world class golf tournaments 10 years ago. It made them look tolerant, embracing of diversity, international. Now the LPGA counts 45 South Korean golfers among their ranks and suddenly that’s become a problem.
Why? Because the South Koreans, by far the largest and most successful international contingent of women golfers, are not up to snuff when it comes to schmoozing American style. They don’t present themselves well to the media, they can’t hobnob with corporate sponsors and most of all they don’t speak English well enough. Apparently, that’s a huge problem for the LPGA which is heavily dependent on the support of its sponsors.
The LPGA unleashed a torrent of negative publicity with their decision last week to require English language proficiency from their members at the risk of suspension. The majority of articles and commentary on the internet has condemned the policy as being racist, discriminatory, unfair, and just plain un-American.
I myself felt my heart sink when I heard about this proposed policy. It seems completely wrong and unfair especially when you consider the ability to speak English is so far removed from being able to play golf well. Come on, you don’t even TALK when you’re playing golf.
But even assuming the LPGA’s best intentions “to assist in giving them the best opportunity to make a living and maximize their earnings opportunities and those of the LPGA” (per LPGA website- http://www.lpga.com/content_1.aspx?pid=17137&mid=4), the LPGA’s policy really reflects massive cultural insensitivity and ignorance. Does the LPGA realize just how difficult it might be for these Korean golfers to learn the English language and present themselves to western audiences?
English is a very tough language for Koreans and try as they might, some players may never get good enough to give victory speeches in English or “schmooze” with the golfarrazzi. The LPGA should have read my earlier post “A Strange and Tortured Relationship: Koreans and the English Language”. Lol.
It also makes me sad to think that some aspiring Korean or other international female golfer may be discouraged from even trying to enter the sport because they feel their English may never be good enough. Playing world class golf is tough enough. International players shouldn’t be forced to meet this extra requirement.
Also, I can’t help but see a great deal of nativistic and Anglocentric sentiments and biases in the LPGA’s policy. With too many Asians affecting their bottom line, they reacted in tired, old yellow hysteria ways. Too many Asians are invading their sport so they have to come up with ways to assimilate them into white Western ways, if not exclude them.
I understand that money talks and a lot of the world is based on Western money but did the LPGA forget that some of their largest sponsors are Korean companies like Samsung and Hi-Mart (Korea’s version of Best Buy) and that an ever growing percentage of their audience is Asian and international in general?
Thank goodness the Asian American legal community is responding to this situation in full force, with several organizations and politicians responding with harsh letters of reprimand and the threat of lawsuits and legislation. If the LPGA doesn’t voluntarily change their misguided and racist, Jemma Crow English language policy, you can be damn sure, they’re gonna get sued.
