80-20 stands with civil rights organizations in condemning the "Ghettopoly" game. This game perpetrates harmful stereotypes against African Americans, which is not a matter of humor, as the game creator, David Chang, may suggest.
The game's stated objective is "to become the richest playa through stealing, cheating and fencing stolen properties." Game pieces include a cannabis leaf, crack cocaine, and a gun. Properties are not houses and hotels as is the case in "Monopoly," but crack houses and public housing projects. The object of the game is to build as many projects and crack houses as possible while avoiding jail, car jacking, addiction or death. The game not only perpetuates massive stereotypes along racial lines, it insults African American history - particularly Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, who are both lambasted with insensitivity. For example, "Martin Luthor King, Jr.," intentionally misspelled in the game, is shown scratching his crotch and saying, "I have an itch." The game also plays on Asian American stereotypes with an Asian brothel as one of the spaces onthe board. The game pokes fun at poverty, at crime, at black history and at living in city slums. David Chang immigrated to America from Taiwan when he was 8. His father owned a Chinese restaurant. He is a graduate of the Univ. of Rochester, and lives in PA. It is embarrassing that an Asian American, who probably himself has experienced a lot of stereotypes is now the creator of a such game perpetrating stereotypes against another community.