The city of Pasadena, California is issuing a formal apology to one of its residents after he received documentation for a parking ticket that changed his last name to a racial slur: chink.
Pasadena Apologizes To Resident After Parking Ticket Paperwork Uses Racial Slur
Pasadena resident Sean Ching, who grew up in the area, received paperwork regarding a parking ticket that he was trying to fight in December 2013. The letter upheld the citation, but what upset Mr. Ching even more was that his name on the documentation had been changed to "SEAN CHINKS."
Ching contacted the city about the slur, and after waiting weeks and dealing with multiple representatives from the Department of Transportation, he was given the excuse that it was "just a mistake" and was promised an apology -- an apology that never arrived in any form.
So Sean took to social media, where it picked up steam thanks to sites like AsAm News. And wouldn't you know it? Over a year after the offending incident, the Pasadena Department of Transportation now says that it has sent an official letter to Ching apologizing for the "misspelling." (They blame it on bad handwriting.)
The letter reads, in part:
At this time I would like to offer a formal apology for our mistake. It was never our intention to disparage you or cause you any harm or distress. On behalf of the Parking Division staff and myself, please accept my sincerest apologies for this unfortunate incident.
Whatever the excuse, it really should not have taken thirteen months, multiple conversations going nowhere with city officials, and some good old fashioned social media shaming for someone at the city to simply acknowledge that they sent Mr. Ching a letter containing a racial slur. Ridiculous.
More here: Pasadena Sends Formal Apology for Letter to "Chinks"