The Second Most Racist Lundromat in America?

Following up on the post from a couple of weeks back on the most racist laundromat in America -- U-Washee in Richmond, Indiana -- here's a photo of what might be the second most racist laundromat, spotted and snapped outside Washee Washee in Caseyville, Illinois. Don't you just want to go in there and take a look around?

No idea if it has all the same fun, racist caricature signs adorning the inside... but do note the use of extreme ching chong font out front. They just couldn't resist. I guess the implication is that Asians -- or at least, the obvious suggestion of Asian-ness -- will be extra effective in getting your clothes clean... even if you are just doing the coin-op laundry yourself.

(Thanks, Mike.)

The Most Racist Laundromat in America?

I came across this a while ago, but a good reader sent it in and reminded me about it... a racist, old school blast from the past that is unfortunately still very much in the present. This article examines the "U-Washee" laundromat in Richmond, Indiana -- an establishment completely built on racist Chinese stereotypes:

Keeping whites and colors separate: The "U-Washee."

This is an actual working laundromat decorated with signs featuring all sorts racist yellow-skinned chinaman caricatures, wonton fonts and faux ching chong grammar... and no one really seems to give a damn. Zero outrage. The article seems to suggest that it's an Indiana thing.

Ridiculous, right? You too can wash and dry your clothes amidst the sight of smiling slanted-eyed racist themes. Does the decor actually figure in with the laundromat's business strategy? Do people feel more comfortable cleaning their clothes with pictures of Chinese laundrymen around -- offensive or otherwise? That's racist!

The author of the piece points out that his intention is not to demand or threaten the owner of U-Washee, but to speak up and break the cycle of complacency and help the business move past the anti-Chinese racist stereotypes. I'm curious to know what happened after this was posted last month.

(Thanks, Danny.)