Sydney Roosters rugby player James Tedesco has had a complaint made against him for making a casual racist remark against a Vietnamese Australian woman at Bondi last Thursday. The complaint was sent to the NRL by the woman’s sister and Tedesco is now being investigated by the NRL Integrity Unit.
It is alleged that Tedesco called out “Squid Game” towards the Vietnamese Australian woman as she walked past. Squid Game is a Korean series produced by Netflix. It has already broken audience and money making records, so it is weird that Tedesco would use this series for the purposes of being a racist.
It is said Tedesco plans to deny and refute claims that he was being a racist and will use the defence that he was just talking about the series with the people he was with. Katherine Trinh, the sister of the woman who experienced the racism didn’t agree and in an Instagram post said this last week (via ABC News):
“Last night you felt compelled to say “squid game” at my sister when you walked past her outside of Beach Road in Bondi,”
“This may seem like a joke to you, but these are the micro-aggressions that keep racism alive in Australia.
“My dad used to tell stories of the racism he faced when he first moved here 30 years ago, my sisters and I can all recount racism we suffered throughout school.”
“And now one of them can remember when an entitled footy player was racist to her just last night.”
She also stated that Tedesco made a comment on the post calling him out saying “Do you know who I am”.
Our answer to him, yes we know who you are – you may be the NSW State of Origin campaign but clearly you make a racist remark, and now you plan to deny and double down saying you didn’t do it. Apparently a decision on this matter will be released in a few weeks, and we hope that the NRL Integrity Unit will come out and heavily penalise Tedesco. If you are keen, please send your sentiments to the NRL to pressure them to make the right and just decision.