The State - News from Oct. 3, 1988

Two San Francisco-based Asian-American groups want Continental Airlines to halt an advertising campaign that depicts a Samurai warrior slashing air fares and declaring in broken English, “Now everybody happy.” In a letter to the airline, the Japanese-American Citizens League wrote that the advertisement “displays insensitivity, perpetuates negative images and contributes to a growing sense of apprehension among Asian-Americans brought about by the continuing trade friction between the United States and the countries of the Far East, particularly Japan.” Another group, Chinese for Affirmative Action, described the month-long ad campaign, which features a Caucasian actor dressed as a warrior, as “racist.” A Continental spokesman said the company does not plan to stop the ad campaign, which is scheduled to end in about two weeks.