Post by KC on Jan 6, 2007 20:22:33 GMT -5
NEW YORK - U.S. retailer Toys 'R' Us is being accused of discrimination for disqualifying the winner of its sweepstakes for first baby born in 2007.
Yuki Lin entered the world at midnight New Year's Day at New York Downtown Hospital, the New York Times reported Saturday.
However, Toys 'R' Us disqualified her and rescinded the $25,000 savings bond prize because her mother was a Chinese immigrant whose legality in the United States was in question, the newspaper said.
The prize was instead awarded to a baby born in Georgia 19 seconds later.
Yuki's parents could not be reached for comment and it was not known whether they were legal immigrants, but the infant became a U.S. citizen upon birth, the newspaper noted.
What began as a publicity stunt has now drawn criticism and threats of a boycott from Chinese-Americans just one month after Toys 'R' Us opened its first store in Shanghai, China, The Times said.
Corporate attorney Albert H. Wang started an e-mail campaign against the toy seller.
They want business from China, he said, but when it comes to this Chinese-American U.S. citizen, she was deprived of $25,000 intended to be used for her college education, because of who her parents are.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/18109.html
Yuki Lin entered the world at midnight New Year's Day at New York Downtown Hospital, the New York Times reported Saturday.
However, Toys 'R' Us disqualified her and rescinded the $25,000 savings bond prize because her mother was a Chinese immigrant whose legality in the United States was in question, the newspaper said.
The prize was instead awarded to a baby born in Georgia 19 seconds later.
Yuki's parents could not be reached for comment and it was not known whether they were legal immigrants, but the infant became a U.S. citizen upon birth, the newspaper noted.
What began as a publicity stunt has now drawn criticism and threats of a boycott from Chinese-Americans just one month after Toys 'R' Us opened its first store in Shanghai, China, The Times said.
Corporate attorney Albert H. Wang started an e-mail campaign against the toy seller.
They want business from China, he said, but when it comes to this Chinese-American U.S. citizen, she was deprived of $25,000 intended to be used for her college education, because of who her parents are.
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/18109.html