KEZY’s Nationality Contest Called Racist

A radio contest in which listeners guess the nationality of convenience store clerks is drawing fire from immigrant activists who say the game is racist.

Called “Foreign or Domestic,” the contest by KEZY-FM (95.9) has morning host Chris Little telephone clerks, and listeners guess whether they were born in the United States.

After a chat with the salesclerk, Little asks the clerk’s nationality and contestants find out if they predicted correctly.

Little said the game didn’t work one time because the clerk spoke little English. He said that 40% are American-born and that he teases them too. “People have always made fun of 7-Elevens,” he said.

Don Simmons, a board member of Cambodian Family, a Santa Ana refugee support organization, said: “It’s a tacit form of racism disguised as humor.”

Mary Ann Gaido, a human relations specialist at the Orange County Human Relations Commission, said no complaints had been received but said the contest “sounds extremely divisive.”

The game has been on the air since mid-September and runs about four times a week. So far, there have been about 30 to 40 winners of prizes such as concert and television show tickets, Little said.

“It’s supposed to be a benign little game,” he said.

Station manager Peri Corso said the game may be dropped as part of a fine-tuning of the station’s format.

“No matter what you seem to do nowadays, it offends someone,” she said.