Opened by the late Samuel Sherman in 1949, Chink's Steaks is legendary to the locals in Wissinoming, Pennsylvania. But when West Philly resident Susannah Park heard about the restaurant, she wasn't about to let what she saw as a clear insult to Chinese people continue to slide.

"Having a restaurant with that name," Park said, "is telling the world that 'chink' is an appropriate term and that it's not a racial slur."

She tried to encourage Chink's owner, Joseph Groh, to at least change the name's spelling. Groh refused. Neither he nor anyone else in the predominantly white neighbourhood sees the problem. Sherman's widow insists no racist connotation was intended, explaining her late husband had been given the nickname when he was only six.

"He had slanty eyes. The kids started calling him 'chink,'" Sherman recalled, adding, "We are Jewish. We're far from racist."

The head of the local Anti-Defamation League is currently trying to arrange a meeting with Groh.

» Scott Saxon