[brighteyes]

No, Apu's name is not "casual racism".

First of all, it's not casual. It's not an offhand, unintended remark that nonetheless reveals a hidden negative bias. Apu's name was very deliberately - the opposite of casually - chosen by the show creators.

Second of all, it's not racist. The name, by itself, imports nothing negative about Apu. It does not say Apu is inferior, nor does it show an intention of harm against Apu.

What does the name do? It shows an interesting human difference, that in some cultures, it is common to have much longer names than in others. The name points that out, and to most viewers that is amusing because they aren't used to such names. Their culture's average name length is far shorter.

But there is nothing positive nor negative about having a shorter or a longer name. Apu's name isn't making a negative statement about Apu - unless you have a bias against long names / south Asian names. If you do, then Apu is just directing your attention to your own bias.

[jheriko]

this is a good point. thanks for taking the time to try and educate me :)