Thread: Toys 'R' Us criticized for denying New Year baby prize over

Yea!!!!!!! An American Corporation stands its ground against illegal immigration! I'm sure the contest rules cleary state open to legal US residents only. I don't care if the rules don't! It's TRU's decision and it's their prize, they can do what they want to with it. America and TRU don't owe illegal aliens anything.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/16399682.htm

Posted on Sat, Jan. 06, 2007

Toys 'R' Us criticized for denying New Year baby prize over NYC mother's residency

Associated Press

NEW YORK - Toys "R" Us Inc. has come under fire for denying a Chinese-American infant a $25,000 savings bond prize in a contest for the New Year's first baby because the company said the girl's mother is not a legal U.S. resident.

The company's decision - which came less than a month after it opened its first mainland China store, in Shanghai - has infuriated some Chinese-American advocates.

Yuki Lin was born at the stroke of midnight at New York Downtown Hospital, according to hospital officials. She won a random drawing held to break a tie with two other babies entered in the contest, Toys "R" Us spokeswoman Kathleen Waugh said.

The Wayne, N.J.-based company had said the prize would go to the first American baby born in 2007.

Although promotional materials called for "all expectant New Year's mothers" to apply for the contest, Waugh said eligibility rules required babies' mothers to be legal residents. Many sweepstakes have such requirements, Waugh said.

Although Yuki was born an American citizen, Waugh said the contest administrator was told that Yuki's mother "was not a legal resident of the United States."

Attempts to reach Yuki's parents, Yan Zhu Liu and Han Lin, 22, for comment were unsuccessful early Saturday. Their immigration status was not clear.

The prize went instead to runner-up Jayden Swain, born 19 seconds after midnight at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, Ga. The third baby in the running was born in Bay Shore, N.Y., to a couple from El Salvador.

Some Chinese-American advocates say the company's decision smacks of second-class citizenship.

"People are just pretty much outraged," said John Wang, president of the New York-based Asian American Business Development Center.

Albert Wang, an attorney, has launched an e-mail campaign on the issue. "She was deprived of $25,000 intended to be used for her college education because of who her parents are," he said.

Janet Keller, a grandmother of the winning baby, said revisiting the contest would be unfair.

"She was disqualified - that should be it," Keller said. "Don't go changing your mind now."

ON THE NET

Toys "R" Us: http://www.toysrus.com/

This is AWESOME. We should start an email campaign showing our support.

http://www7.toysrus.com/guest/contUs.cfm

Fill out the online form or give them a call.

Dixie

Originally Posted by Dixie

http://www7.toysrus.com/guest/contUs.cfm

Fill out the online form or give them a call.

Dixie

Will do. Thanks Dixie. Do you think they will take so much heat that they will end up giving the illegal a scholarship too?

Although Yuki was born an American citizen

(STOP THE INSANITY!!!!)

ToysRUs, keep it fair and we are with you. Why should a criminal profit from their illegal action? Sneak into this country and win our prizes, uh no!

This is great news but I have to admit it caught me by surprise.

One thing everyone who reports on this story forgets: All contests are only open to LEGAL U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY! Also if the winner or contest is open to minors then both the child and parent(s) has to be a legal U.S. resident. When I moved here from Canada I noticed that but then I payed attention to the rules of contests.

Letter sent. Thank you Toys-R-Us!!

What a huge breath of fresh air to read this! I sent my letter off and called them to thank them.
A big thanks to Toyz-R-Us too!

Thanks for the info Dixie!

Awesome. Instead of winning $25,000 they should win some plane tickets out of the US. Buh-bye. I will call or send an email later today.