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This time from the Spec website (reader comments), which I find myself reading now with more regularity.

Well, I'm an asian student. I'm amazed that a student belongs to Black Student Organization crying racism. You put yourself in race category. So far I haven't seen White Student Organization, American White Diver, White Causus etc. Can you just mingle in the organization such as Colorbind Diver, Colorblind Causus, Colorblind Student Organization. Why don't you all crying minorities do as I do....I went camping with my indian and black friends, went biking with my russian friend etc....you guys are hipocrits.
I wish I had harsher language with which to condemn your attitude and your identification with this viewpoint as an Asian student (one who apparently can't use spell/grammar check, much less express a decent opinion.)


You deserve a special honor in the APA Hall of Shame.

As our chair has dutifully informed us, AAA has made it into the Columbia Spectator three days in a row! (Wednesday to Friday, September 26th to 29th)

Here's the sampling:
"A Statement from the Asian American Alliance" - our statement about the 114th St. NYPD confrontation.
"Campus Groups Re-evaluate 'Umbrella Group' Designation"
"Student Weigh Response to Graffiti"

And we're not the only ones stepping it up. The Spectator itself has been making some pretty impressive waves lately in reporting the latest slew of hate incidents in the Columbia and Morningside Heights community. Something tells me they're not done yet.

In an editorial yesterday, they even made the painstakingly valuable connection between the graffiti incident and the racial slurs thrown at an Asian American student two weeks ago yesterday by the NYPD. This piece, titled "Harmful Speech", gains kudos just through its apparent racial awareness. And for this, we thank the Spec for its continual dedication to marginalized issues on campus.

So here's to spreading awareness (perhaps with a tinge of narcissism, as this post evidently shows).

All Hate is the Same

After the BSO meeting, which was held in response to the hate crime scrawled on the bathroom walls of SIPA, I walked out of Lerner C555 with an unsettling feeling that something was not right. Why? It was not because there was a lack of constructive responses to the outrageous bigotry and it was not because there was a shortage of understanding from those present during the meeting. The reason: I realized how rare it is to see such passionate, cohesive, and immediate response to hate crimes committed against Asian American individuals. This lack of response more than often stems from individual's decision to remain silent and not from the lack of support that would be shown from fellow students of color.

This nothing response is by no means the way that all Asian American individuals react when they are marginalized and oppressed by racial slurs or racial profiling. However, silence seems to be a popular choice for many Asian American individuals who experience injustice. As a result, there is no change. And if there is change, it is on a micro-scale that often does not include multi-coalition and often is not even supported by fellow Asian Americans.

The real scary consequence of silence is not that Asian Americans continue to be called "chinks" or asked "do you speak English?", but rather that in the struggle between justice and injustice, justice loses. Although this may seem like an overstatement, it is not. If anything, this statement is an understatement Why? Because an act of injustice towards one Asian American is an act of injustice on all those who are marginalized by our society. Because simply "moving on" and "not making a big deal" out of racial profiling is the reason that it keeps happening. Because saying "chill out" to racial attacks on a bathroom stall is saying "chill out" to hatred. Because people are normalizing hate crimes. Because no one wants to live in a society pervasive of moral shabbiness.

Do not get me wrong. When I walked out of Lerner C555 that night, I was empowered by the fact that students, not just those specifically mentioned in the hate crime, came together to figure out what to do. Yet in the mist of this hope for change, I could not stop asking myself: Why don't we see 120 students gathered together to talk about acts of injustice towards Asian Americans? In fact, why don't we see this type of multi-coalition for all forms of injustice? A part of the reason for this is because we refuse to see that all hate is the same and affects everyone, regardless of whether you are personally attacked or not. The other part of the reason for this lack of mobilization towards change is because often times those victimized choose to do nothing and "to relax" (as commented by some student in the Spec).

Well, here is a reality check: A hate crime that is not blatantly attacking you, it is still your problem. It is every single person's problem because we all live in the same society. It is your problem, if you are living in a society where moral trash like hate crimes are things to relax about and to shut up about. In my book, all hate is hate. I don't want to live in hate.

Justice Will Be Served! Campaign pickets demanding justice for nail salon workers and industry-wide change in nail salons are currently every Sunday at 2pm, and Tuesday at 6pm at the 167 NAIL PLAZA salon (located at 167 Amsterdam Avenue, between 67th & 68th Streets). Some Columbia Asian American Alliance members are going to the picket this Sunday. Let us know if you're interested in attending.

Background of the case from the Justice Will be Served! Campaign:

Here in New York City the nail salon industry is booming from block to block, yet the conditions nail manicurists face are far from pretty. The Justice Will be Served! Nail Salon Network was sparked when a group of workers at the 167 Nail Plaza and 68 Nail Plaza salons were the first women to publicly stand up and expose the industry's shocking and exploitative conditions. Susan Kim, a Korean-American manicurist, was fired by Nail Plaza, Inc. owners Dong Rim Park and Mou Ran Rim for simply requesting break time during the day. Since then, her Chinese and Vietnamese co-workers have since joined her in calling for proper meal and break times, healthier work conditions, overtime pay, and an end to the retaliatory practices.

The example set by the Nail Plaza workers has paved the way for other women from across the tri-state area to stand up for their rights in an industry where women are routinely denied their basic rights and are dangerously exposed to chemical nail products. Many nail salon workers have reported serious skin and eye irritation, respiratory illnesses, and even miscarriage and infertility among the women stemming from prolonged exposure to acrylic powders and chemical-based nail glues and gels in poorly ventilated environments. In many salons, women workers are also prohibited from using the bathroom, taking meal breaks, or even wearing masks or gloves to protect themselves. Like the case of Nail Plaza, employers often use the women's different ethnicity and immigration status to keep them from coming together. Despite these increasing dangers, the industry remains largely unregulated by any government agencies and existing laws are not enforced. In addition, the majority of shops do not abide by basic wage laws, failing to pay overtime and sometimes minimum wage.

Now other women workers are standing together to make an example of Nail Plaza and to demand change in the entire industry. We hope you will join JWBS!'s Nail Salon Workers Network, along with NYS elected officials Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, State Senator Tom Duane, and City Councilmember Gale Brewer, Institute for Women and Work at Cornell University, ILR School; and Bellevue Hospital, on September 16th to kick off our campaign to call for:

1) Justice for the Nail Plaza workers
2) City-funding for a study and treatment program for nail salon workers
3) Government regulations to protect workers in the nail salon industry

Last night's emergency meeting (See Another Columbia Hate Crime) was, to say the least, intense.

At least four of The Blaaag's staff members (as well as members of AAA and AAA PC) were there; so we'll have something to say about that. Soon, very soon.

As for interesting comments... a Spec reader made this one:

Jebus Cristos.... it's a bunch of words written on a bathroom stall. Relax people. My guess is that you're giving this guy exactly what he wants... he tried to stir up a bees nest, and badabing, he did. Congratulations people.


Thoughts on this later; we're too hotheaded right now.

As verified by the Spec, the following message was found on the wall in a SIPA bathroom:

[WARNING: The following contains racial slurs and profanity]

Attention
You pinko Commie Motherfuckers and Arab Towelheads:
America will wake up one day and Nuke Mecca, Medina, Tehran, Baghdad, Jakarta, and all the savages in Africa. You will all be fucked! America is for White Europeans!

***

The message is likely a backlash from Ahmadinejad's presence; while this is never to discredit the many students who peacefully protested on Monday, it is nevertheless important to know that there are indeed some people, like the individual who wrote this, who are brutally racist and would actually consider it fair game to slaughter millions of innocent people in the Middle East and Africa, or, alternatively, consider the deaths of millions of people to be an innocent joke.

I found myself in the midst of controversy last year after the infamous Minutemen Protest, and had a lot of racist and/or violent hate mail directed at me, including statements like these:

"You are a stupid fucking jerk. penis-boy. Typical Jap."
"Get that noose around your neck a little tigher dipshit, I'll be there to pull the lever and watch you hang asshole...Fuck off and die."
“Hey gook…It's time for White Americans to fight back. By any means necessary…See you on the battlefield, you slant-eyed fuckwit.”


Or, for those of you from the class of 2009 and older, recall the incident in Ruggles 2 years ago where swastikas and homophobic messages were found in somebody's suite. Dangerous minds walk among us.

That said, the Black Students Organization is having an emergency meeting tomorrow night (Sept. 27) at 9PM in Lerner C555 to address the matter. Let's hope this unites the community to stand up against horrible statements like this, lest someone get physically hurt by the people who think these things.

It's been a while... after seeing news about this incident totally silenced by Ahmadinejad's arrival on campus, it's time we relight the fire.

AAA's angles of approach in this incident are currently as follows:

  • We are speaking to administrators (specifically, of student life and of multicultural affairs) within Columbia in the aim of engaging NYPD Public Relations.
  • These administrators are also speaking to the student in the midst of this confrontation, letting him know of his rights and consulting with him on further action.
  • Hoping to get our hands on a police report of the incident, we also plan on informing the police department that their actions could be grounds for lawsuit. We are to receive legal consultation from our contacts in Asian American legal defense before we proceed in this manner.

All of this is contingent on this student's willingness to pursue action for this incident. While we do not wish to speak on his behalf, AAA is willing to provide him necessary resources (legal contacts, etc.) for justice in the face of this racial confrontation. In the meanwhile, we hope that all of you following the case is sensitive to his need for privacy as we participate in discussion and consultation with the student, university administrators, and legal advocates.

In addition, we have heard that this incident is part of a chain of racially charged confrontations with the NYPD in Morningside Heights. Currently, this is still anecdotal rumor - we are waiting on a current Spectator investigative piece before we pursue this angle.

Stay tuned. We won't let this pass unconsidered.

What can we Asians say? Typical white NYPD cops.

As I like to say, "when a NYPD cop gets hurt/killed, I ain't shedding no tears".

Wow.

The purpose of racial justice is not so that we can continue holding on to an us-versus-them mentality - the type of mentality that perpetuates racial hatred all over the globe, generation after generation. Solidarity does not make everyone else enemies.

So for this, "Anonymous", you currently hold the Worst Comment title in our APA Hall of Shame... Congratulations.

Finally published today in the Spec...

[1:03 pm update]

According to the Spec:

Responding to a question about homosexuality in Iran, Ahmanidejad said, In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country,” a statement which drew laughter followed by boos.

Aries Dela Cruz, GS ’08 and communications chair of the Columbia Queer Alliance, said after the speech that the question to Ahmadinejad had been poorly phrased.

“The Western category of gay or lesbian doesn’t translate well into Farsi,” he said. “That doesn’t mean that Ahmadinejad didn’t understand the question.”

As a linguistics/anthro major, it infuriates me that such a controversial issue was further complicated due to translation problems. My coworker commented that SIPA should have done a better job of finding a more competent translator (from the UN, maybe?). However, this delves into cultural issues, which are beyond languages in isolated form.

---

Rumor has it that the translator for yesterday's Ahmadinejad forum incorrectly translated the Iranian President's quote as follows:

AHMADINEJAD (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country.

We don't have that in our country.

In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have it.

After speaking to a friend in the work office, I found that some of the Persian (American?) students who listened to the speech think that rather than just "We don't have that," Ahmadinejad directly stated a difference between Iranian and American culture.

This still has yet to be verified, but if it's true, it makes a very big difference. Who knows if Fox News has the intellectual capacity to make such a distinction.

On the flipside

Admittedly, playing on rumors and stereotypes is pretty bad. Unforgivable, even. But while David may have had the best time of his life at Pike, I distinctly remember some not so pleasant experiences during my first (and last) frat visit. Some experiences that involved, say, a floormate getting led up the stairs to a place where she didn't want to be?

No rumors or stereotypes there. I'll leave it at that.

Now that we've been told accordingly, apologies about the Pike post. You're totally right - opposition to rumor and stereotype should be carried out on all fronts. Point graciously taken.

David: Speaking of which, a Pike party last year was probably one of the best I went to fall semester my freshman year - is it happening again? Or was that AEP...

Marilla: ALLEGATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS MY ASS.

David: lol. Apparently so.















The shitstorm

I hear helicopters overhead; Claremont is strangely peaceful.



Here is an accurate transcript of what went down yesterday.

---

My inaccurate snippets of quotes are as follows:

2:28 pm. (Discussing the Holocaust, freedom, and democracy "as an academic")

"Why don't we encourage more research on a historical event (the Holocaust) that has been the cause of many heavy catastrophes in this day and age?"

2:32 pm. Yeah, you knock that podium, Mahmoud.

"One minute, one minute, one more minute." (Clapping ensues)

2:34 pm. (Discussing Iran) "We want to be independent, don't interfere with us."

"We haven't gotten anything."

"We love all nations."

(Clapping and booing)

2:35 pm. (Coatsworth asks questions posed by students and faculty)

"One by one, please."

"We love all nations; we are friends with the Jewish people. There are many Jews in Iran living peacefully with security... our proposal to the Palestinian plight is a humanitarian and democratic proposal."

2:37 pm. (Q: Does Iran seek the destruction of Israel?)

Coatsworth: "I think you can answer that question with a 'yes' or 'no'... the answer to this question is 'yes'."

2:39 pm. "My dear friends, the Iranian nation is a victim of terrorism."

"We were the first nation to reject terrorism and the first to see the need to fight terrorism."

"We need to address the root causes of terrorism and eradicate those causes."

2:42 pm. (Responding to why the Holocaust calls for more research)

"I'm an academic and you are as well. Can you argue that researching a phenomenon is forever done? Can we close the books for good on a historical event? There are different perspectives that come to life after research is done. Why should we stop research at all? You shouldn't ask me why I'm asking questions; you should ask me why I think that is questionable."

2:45 pm. "There's been more research on physics than there has on the Holocaust."

2:46 pm. "The Iranian people are free."

2:48 pm. (Coatsworth poses a question about executing homosexuals; Ahmadinejad strays towards drug trafficking and corruption of Iran)

"Doesn't your country have capital punishment too?"

"In Iran, we don't have homosexuals like we do in your country."

(Booing)

"In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who told you we have it. Maybe you think that being a woman is a crime. It's not a crime to be a woman. Women are the best creatures created by God. They represent the kindness that God instills. Women are respected in Iran."

2:51 pm. (Q: What were you hoping to achieve by speaking here today and what would you have said if you were at the Sept. 11 site?)

"I was invited here... In Iran, when you invite a guest, you respect them."

"Last year, I wanted to go to the site of the Sept. 11 tragedy... to show my respect, to show my tragedy."

"I wanted to speak with the President... (Sept. 11) It led to a lot of other events. If the root causes of Sept. 11 are examined properly... Why did it happen? What caused it? What were the conditions that led to it? Who truly was involved? Who was really involved? Let's put it all together... to fix the crisis in Afghanistan and Iraq combined."

2:55 pm. (Regarding Iran's nuclear plan)

"There is no indication that Iran has deviated from the peaceful program."

"If you have generated the fifth generation of atomic bombs and tested them already, what right do you have to question other nations' nuclear energy?"

2:57 pm. (Regarding Iran's preparation to discuss with the U.S.)

"From the start we announced that we are ready to negotiate with all countries."

"We are ready to have friendly relations and talks with all nations... the Iranian nation is a cultured nation. It is a civilized nation. It wants talks and negotiations... We don't need to plant bombs or guns... we question the way the world is being run and managed today... we have solutions based on humane values... with the U.S. gov't too, we will negotiate."

(Cheers echo and spread to Claremont; helicopters whir overhead)

3:02 pm.

"Will you allow me to thank the audience a moment?"

(Ahmadinejad invites Columbia's students and faculty to Iranian universities; clapping ensues)

"In the end, I'd like to thank Columbia University. I have heard that many politicians in the U.S. are trained in Columbia University... I extend my deepest gratitude to the faculty members and students here."

"To establish peace and a future filled with friendship and brotherhood. Best of luck to all of you."

(Coatsworth reiterates Columbia's deep commitment to "expression and debate")

---

I'll respond to this after a shower and a meal.

Perhaps I spoke too soon about our near-total apathy regarding tomorrow's events. But any changes in our position could only be based upon subjective observation - so would we yet have an ideological stance concerning the attitudes being played and vitriol being spewed around us? Not really.

Still, while speaking about the stress of this whole deal with another member and friend on the Political Committee, she brought up something interesting: the politics surrounding the coming of the Iranian president are all based on various feelings about terrorism, Zionism, the Middle East, war-mongering, etc. Feelings that perhaps people become more attached to than is healthy or necessary. For us, this is a bit of a problem.

In the past few days, student of color groups have been struggling to meet the unspoken demands for relevancy in the events of the 24th. Thus, it's hard not to say with some cynicism that these debates occurring right now would never have happened if student of color groups brought up the events of mode. If you think our apathy is something awful, let us tell you how we see things every day other than when an Iranian president arrives at Columbia.

Hence, what we see happening is that these groups marginalized by this debate are bringing their issues into context of the only debate some people are willing to listen to: LUCHA brings up distinctions to the Minutemen protests last year. CQA cautions against media usage of certain terms as political identity. As possibly the most relevant voice in this debate, the MSA expresses concern about the fair representation of Islam in this debate around Ahmadinejad. All of these points are exceedingly relevant, but none are being actively listened to. We're all waiting for cues from other, more "mainstream" groups.

This is the case as well for the Asian American Alliance. We do not let this inundation of political opinion drown our voices surrounding other issues that we care about - issues that don't ordinarily receive the light of day. In our statement, we make a point of highlighting the disconnect between the administration and the students. This is a problem that manifests itself in countless ways other than through the invitation of Ahmadinejad.

In any case, all of this is a bit dense if you don't understand the politics of student groups. But the heart of the issue is more than this - we hope that issues of race, power, and identity can receive equal airtime when this campus is not hijacked by news media. Some things deserve to be discussed as much as, if not more than, the arrival of Ahmadinejad.

Let us ponder this deep, insightful question as I go punch someone.


(Click on the picture for the full size.)


We're not sure what's more strange about the AAA poster: [not shown above, click link below...] that they promote their event with a picture of Calvin Sun et al., or that they're touting Tokyo Pop as "Columbia's premier nightclub/lounge."

Wow.

Oh Bwog, we ask you to answer to call of our oppression as Asian Americans under someone who breakdances for cool points. (And cool points he shall get...) Please stand in solidarity as we continue our tireless campaigns against racism, apathy, raging Facebook popularity, and spikey hair. Help us end our fight under the unbearable heat of the Sun.

Maybe come to some of our events? Get to know some arguably cooler people? ... A good thing to do before you make out our entire group to be the Gundam suit of just one man. (That's right - you know the reference.)

Sometimes, though, (maybe this isn't the right time) we like to point out the irony of infamy... You rail against someone's popularity, but can't quite help yourself, can you?

And lastly: you're very welcome.

EDIT: All in good fun, Bwog! We hope that you feel the love from wherever you are.


 

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