things white journalists should know about asian americans

To the failed satirists of college journalism:

by erin wong

To summarize your offenses, your articles use Asian American stereotypes as botched humor. Especially you, Colorado University student Max Karson. Your recent article, published in The Campus Press on February 18, “If it’s a War Asians Want…” describing Asian Americans as having “pure hate” for whites only serves to showcase your derogatory vocabulary. Your strange stories and outrageous proposals seem to have more basis in racist stereotypes than in truth.

As any good journalist should know, fact checking is the backbone of your articles. However, there seems to have been a lapse in due diligence. Take Karson’s recent and compelling claims that Asians wish to incite war on white people, which is perhaps the next step after UCLA student Jed Levine’s article on the so-called “Asian invasion” at UCLA.

After failing your first shot at funniness, this article should serve as your cheat sheet to clarify the “facts” about Asian Americans.

  1. The term “Asian” is an oversimplifying generalization for many different ethnic backgrounds and nationalities. In other words, Chinese people do not make Wiis.
  2. Asians are Americans, too. Don’t forget, America is not 100% white people.
  3. Asian Americans are not social prudes. If your faces became bright red beacons whenever you had any alcohol, maybe you’d find other ways to spend your Thursday nights, too.
  4. Asian Americans are not evil cyborgs. Thank you for noticing. Please take the time to actually convince yourself of this obvious fact.
  5. Accent or no accent, Asian Americans still understand English. You should think twice about writing a racist article as if we would be blissfully unaware.
  6. Asian Americans know how to use forks. It doesn’t take much dexterity to figure out how to stab your food.
  7. Asian Americans’ culinary tastes go beyond just plain rice. But fried snickers are just too far.
  8. References of “bamboo,” “pandas,” or “Maos,” are not representative of Asian Americans. And the same goes for Hello Kitty and Dance Dance Revolution.
  9. Of course Asian Americans don’t want to hang out with you. As your articles have shown, you’re bigots that openly mock Asian and Asian American people.
  10. One encounter with one Asian American does not constitute an “epiphany” about all Asian Americans. Don’t make sweeping generalizations about a group of people based on one meeting.

No matter how big or how small the Asian American populations are at your universities, your experiences are no excuse for your crappy articles. Please reference this article before confusing your lack of cultural understanding with Asian American hate. The combination of this article and the diversity training you will receive will hopefully help keep you from committing journalistic suicide again.

peace