UCLA groups call for support in response to offensive flier

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A flyer sent to the UCLA Asian American Studies Center.

Cultural student groups released a statement Thursday calling for UCLA and University of California leaders to affirm their support for the Asian Pacific Islander community, in response to a racist and sexist flier recently sent to the UCLA Asian American Studies Center.

The Asian Pacific Coalition at UCLA, the Pacific Islands Students Association at UCLA, Samahang Pilipino and the Vietnamese Student Union at UCLA, signed the statement, which was posted on the Asian Pacific Coalition’s website.

Thestatement claims that the incident is more than an isolated case of racism at UCLA, and asks UC President Janet Napolitano, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and other communities to voice their support for the Asian Pacific Islander community, as well as other students of color.

On Wednesday, students found out about the flier, which was sent anonymously to the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. The flier included numerous racist and sexist slurs, at one point saying “asian Cunts are RACIST! They only Date Honkie white boy!” It also included slurs directed toward white women and men and the Mexican community.

More than 20 other cultural organizations from other universities and UCLA, including the Afrikan Student Union at UCLA and American Indian Student Association at UCLA, also signed the letter in solidarity.

The statement also called for the advancement of ethnic studies programs at the UC and for administrators to prioritize initiatives that would support an “inclusive campus.”

“To allow these attacks to remain unaddressed … is to tacitly endorse the marginalization of our community, to accept being painted as perpetual foreigners, and to allow for the exotification and objectification of women of color,” the statement said.

Johnny Tran, the internal vice president of the Vietnamese Student Union, said he thinks the flier reflects ongoing problems with UCLA’s campus climate.

“Campus climate issues don’t just appear in these times where there’s mass media attention,” said Tran, a third-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student.

The statement referenced several incidents from recent years, including a viral “Asians in the Library” video from 2011 and the vandalism of a Vietnamese Student Union sign last year, both of which contained racial slurs directed at Asians. Some of the same language included in the recent flyer was also used to vandalize the sign last year.

Students also pointed to a recent report that found UCLA’s procedures for handling discrimination claims among faculty to be ineffective. The statement referenced one incident from the report, which came out in fall, when a faculty member was told, “I thought Asian women were supposed to be submissive.”

Additionally, Thursday’s statement mentions a 2012 report by UCLA law professor Richard Sander, which claimed that UCLA was violating Proposition 209 by taking race into account during the supplemental review portion of its holistic admissions process. The statement said the report, which sparked student backlash, contributed to the “hostile” racial climate at UCLA.

In response to the flier, the Undergraduate Students Association Council Office of the President issued a statement Thursday saying it supports the students affected by the incident.

“The disturbing document sent to the Asian American Studies (Center) serves as a reminder for why it is so important to reject the notion of a post-racial society,” said John Joanino, USAC president. “We all have the responsibility to ensure every student feels safe on campus.”

UCLA spokesman Steve Ritea said in an emailed statement that Block has reached out to leadership of the Asian American Studies Center to convey “his disgust and frustration” over the flier. Ritea said Block has asked university police to launch an investigation into the incident.

“UCLA takes these matters very seriously and is dedicated to working toward effective strategies to combat racism and bigotry so that campus can be the welcoming, respectful environment our community deserves,” Ritea said in the statement.

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43 Comments

  1. It’s very interesting to me that someone who would use such offensive language to so many different people, especially women….would take note to spell women “womyn”. Seems inconsistent to the rest of the “theme” of this rude flier.

    1. I suspect it’s a false flag as a result. “Womyn?” This is the work of Leftists trying to get attention and money by faking something.

    1. If you actually read the flier, it’s more than likely that the person who wrote it was asian. Also, what does this have to do with America, Soviet Ivan?

      1. How is the person who wrote it Asian? That’s not the bad English of an Asian person but some bizarre mimicry of Asians speaking English.

          1. It’s a poor imitation of outdated Ebonics. The flier is also making a statement about political correctness. I think our culprit is an angry Tea Bagger type.

          2. That’s a good little dupe. Because a “teabagger” would use the term “Womyn”. Keep f***ing that chicken….

          3. sure they would, to imitate people. U MAD BRO? ’cause you seem really angry. don’t have a stroke over stuff that’s posted on the Internet.

          4. imitating people is a tactic of your leftist friends. Yes, I am mad at commie creeps like you…..

          5. I’m a free market centrist/independent and I agree with some libertarian philosophies.

            I can sense your blood pressure rising, the pressure in your head increasing … stroke coming on …

          6. And you are a liar and a crypto communist. I can only hope you get what is coming to you.

          7. Not everyone who disagrees with you about some things is on the opposite end of the political spectrum. Your angry and antagonistic existence is all your own doing. You sound like a miserable person who blames all his problems on commies, liberals, multiculturalism, etc. Are you the next McVeigh or Breivik? Get a grip.

          1. “Are you taking it at face value? Sounds like someone mocking/satirizing angry Asian guys.”

            That’s a good one, it is almost as good as saying that a flier that made fun of how the Japs were interned or the Jim Crow Laws were written by somebody that was mocking/satirizing a white person.

          2. it says “wez agree with da sign.” who actually talks like that? asians from asia don’t talk like that. asian americans don’t talk like that. it’s a weird imitation of what this person thinks asians talk like. the speech pattern is totally inauthentic. and your example is not analogous – no wonder you don’t understand.

          3. If my example isn’t analogous, then I don’t know what to call your insane suggestion that the person behind this was an angry Tea Bagger type.

            “wez agree with da sign.” who actually talks like that? asians from asia don’t talk like that. asian americans don’t talk like that.

            What are you talking about? Asians don’t talk like that but that doesn’t mean an Asian person couldn’t have typed that flier using that kind of phraseology. (On a side note, you are also overlooking the fact that Asian Americans could talk using an African-American speech pattern.) If want to know who likely wrote the flier, you need to look at the message of the flier but since it’s obvious you have an agenda to push, it’s no wonder you don’t understand what is going on.

          4. Personally, I think Chuck is right. This horribly written C-R-A-P was written by an obvious troll. This is the second time such posters have been put up, the last time was in 2012. Back then, I admittedly assumed it was the work of an Asian male (even with the tell tale signs of those signs being posted in a woman’s bathroom).

            No Asian male would be dumb enough to repeat the same mistake, given how disgusted everyone was at them (including other Asian males). The culprit is clearly someone who did get away with it last time, emboldened enough to try again. No, not White women. White men.

            As for your final paragraph, I can make a far stronger case for White men especially the wacist types in Storm Front and Chimp Out. You wanna know what’s the dead giveaway besides the points I made earlier? “Wigger slang” is most widely used by this group, as well as the stereotype that Asian men are short.

            And yes, your overt defensiveness. It’s very obvious it is YOU with an agenda to push. It might have worked the first time, but for me, it’s once bitten twice shy.

          5. I don’t have an agenda to push; on the other hand, you type like Chuck is your ventriloquist.

            “Back then, I admittedly assumed it was the work of an Asian male (even with the tell tale signs of those signs being posted in a woman’s bathroom)…the culprit is clearly someone who did get away with it last time, emboldened enough to try again. No, not White women. White men.”

            Learn to think before you type. So is it an Asian male or a white male? Pick one because you can’t have both.

            “I can make a far stronger case for White men especially the wacist types in Storm Front and Chimp Out.”

            You really think you are going somewhere with this sorry excuse of an argument. The idea that a white man would use the words honky and freckled-face to describe white men is as likely as an Asian man describing asian men as short-sized gooks, chinks and nips.

          6. No you need to learn to read. Ironic considering the rancor you had with “Chuck not reading”. Back in 2012 I thought the culprit was Asian. Fast forward two years later, and I now think the culprit being embittered White male makes much more sense. Which was my point.

            You really think you are going somewhere with this sorry excuse of an
            argument. The idea that a white man would use the words honky and
            freckled-face to describe white men is as likely as an Asian man
            describing asian men as short-sized gooks, chinks and nips.

            The difference is that in the case of an Asian man using those words, they have nothing to gain. White men using those words to describe themselves would have the desired affect of making Asian males look bad and themselves and Asian females as victims (the flier also stereotyped Asian men as short). The flier looks more like the work of a troll out to get a reaction by perpetuating the myth of the jealous Asian male, the irony is that Asian females prefer Asian males anyway.

            You’ve offered nothing but repeated appeals to mockery with the obvious agenda to turn this into an Asian male thing. It doesn’t matter what you believe, what’s more important is that more logical people look at this from more realistic angles so that this won’t happen again. Notice that this time, the Asians have been relatively quiet? I think we can agree to disagree since I have no intention of questioning your “beliefs” and “myths”. I think you know the answer to that as well as I do, hence your overt defensiveness and ability to second guess Chuck’s thoughts.

          7. From the perspective of an outsider, I don’t think what you are typing is much of a stretch. Very interesting and I can agree with a lot of it. It is all very plausible to me. It is a shame that some people need to take the opportunity to inflate their own self esteems when the spate of attacks on Asian students should not be happening. UCLA culture of racism has to stop. It is disgraceful that these outdated thought patterns still exist.

          8. Hi Nicole, thank you for the compliments. Just laying it out as I see it and providing some suggestions I can to help. To be fair, this has happened before with the Vietnamese Student Association, and back then I seriously did think it was an Asian male’s work. Even back then, some Asian female friends were telling me that those posters sounded more like White men they had rejected. Sadly, I didn’t really listen to them that time but this time I’ve gotten wiser.

            I now have my doubts and many Asians (including Asian females) do as well. Most suspect a White male or a group of them were involved to strike a reaction. I’ve
            noticed that the true target of this flier seems to be directed at Asians. Yet again… Basically, it seems to perpetuate the myth that Asian females are racist, and go nuts for White males and that Asian males are bitter by this. You’ll notice that the group most vocally supporting this notion happens to be White males especially the WN types. Reading comments on the dailybruin, these types seem to fill the campus so it’s perfectly logical to suspect that they are in fact the ones involved, their vocal, boorish, aggressive and petty displays a dead giveaway.

            More sensible and experienced people, including other White males agree with me that the culprit is most likely a bored White male out to troll the college. Check out the marmot’s hole for a good discussion/analysis on this.

            Finally, I agree that your last point is the most important one of all. We shouldn’t be distracted by whodunnit (although I do wish they catch the culprit once and for all). Asians have been the most frequent targets of these “wacist” attacks almost all perpetrated by one group, and more has to be done about this. Such mindsets are so backward, especially in a college environment. It seems that jealousy does breed some insanely ugly deeds which is just shameful.

  2. It appears that that the person who wrote this is trying to sound black, but it’s obvious that they are not because the slang used in the writing is no longer used by African Americans. This type of slang has not been used since the 80’s. It is my opinion that it may have been written by someone trying to divide and conquer races. It also may even be a jealous Caucasian female trying to disguise the fact that she wrote it.

      1. As an Asian male, I personally wouldn’t mind seeing Asian women flocking to Caucasian women. Women of any ethnicity/race, really. 😉

    1. As soon as I saw this I was like f*ck I hope he’s not Black. But yeah I don’t talk like that nor does any black person I know. It does seem like mocking. I think he could be Latino or a White woman like you said. But who knows? But hey you know what if the guy is exposed and he IS black we just have to own up to it and apologize, y’know?

    2. I saw this on Angry Asian Man and I was just like noooo f*ck I hope he’s not Black. Then again I don’t talk like that nor does any other Black person I know. I personally think it’s a White woman or another non-Black. But hey you know what… if it is a Black guy we just have to own up to it and apologize. BUT, if they are a non-black speaking in awful slang, knowing most are going to think it’s a Black guy I can’t lie I won’t be too happy and I say we bring the NAACP into this immediately I’m just kidding.

    1. Maybe something to do with Asian American women wanting racial purity by getting together with white men.

  3. The policies and written condemnation are not enough to address the very real issues of racial and class discrimination because no action is ever taken to fix the problem. Only empty words. Why? Because the real message is that the culture on campus secretly supports this tension. If they really cared they would address our countless grievances submitted to the Deans office and ask for our help coming up with solutions. Instead they hide or punish those brave enough to come forward.

  4. Anyone notice there’s a little clip about the 2012 Fall Qt incident that was reported in LA Weekly? You ask me, it’s the same people. Likely idiot teens who don’t even go to UCLA. There’s no thought behind it, no argument, no intelligence.

    1. Could be. I thought of that as well but ruled it out due to the ancient slang used. This type of slang is usually used by people who are sarcastically making fun of blacks. We no longer use these words.

  5. Rather than act on it (which is what the culprit wants), they should have merely put the “flyer” in the shredder where it belongs. On all levels it is juvenile and nonsensical, and should not become a news story let alone a call for solidarity. College campuses in America are becoming oversensitive reactionary corals full of cry babies and parading rebels without a #cause. This is merely a crumb of cheese in a two-bit mousetrap.

  6. I’d start by investigating racism watchdog groups pulling a hoax. Can you say “Oberlin College?” I knew you could.

  7. Has anyone contacted the White student organizations for their reactions to the insults against them. The flyer shows the effects of self esteem.

  8. It’s true, though. Have you ever gone on online dating? Every single Asian girl says “white men only” or “No Asian guys, it’s just a preference!” Why are Asian women utterly repulsed by men of their own race?

  9. The slang is not authentic, this is an ignorant, racist, and clueless White person trying to use slang – like he’s never actually talked to a Black person in his life. I know people like this. They don’t know how fake they sound.

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