Jen Park, a senior and president of the Asian American Student Union, said the forum confirmed for her that she and other Asians shouldn’t have to feel guilty about Cho’s actions.
Cho “was a person that looked like me; that doesn’t mean I have to apologize about the tragedy,” Park said.
Several forum participants likened the backlash that Asians received to the stigma associated with people of Middle Eastern ancestry post the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks, raising concerns that crimes committed by minorities will always fall back on the community from which they hail.
Larry H. Shinagawa, director of the Asian American Studies Program and associate professor of American Studies, said the general public needs to be educated about Asian stereotypes and racism they face. Being proactive about these issues will help to ensure whole communities aren’t again blamed for the actions of a few.
“People who are quiet,” Shinagawa said, “don’t get their voices heard.”
--Margaret Kamara
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