by Karen Zheng
I usually do not read the morning newspaper, but for some indiscernible reason, I accepted it on Thursday, September 10th. It was a special edition of The Epoch Times, and the front page headline read, “NYC Election Infiltrated by the Chinese Communist Party.” It was very anti-John Liu, who was running for New York City comptroller, the primary election being on September 15th.
I met John Liu at a SLI workshop in the summer, and I found him to be quite a likeable and influential Asian-American. He wants Asians to be more politically involved, and is an ideal example of “the American dream.” From the first page, however, I learned that he is backed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and has many connections to pro-Communist businesses and associations in the United States. The third page covered inconsistencies found in his campaign finance disclosures – he apparently accepted donations from contributors who were found to have missing required information, and several fundraisers in his name reported incorrect amounts of obtained campaign money. Page five pointed out examples of China's use of democratically elected officials overseas to “accomplish [its] goals, which is to be the most powerful nation on earth.” The paper also discussed John Liu's “shady aides and associates,” namely chief of staff John Choe – who supports communism and Kim Jong II – and former district administrator Ellen Young, who cheated Taiwanese immigrants out of lots of money. It ended with his indifference to hate crimes in Flushing, and the roles that his peers may have played in orchestrating some of them.
At first, I was pretty disturbed by John Liu's communist ties and untrustworthy connections; but I soon realized that the newspaper was evidently biased, and that no rational person would take it seriously. When I showed it to my friend who volunteered for him this past summer, she just laughed and told me that he is not a communist. I thought that calling him the “darling of the CCP-controlled media,” and a supporter of “the CCP's party line rather than democratic principles ... something that many New York voters likely do not wish to endorse,” bordered on ridiculous. I did not think that his campaign's financial discrepancies were a big deal, because I also would have taken anyone's money, even if they did not put their occupation or employer on the form. Comparing John Liu to corrupt politicians was unreasonable, since the writers did not talk about his suppressing democracy like the other politicians did. Lastly, I did not think that both sides of the hate crimes issue was covered, because he may have tried to do something about them but was unable to, or perhaps was advised not to for campaign reasons. I ultimately found that behind the paper's request for New Yorkers to not vote for John Liu, was an extremely hateful view of the CCP and the unjustified belief that John Liu is a representative of it.
John Liu won the comptroller position. His website is: http://www.liunewyork.com/
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
BRING IT
by Sisi Huang
As soon as the video of the San Francisco bus fight reached the Internet, it immediately scored millions of views from people all across the country. Now for you hermits out there who have no idea what I’m referring to, I shall briefly recount the basics of the incident that has apparently captured the attention of millions.
It was a typical Thursday morning on a San Francisco public transit bus. Or so it seemed, until a small quarrel between a Chinese woman and an African-American woman boiled over into a physical battle of the fittest. According to the press, the Chinese woman had requested for the seat next to the African American woman but the latter adamantly refused. Consequently, the two began a shouting match that quickly escalated into threats of bodily harm. Meanwhile, a fascinated passenger recorded the entire scene for posterity with his cellphone camera. (Kudos to the man!)
Profanity was ever so prominent in this squabble. Unable to fully insult the other woman in English, the Chinese lady resorted to Chinese curses and exclamations while repeating the phrase: “You’re stupid!” The African American woman, on the other hand, fluently spewed strings of vulgar words at her target. As the mutual anger and detest accumulated, the latter woman suddenly punched the other in the face, thus beginning a physical struggle that shocked the rest of the passengers.
Before even attempting to somehow relate this incident to the issue of inter-racial relationships, I would first like to point out that it is basic human decency to move oneself out of the way when someone else is trying to sit, particularly since it is on a public bus that everyone has paid for to ride. Every individual is as rightfully entitled to a seat as the person standing next to him. The African American woman had no right to deprive the Chinese woman of the seat and definitely no justifiable reason for punching her in the face. Fist throws are trademarks of childish quarrels, of conflicts that seem too daunting to be solved properly by immature minds. It was utterly ridiculous for the woman to start a fight in public, especially since she was the one at fault.
On the other hand, many viewers would also argue that this incident was more the result of racial tensions than of a lack of etiquettes. Chinese Americans have long been looked down upon as crude people who spit on the sidewalks, who talk to each other from across the streets, who conversely loudly over the phone in public. However, many Chinese Americans have also felt that these stereotypes have unfairly justified the indifferent treatment of Chinese immigrants by American citizens. Since many of them are not able to speak English properly, some Americans have felt that it would be acceptable to hold themselves above the Chinese people. While reading the countless Youtube responses to the video, I have found one common theme among the words of the viewers: ethnic pride. Many Chinese viewers claimed that it served the African American woman right for trying to take advantage of the Chinese woman. They commended the latter for not only attempting to stand up for herself, but also for successfully humiliating the other woman in the process. Their words seemed to echo those of other Chinese passengers who were present on the bus, particularly those of one elderly man who continuously cried, “Beat her! Beat her till she’s dead!”
But whatever the implications of this incident may be, please be considerate of others’ needs the next time you take the bus. It will save you a lot of breath and unnecessary humiliation.
As soon as the video of the San Francisco bus fight reached the Internet, it immediately scored millions of views from people all across the country. Now for you hermits out there who have no idea what I’m referring to, I shall briefly recount the basics of the incident that has apparently captured the attention of millions.
It was a typical Thursday morning on a San Francisco public transit bus. Or so it seemed, until a small quarrel between a Chinese woman and an African-American woman boiled over into a physical battle of the fittest. According to the press, the Chinese woman had requested for the seat next to the African American woman but the latter adamantly refused. Consequently, the two began a shouting match that quickly escalated into threats of bodily harm. Meanwhile, a fascinated passenger recorded the entire scene for posterity with his cellphone camera. (Kudos to the man!)
Profanity was ever so prominent in this squabble. Unable to fully insult the other woman in English, the Chinese lady resorted to Chinese curses and exclamations while repeating the phrase: “You’re stupid!” The African American woman, on the other hand, fluently spewed strings of vulgar words at her target. As the mutual anger and detest accumulated, the latter woman suddenly punched the other in the face, thus beginning a physical struggle that shocked the rest of the passengers.
Before even attempting to somehow relate this incident to the issue of inter-racial relationships, I would first like to point out that it is basic human decency to move oneself out of the way when someone else is trying to sit, particularly since it is on a public bus that everyone has paid for to ride. Every individual is as rightfully entitled to a seat as the person standing next to him. The African American woman had no right to deprive the Chinese woman of the seat and definitely no justifiable reason for punching her in the face. Fist throws are trademarks of childish quarrels, of conflicts that seem too daunting to be solved properly by immature minds. It was utterly ridiculous for the woman to start a fight in public, especially since she was the one at fault.
On the other hand, many viewers would also argue that this incident was more the result of racial tensions than of a lack of etiquettes. Chinese Americans have long been looked down upon as crude people who spit on the sidewalks, who talk to each other from across the streets, who conversely loudly over the phone in public. However, many Chinese Americans have also felt that these stereotypes have unfairly justified the indifferent treatment of Chinese immigrants by American citizens. Since many of them are not able to speak English properly, some Americans have felt that it would be acceptable to hold themselves above the Chinese people. While reading the countless Youtube responses to the video, I have found one common theme among the words of the viewers: ethnic pride. Many Chinese viewers claimed that it served the African American woman right for trying to take advantage of the Chinese woman. They commended the latter for not only attempting to stand up for herself, but also for successfully humiliating the other woman in the process. Their words seemed to echo those of other Chinese passengers who were present on the bus, particularly those of one elderly man who continuously cried, “Beat her! Beat her till she’s dead!”
But whatever the implications of this incident may be, please be considerate of others’ needs the next time you take the bus. It will save you a lot of breath and unnecessary humiliation.
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