Response to racially-motivated felony heats up

By Michael Kan, written on Sep. 23, 2005

Last week, two University students allegedly flung racial slurs and urinated on two Asian students, igniting an uproar over how much attention the community pays to prejudice aganist Asians. Yesterday, University faculty from the Asian-Pacific Islander American Studies program submitted a letter to University President Mary Sue Coleman and other top-level University adminstrators demanding the University take decisive action to eradicate racial bias aganist Asians.

Today, Business Graduate Student Dennis Hsu began a petition to support the victims of the crime. The petition calls for the University to punish the alledged perpetrators of the crime as well as educate the student body on “the impact of discrimination and the importance of respect and understanding.” Readers can see the petition at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/aanohate/petition.html

Coleman responded to the faculty’s letter saying the University would “open up more lines of communication and increase dialogue about hate crimes,” an action Asian Studies department director Amy Stillman called a good first step, but not a complete response.

But is it within the University’s power to stop these kind of crimes? Does the fault really lie with Coleman and University adminstrators?

Along with the Asian studies department, students across the campus are speaking out.

The United Asian American Organizations is having a meeting in Tap Room of the Union at 7 p.m. today to discuss what measures the organization will take to end racial bias on campus.

Of the Asian organizations the Daily has contacted, many have said instances of racial bias aganist Asian students are common on campus. In fact, Asian faculty members have also said they sometimes encounter racially demeaning statements such as the classic condenscending remark: “Oh you speak great english.” Readers of the Daily have also said they have witnessed acts of racial bias aganist Asians. One reader wrote: “When I was a student I would often see drunk white males stand in front of Bubble Island, and yell obscenities and racial slurs at the Asian patrons inside.”
Another reader said, “The sad reality is that racially motivated hate crimes occur everyday.”

While Asian organizations are planning actions to combat the alledged racial bias on campus, a nieghbor of the suspects in the crime told the Daily the entire incident was overblown by the Ann Arbor Police Department. He added it would have been very difficult for someone to urinate off the balcony and hit someone below from that particular building.

The Daily will keep readers updated on the situation with posts and stories as events unfold.

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