Racism and the Forgotten Minority...

Hello, friends! 

Consider this post a few days late. 

Last week, the Kappa Sigma fraternity at Duke University held an "International Relations" party, complete with conical hats, incorrect spellings, and kimonos.  You can read about the party and the repercussions here. 

Friends, there are so many things wrong with this.  Allow me a few moments to vent on a few.

- We can talk about stereotypes all we want.  My personal view is that stereotypes usually have a kernel of truth to them.  There's a reason that folk assume stereotypes are true: there are enough confirmations of a particular characteristic for a stereotype to make sense.  That doesn't make it right, it's just the reality of the situation.  What bothers me so much about this particular party is that the stereotypes that were portrayed are SO OFF that there is no excuse.  I would love to interview each of the members of Kappa Sigma and ask them if they have ever met an Asian or Asian American student who wore a Kimono, sported a conical hat, or greeted them by saying "Herro."  You cannot tell me that this was an honest mistake by a fraternity. 

- This is the sort of thing that sets race relations back decades.  My hope is that the Asian and Asian American students at Duke know that this was an ignorant mistake made by some folk and do not let it mar their college experience.  But, the truth is that there are many students who are now going to think poorly of the white students on campus.  There are going to be students who are no longer engage in the campus dialogue because they feel like Duke is a hostile campus.

- In reading a few of the stories online, what has been really disheartening has been the response of many readers to the story.  Most comments have fallen into one of two categories.  The first is "Y'all need to get a sense of humor," as if it is no big deal that a group of students seriously offended an entire people group.  The second is "I guess you can only make fun of white folk!" as if the members of Kappa Sigma are the victims.  Are we serious?  Is this really how folk feel? 

- My final rant is about the news coverage, or lack there of.  CNN, Fox News, etc., all made mention of the event and had articles on their websites, but what kills me is the lack of commentary and follow-up by these news organizations.  If this was a party that targeted African Americans, I can promise you that this would still be in the news today, with reactions, analysis, and commentary.  Instead, there is one story per site with just the facts. 

If you haven't been able to tell, I am pretty pissed about this.  I am currently seeking out Jesus on what the proper response to this is.  I know that I am supposed to forgive and I am supposed to love the members of Kappa Sigma, Eta Prime chapter, but honestly, it is hard.  I want these sorts of things to stop happening.  I want us to think about what is loving instead of what is funny.  I want us to rise above outdated stereotypes.  I want the college campus to be a safe place. 

For this to happen, it is going to take a lot of Jesus. 

Have an excellent day...

~Adam