USC, UCLA Students Uniting Against Racism In Response To Offensive Flyer
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The cross-town rivalry between UCLA and USC was put aside last night as Asian-American students gathered in solidarity to discuss a racist flyer that was distributed at both schools.
"We can't ignore it. It was hurtful," USC student Alex Kanegawa said.
The flyer was mailed to Asian-American student groups on both campuses and featured offensive language and images.
The message targeted various ethnic groups, especially Asian-American women.
"Misogynist, racist, violent, it pits people of color against each other," Kanegawa said.
"It was very disturbing. Not only did it upset people, but it also brought a lot of fear, a lot of concern to students," UCLA student Anh Nguyen said.
Meeting organizers felt the need to mobilize the Asian-American community and discuss what their response should be. They say it was the third incident where they have been targeted. One such offense occurred in 2011, when a UCLA student posted a video on YouTube where she mocked Asian-American students' behavior on campus.
"What it said to us is that this is not an isolated event. There are serious campus climate issues that need to be addressed," Nguyen said.
"I want to see the administration acknowledge that the struggles are real and that there are problems with the culture that we perpetuate," Kanegawa said.
Asian-American groups from both campuses say they will monitor the campus police investigation until an arrest is made.
