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Promotions for the party included racist depictions of stereotyped Asian speech and a spoof of the late North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il.
Updated at 4:14 p.m. ET: Students at Duke University in Durham, N.C., gathered Wednesday to protest anti-Asian prejudice after a fraternity hosted a "racist rager" party last week replete with literature that lampooned Asian students.
More than 800 people signed up to attend the rally on a Facebook page published by the university's Asian American Alliance. The alliance later closed the page to public comment, saying national attention had made it an inappropriate forum "for a productive discussion of how to improve our campus."
"Something is deeply wrong with Duke. Something is deeply wrong with our community," a representative of the association said at the gathering Wednesday afternoon. "... This protest is about the destructive prejudice that must be uprooted from every corner of Duke to make this place an inclusive and safe place for all."
The rally was planned after Kappa Sigma fraternity — which was allowed to return to campus last year after having dissolved in 2002 amid a misconduct investigation — threw a theme party Friday at which attendees dressed up in stereotypical Asian costumes, the campus newspaper, The Chronicle, reported.
The event was promoted through flyers and email messages that included stereotyped Asian spellings like "herro" and "peopre" and images of the late North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. It was promoted on Twitter with the hashtag #RacistRager.
The hashtag was quickly overtaken by tweets objecting to the party, like this one:
Twitter.com
"This is not just about Asians, one party or one frat," Ashley Tsai, a senior at the university, told the Chronicle. "This is a consistent thing happening. We want serious things to be done by the student body and the university so that this never happens again."
The Student Government and and the Asian Students Association planned an on-campus open discussion Wednesday night.
The fraternity's president apologized for the party, writing in an op-ed column:
Upon learning of the deeply damaging effects of our email to our fellow students, we should have completely canceled the aforementioned party. The Duke Community in which we exist is one that we see too often as divided, and while our actions have brought attention to and widened that divide, it is our sincere intention to work to contribute to a United Duke."
The paper quoted Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta as saying no discipline was planned because it wouldn't resolve racial tensions on campus.
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Togas were worn in ANCIENT Greece, so they would likely not offend those who are currently alive. Not many Italian-Americans would be offended by a toga party, any more than the average American would be offended by a stove-pipe hat party. This arguement about togas is an intentional exageration, used in order to make the claim that Asians found this party offensive easier to refute. A more analogous senario would be a party at which atendees dressed in stereotypical Latin-American attire, and yes, I am pretty sure many Latin-Americans would be offended by such a party.
Wake up Americans, they made fun of North Korea. This is the country which just released a video projecting them Nuking NY City. Oh but since they are Asian and we are the white oppressors that is ok You liberals are such whiney a$$sed weinners. For all you left wing radical twits I wish you would just leave my country
Your kidding me? Right? Making fun of the N. Koren president is NOT making a comment on the Asian community. I am hoping the Asian community is not taking after the blacks who yell racism at every opportunity to the point where in has lost its clout. This accusation is absurd. The Asian student who thought this on up is an idiot with spare time on his hand and the MEDIA is again stirring the pot every time any non white claims racism. Keep this up and no one will believe a so called racism charge. The blacks think only white people can be racist and blacks are never racist. Look at spike lee, jessie, al, ............
Why do u have to bring Blacks into this conversation? They are always and most likely at the receiving end of most discrimination in this country as epitomized by your praise of Asian, but denigration of Blacks. You seem to forget that the black journey in this country is far less rosier than that of other races in America, that it took white blood to recognize that Blacks were human. You truly hate black people, and it's breaks my heart to know there are a bunch like you, most in position of power that actually negatively impacts the lives of blacks, so you can pinpoint some "Oriental immigrant," achievement and claim that you're not a Racist! When in fact you are. This country has done more harm to Blacks than any other, because Blacks were the only one treated as property, and when they achieved,"Beingness" they were considered inferior. Slavery+ Jim Crow.
exm5; you need serious help: Call: 1800-redneck
So, no one can ever hold a theme party again? Because I sure don't know of a single theme that won't offend someone. You'd better never have a party where everyone is supposed to come barefoot, or as Kentuckian, I will be highly offended and protest on social media, until you are no longer allowed to do that.
Hilarious. Is Turkey in Asia? Were Turkish students protesting too?
All this frat needs to do is have a white trash party and they can just point out that stereotypes are stupid to get upset at. If people believe that is all there is to a person you can filter them out as no value.
The south has yet to evolve to the realities of jet propulsion, global communications, and the world-wide web.
They are determined to remain in the 1800s mentally.
Yet you have the name "Penn" as your moniker leading one to believe that you're proud of the only state University in America to allow a pedophile to use their facilities.
Why don't they have a "Yamaka" Toga party? I bet the Jewish students would not be happy either. How about an "African" toga party and have whites painted black and wearing shackles? You think the NAACP would notice? As smart as the DUKE students are, they are a bunch of arrogant white kids from NY from privileged families!
The K in Duke
is pronounced like the
K in Krzyzewski.
frat parties at duke can produce false accusations and ruined lives.
Racism and steriotypes are two extremely different things. Unfortunately, some people have decided to make them mean the same thing.
The 'perpetually offended' need to get a life or, at least, get laid, preferably with a pretty Asian co-ed.
What/ You gonna stick her with your wong?
Why is it acceptable to stereotype and put down anyone of any race? As a white person, I certainly wouldn't want to be stereotyped as a barefoot, toothless hillbilly. But as a black person, I find it equally offensive to be stereotyped as a gangbanger. Every person is unique, not a stereotype. People like Alan do not speak for all white people, thank God, because if he were the epitome of being white I would seriously consider have my skin darkened.
Stereotypes are hurtful, damaging, and deny the humanity of the individual. There is nothing funny about prejudice and stereotyping. Anyone who doesn't understand that is lacking in basic human decency.
Why is that people who like to hold demonstrations and protests don't like others to express their same right?
Fascists possess a common belief that the freedom of expression is exclusively theirs.
Sounds like you're calling Evangelical Christians fascists, then.
Jesus Christ made the case against racism in the Bible when He drank from the cup the Samaritan woman gave to Him. It was unthinkable for a Jew to do that.
So, these southern Bible thumpers just skim over that part and keep their ignorant racist views going.
Its nice someone who supports Gerry Sandusky also supports North Korea.
What they did was very wong! Very, very, wong! Enough PC going around to doom comedians forever!
The southern whites are just mad that the Asians score better on tests, thus, making the whites look stupid.
So, they have parties like this and leave no doubt.
Using that illogic, blacks who score lowest of all would have done this. You make the stupid seem like Nobel winners.
You are leaving out that the Asians score higher than whites in the west
and the north also. Don't be biased.
That's right, John.
Asians have singlehandedly destroyed every excuse black people have left in 2013, by becoming the richest racial group in America with the lowest unemployment rate.
So...the US is set up to favor whitey? Asians have the highest per capita income and lowest unemployment rate. Then whites.
loosers
After reading not a few , but alot of these posts, I can understand
why we really need strick background checks before firearm purchases.
I can also see why assault rifles should not be sold to the public.
And by the way, I'm a conservative Republican, a hunter, and a gun owner.
The idiots in Wash. D.C. need to do something quick.
You make a good point.
I'm not lying but alot of posters do, no doubt.
You know, there are alot of conservatives who support
some form of gun control.
I so sorry I mis-spoke, me love you long time! Get over it ass holes!
I wonder if there would be such a rally if this was a frat party regarding Christianity. Naw, no way.
It would not have even made the news.
And I can't help wondering how you would feel if they gave a party that mocked all Christians as being ignorant, snake handling, toothless rednecks. I wonder how you would feel if that same party clothed Christ in sexually offensive garb and used the cross as a phallic display. Tell me, would you find that offensive? Would you expect the university to take action against such a thing?
Go to Japan or Korea or China and throw that party and I won't give a damn.
College kids should have parties where they dress up like Mexicans, Asians, Germans, Russians, Arabs, Africans---------no big deal, any of it.
Waaaa, they're pretending they're from a foreign country. Boo-frickin-hoo, sissy liberal idiots.
If they're doing something mean you could complain, but really this is all nothing. One of the photos from the party they're making a big deal out of is a guy in a sumo wrestler suit-------so what?
Another girl has a Vietnamese hat on-------so what?
Liberals are pathetic.
Whatevs. Asians'll get their revenge during Finals Week.
When's the next party? Toga or tunic?
Toga????!
That's racist toward Greeks! So stereotypical.
So, calling attention to a specific speech impediment that is often encountered by those who are learning english as a second language is racist? By that same logic speaking in a uneducated chiwds voice is age desquimination. Can't we just agree that pointing out the differences in culture and poking fun at that fact is only offensive if you have a stick up your butt and actually take it seriously.
Umm, technically it is a speech impediment. I went to school with several immigrant children that spoke english well but still had problems pronouncing certian letters. One that I know of went to speech therapy to correct the problem due to being ridiculed by the other kids. After she completed this therapy she still had an asian accent but no longer flip flopped or rounded out letter sounds. From what I was told, the impediment stems from tongue placement when pronouncing Ls Rs and Ws. It is similar to tongue placement when pronouncing S sounds with a lisp.