As a Center, we have decided to begin to take a strong public stance on issues that are integral to our mission and core values. We are an ally for individuals who are discriminated against and marginalized, and therefore feel compelled to respond to this week's "Monday, Monday" column, "A Sex Tape Nobody Wants to See" (Feb. 13).
In the column, the author refers to females' romantic prospects with engineering students at Duke by saying that, "Most of these men turn out to be either emotionally unavailable, boring, overworked, taken or Asian." How does this sound to you? For many students, it may have been easy to overlook and accept the use of the term "Asian" in a string of negatively charged traits. However, the labeling of Asian men as undesirable partners is a form of racism that should not be tolerated.
We do not intend to censor dialogue to only "politically correct" forms on this campus, but rather we seek to open dialogue on the underlying assumptions behind such hurtful statements. Thus, we urge you to join us tonight from 7:00-8:30p.m in the Multi-Cultural Center (bottom level of the Bryan Center) to discuss the implications of these words.
The Executive Board of the Center for Race Relations
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