Letters to the Editor

February 28, 2003

Some Shocking Headlines

DEAR EDITOR: We are alerting you to a disturbing front page headline that appeared in the Feb. 24 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle. It stated: “AIDS vaccine mostly a failure” with a subhead that read, “It helps some groups but doesn’t work across the board.” The lead paragraph reported that the vaccine “failed to protect white and Latino volunteers against HIV infections, while inexplicably shielding two-thirds of the black, Asian, and other non-Latino minority participants.”

We find this headline to be blatantly racist as it seems to suggest that the vaccine is only valuable if it works for white people. The article itself indicates that the vaccine holds some promise for blacks and Asians. We feel that this is not a failure. We believe that the media needs to report more responsibly.

Kerrily J. Kitano, PhD, MSW
Research Director

Kathy Ngueyn, MA
Research Associate

Sherry Fung, BA
Research Associate

‘Asian American Recovery Services, Inc., San Francisco

DEAR EDITOR: In early February, I bought a copy of the newspaper the Irish Independent at the Dublin Airport. I was totally shocked and amazed at a story I saw in that paper, with the headline “Chinaman in row over deportation.” That paper can be purchased in many countries and I believe that such a headline is insensitive, and as far as Chinese people are concerned, racist.

Why in heaven’s name couldn’t they have written “Chinese man”? Maybe they didn’t realize what a slight the word “Chinaman” is to Chinese people. However, I feel they should be made aware of it. I plan to write to them myself and thought you may like to as well.

Hugh Byrne
San Francisco

On Affirmative Action

DEAR EDITOR: I totally agree with Henry Louie’s letter “APAs Against Affirmative Action,” (Feb. 6). What the University of Michigan is doing is wrong.

In 2003, affirmative action is unfair to those who have the academic promise in the classroom.

I am thankful that the 1885 court case cleared the way for a Chinese American girl to attend a public school.

Let us always be thankful for the immigrant Chinese for their part in building the trans-continental railroad across the United States in 1866. They took the jobs that no one else dared to do.

Thanks to AsianWeek for shedding light on this very important issue.

Gerald Williams
San Francisco

A Reason for War

DEAR EDITOR: Those protesting a possible war in Iraq are protesting for various reasons. One of their major concerns is the possible war-related deaths of innocent Iraqi civilians. Fair enough, but if the deaths of Iraqi civilians are their concern, then why are they not concerned about the deaths of thousands of Iraqi citizens at the hands of Saddam Hussein?

Whether or not we go to war, innocent Iraqis are going to suffer. Hussein’s regime has raped, tortured, imprisoned and murdered thousands of Iraqi civilians. At least by going to war we can liberate the Iraqi people and stop future suffering by Iraqi civilians — something that the war protesters claim to be concerned with.

John P. Carlin
Chicago, Ill.

Why Seniors Should Say No to War

DEAR EDITOR: Senior citizens will, in all likelihood, sit back and watch with some indifference the unfolding of the Bush war in Iraq.

This would be a big mistake. Seniors must realize that a big tax cut for the rich and, in addition, billions wasted in Bush’s war will nearly bankrupt the federal budget.

You know what’s next. The Bush administration will solemnly pronounce that we can no longer afford Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. They must be privatized to prevent federal budget bankruptcy, Bush will say. At last, he will have the excuse he needs to hand these programs over to his Wall Street friends. At that point it will be too late to save hardly any social programs.

Seniors must act now to let their senators and representatives know that if they let Bush get away with bankrupting the federal budget, those senators and representatives will not be reelected.

Kenneth T. Sever
Daly City, Calif.

Did This Happen to You?

DEAR EDITOR: I wonder how common this problem may be among Asian Pacific American young people: As with many Asian kids, my parents could not drive and obviously didn’t have car insurance. When I got my driver’s license, I couldn’t buy auto insurance on my own, as I had no driving record. And, unlike most people, I couldn’t be added to my parents’ policy, since it didn’t exist. So, I waited a year and with a ‘clean’ year on my record, I was able to buy insurance.

Yorkman Lowe
Emeryville, Calif.

Written by AsianWeek Staff · Filed Under Columns, Letters to the Editor

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