Obama and APAs
In Obama’s books, we can glean a few insights about his attitudes toward Asians (“‘Yellow Peril’ Helps Clinton Sink Obama in Pennsylvania,” Emil Amok, April 25): 1) Obama’s black best friend in high school told him: “Asians are worse than whites.”; 2) His grandmother would tell him about the “Chinese who control the [Hawai‘i’s] finance.”; 3) The black people in his community would talk about Koreans funding the Ku Klux Klan. If you read his books carefully, you would sense Obama’s general hostility to all non-black groups, even Latinos.
I’ve been an Obama supporter, but now I’m having doubts. Reverend Wright is back on the scene and ruining Obama’s chances at the White House.
In-Chul Sohn, J.D.
Houston, Texas,
April 29, 2008
‘21’: Playing The Game
Can you say with certainty that Hollywood is racist (“‘21’ Not the First Film To ‘Whitewash’ Our History,” Reel Stories, April 4)?
What about the Asian or Asian American actors in Hollywood now? What about the producers, directors, casting agents? Isn’t this their fight on their ground? Couldn’t they get more Asians into lead roles if they worked on it?
The victory here is that through discourse you can lead people to a truer understanding of the real history. If the film had been made with Asian actors, there would still be complaints and Hollywood still would have taken liberties with the story, but here the film serves as a vehicle to a story that the world may have never heard.
Edward Koltonski
Youngstown, Ohio,
April 25, 2008
China and The Olympics
The Western media outlets finger-pointing to China range from involvement in Tibet, un-involvement in Darfur, military threat, trade, lead in toys, pollution and abortions (“An Asian American Viewpoint On China, Tibet and the Olympics,” Editorial, April 4). Napoleon once said, “China is a sleeping giant. But when she awakes, the world will tremble.” Deng Xiaoping opened China for modernization with an impressive double-digit growth rate with items from dollar stores to computer and airplane parts.
An American politician 20 years ago made this crystal ball quote: “China is rising. If we do not improve human rights in the south side of L.A., Detroit and East St. Louis, China will impose economic sanctions on the U.S.” Does it now sound close to reality?
Walter Ko
San Lorenzo, Calif.,
April 17
Do Better
I am writing to encourage you to do better. Oftentimes AsianWeek includes amateurish and seemingly unedited articles. In particular, I am disappointed with the quality of writing of Arthur Hu’s article in the April 4 issue (“Obama’s Wright Wing Conspiracy,” Hu’s on First).
Mr. Hu’s article ranges from hyperbole to incomprehensibility. Witness the first sentence where he compares random historical phrases to a recent news snippet that “will live forever in infamy.” His assertions that Korean Methodists don’t drive out corner grocers and Abraham Lincoln wouldn’t “throw his grandmother off a bus” are nonsensical and outlandish. I encourage you to discourage and edit such poorly composed ramblings.
Chris Nelson
San Francisco, Calif.