Style of 'The Invasian' Needlessly Offensive

To the editors:

I will not completely disagree with Justin G. Fong's opinions (Magazine, "The Invasian," March 15). After all, I sincerely believe that his goal was not merely to insult Asians but rather to enlighten. However, he could have expressed his opinions at a more respectable level rather than his apparent unwarranted judgments based upon simple observations. Like he said, criticism is best received from within, but his style of execution is distasteful and obviously ineffective. Who does he think he can convince by setting an aggressive tone? All he had accomplished is that he has established himself as a narrow-minded individual, influenced by his lack of understanding and denial of his ethnicity.

It's a shame that he has bravely addressed the faults of his peers while failing to identify his. True, Asians do tend to stick together and share similar tastes in music, clothes, etc. But, what group doesn't? Even so, who cares? Besides, when did this "sticking to your own" concept become an exclusively Asian phenomenon? Look at the other groups in various campuses. Honestly, don't they tend to stick with their own? Nevertheless, it's called a clique and the rest of the world, even Fong, belongs to one. It's a common occurrence, neither positive nor negative, that extends to all varying cultures and ethnicity.

Fong also mentioned that, "You're only Asian because you think you are!" That's an awesome mindset, but realistically, it is far more complicated. There are obstacles like prejudice that are still rampant on the planet and especially within the United States, obstacles that overwhelm even the best of us. Nevertheless, I suggest that Fong try mingling with Asian people; he'll realize that they are not so strange.

Our society has not yet progressed to a level that it no longer judges people by their looks. So, don't pretend that it has.

J. Patrick Gatdula

Olathe, Kansas

March 16, 2001

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Stereotypes Spur Hate

To the editors:

Violent crimes in the U.S. have fallen by almost 10 percent. Yet, hate crimes, in particular against Asian Americans, are on the rise. As a matter of fact, from 1998 to 1999, the number of hate crimes against Asian Americans increased by 52 percent, according to the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium.

Hate crimes, by definition, are fueled by hate of a culture. They are fueled by discrimination and stereotypes. From where do people get hate, discrimination and stereotypes? From articles like Fong's, articles that perpetuate that cycle of hate and misunderstanding.

Fong's ignorance in writing that article is horrifying to me. A variety of questions sprang into my mind: How could someone so blindly write an article with such blatant hate in it?

So I thank Fong for that article. I thank him for reminding me of the ignorance that exists in society.

Christine Ho

Williamsburg, V.A.

March 16, 2001

The writer is a member of the College of William and Mary Vietnamese Student Association.

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Where Were Editors?

To the editors:

The "Invasian" article last week was offensive to the Asian-American community. The blame lies not just with the author but also with the editors who let the article be published. How could a competent editor have let an article about such a controversial topic be published without major rewriting and editing? While I support FM's style of presenting varying viewpoints and opinions, articles that present controversial viewpoints without proper support or motive are offensive and thus completely unacceptable.

Christina Jenq '04

March 18, 2001

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Facts Were Wrong

To the editors:

Justin G. Fong's recent endpaper had absolutely no place in The Harvard Crimson, and I am shocked and amazingly disappointed that The Crimson would publish such a destructive and parochial piece.

Fong captures the worst stereotypes of Asians (the meek male, the erotic female), which are neither correct, interesting or novel. It adds absolutely nothing to the discussion. Fong does complete disservice to multiculturalism. If his point is against self-segregation, he could write a more balanced piece without much effort. There are more Asian students at Harvard who assimilate into the larger community than those who do not, and the tendency to identify with one's own ethnic group holds true for every single ethnic group, including Caucasians, African-Americans, Hispanics, Russians, Jews and Arabs. What's wrong with that?

I support the First Amendment, but I am shocked and disappointed in the poor judgment of The Crimson--the students' voice--to publish such vitriolic, inflammatory, unbalanced, uninteresting and unconstructive opinion. This is my fourth year at Harvard, but it is the first time I have felt ashamed to be a Harvard student.

Samuel K. Sia

Cambridge, Mass.

March 17, 2001

The writer is a student at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

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Better Left Unsaid

To the editors:

Although I am inclined to agree with many of Justin G. Fong's observations concerning the East Asian population in most of the U.S., I don't think it helps to print such an article. Making a blanket statement about Asians in a well-read publication certainly does not make others view Asians in a better light. Indeed, most will lower their level of respect for all Asians.

If Fong does not feel comfortable around such people, he does not have to associate with them. As is the case with all people, everyone is entitled to their own attitudes, and though one may not agree with the Asian cliques, one must realize that they are entitled to their choice of (legal) behavior. Perhaps it is more constructive to see what the groups have in common so that both parties may understand each other better.

I do feel, however, that The Harvard Crimson did not exercise a reasonable amount of prudence in publishing the article. I am not an advocate of censorship, but to have the article stand alone with poorly articulated feelings is a recipe for misunderstanding. I feel that The Crimson owed itself and Fong more time to ensure that a balance of viewpoints were expressed in a more positive manner.

Anthony Sun

Princeton, N.J.

March 15, 2001

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'Invasian' Insensitive

To the editors:

I find it disturbing that The Crimson saw Justin G. Fong's "The Invasian" fit to print. I must admit my faith in The Crimson and its editors has been shaken for good.

I am not a supporter of censorship. However, The Crimson is not the government. It does not exist to publish just any student's uninformed and unconstructive opinions at their whim.

I believe that The Crimson has a responsibility to its readership--and to the outside world that considers its content representative of the Harvard community--to exercise judgment and respect in choosing its material. I do not think The Crimson truly feels that its decision to publish "The Invasion" shows either of these qualities.

I hear better thought-out, researched and, frankly, more worthwhile positions from the mouths of my peers daily that I do not think warrant the attention of The Crimson, and yet we do not read them in its pages. Instead, we read these words which act only to undermine the efforts of other Asians who wish to defeat stereotypes constructively.

If an American Nazi were to be published in The Crimson, I would agree that he has a right to his opinion. But that does not mean The Crimson should give credibility and audience to one who has done nothing to deserve it. Not when so many work so hard to create, and all he does is work to destroy.

Robin J. Tang '04

March 16, 2001

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Fong is Right

To the editors:

Peeling away all the venomous prickles of the article by Justin G. Fong uncovers a bona fide attempt to provoke all Americans to question their identities, to free their minds from the social paradigm of race, and to seek out communities to which they are bound not superficially by chance at conception, but by a deeper-running social fabric.

Fong is right. The phenomenon of Asian self-segregation that we see occurring at college campuses across the country is a classic case of deceptive appearances and mistaken identity. While many Asian Americans bear similar physical traits to "homegrown" Asians, these characteristics do not translate into equally similar traits of character and mind. Realizing this, Fong rejects the thoughtless wholesale packaging of the gamut of Asian-Americans--by both Asian-Americans and others--into one unnatural community.

Granted, Fong makes some egregious faux pas in his open letter, but these missteps do not justify many Asian-American students' simplistic accusations that Fong has set Harvard Asian-American students back 10 years. Such attacks stem from a complete failure to appreciate his point that we must strive to live by the truth of our substance rather than blundering down the path of superficiality and falsehood by ignoring the basic human responsibility to be true to oneself.

Additionally, attacks that label Fong a hypocrite are shots below the belt that leave the content of his speech unscathed. If we require that we dismiss as incredible everything ascribed to those who do not practice what they preach, we must do away with all esteem for the vast majority of humanity.

Let us recognize Fong as a well-intentioned individual who made legitimate observations--however poorly constructed and immature his presentation--and that his apparent hypocritical sanctimony is inconsequential. That done, let us examine his closing remarks in "The Invasian" and do the piece justice by allowing his poignant last words to resonate in our hearts: "The more the Asians stick to themselves, the more alienated we feel from their community, and the more alienated they feel from our community... Can't we all just get along?"

Arar Han

Boston, Mass.

March 17, 2001

Graduate Students Need Housing Too

To the editors:

In "Downsize the Tutors" (Opinion, March 14), Scott A. Resnick describes the overcrowding in undergraduate Houses and suggests that decreasing the number of resident tutors would free up valuable space. Indeed it would, but it would throw those tutors into the extremely-overburdened graduate student housing pool.

Graduate student housing at Harvard is even more strained than that for undergraduates; currently, only one in four applicants can get into University-owned housing (apartments), and a small fraction live in the few dormitory rooms. There are over 3,000 students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) alone, most of whom teach and research on the Cambridge campus, and we compete for dormitory and University-owned housing with students at all of Harvard's graduate schools. If tossed into an already overburdened, hideously expensive housing market, GSAS students will be forced to live farther and farther away from campus. This will have a negative impact on their own work, as well as on the work they do for undergraduates--they will not be as available for meetings outside of classes, for example.

The University faces a severe housing shortage for both its undergraduate and graduate populations. Long-term plans are in the works, and we look forward to the day when any graduate student who wants to can live in a University housing complex. However, we understand that realistically, this day will be a long time coming. Resnick makes a good point that undergraduate housing space is at a premium, but reducing the number of resident tutors simply hurts another important group of students on the Cambridge campus.

Lisa L. Laskin

March 15, 2001

The writer is president of the Graduate Student Council.

An Economic Presidency

To the editors:

Congratulations on acquiring an economist as Harvard's new president. At Princeton, we have had two consecutive economists as president. Here are items to watch for:

After about a third of the faculty are hired away, it will be time to raise faculty salaries a little. If they all stay, it would be bad economics to waste Harvard's hard-earned money on faculty salaries.

President-elect Lawrence H. Summers will want to know the cost of adding one more student to each of Harvard's various programs. Expect enlargement of schools with the lowest marginal costs.

Undergraduates will be newly empowered to vote with their feet. Additional resources will be available to departments with large class enrollments and with numerous majors. Under-enrolled departments will be hung out to dry. You will find your professor in the office, with the door open, and happy to talk with you.

Good luck with your new president. Maybe the Princeton search committee will find us a scholar, one like Neil L. Rudenstine.

Kenneth S. Deffeyes

Princeton, N.J.

March 12, 2001

The writer is emeritus professor of geology at Princeton University.