Um, what?

Old news from two weeks ago, but made it to Dave's today. Some Asian-American students, under the banner of the "March 1st Solidarity" group, were protesting stuff about the US on the University of Washington-Seattle campus. On April 24th. *slaps forehead* An excerpt from the school paper:

M1S claims the United States Forces Korea (USFK) is responsible for several offenses against South Korea, including suppressing movements for South Korean democracy and independence, stealing land from South Korean farmers and fueling the sex trade in Asia. Additionally, the group asserts the USFK has its weapons pointed at other Asian countries, besides North Korea, and is supplying aid in the occupation of Iraq.

Christine Tran, a speaker at the protest, attempted to contextualize the protest within the history of economic ties between South Korea and the United States.

“South Korea has been titled as an Asian Tiger, a model minority nation that has broke[n] out of its rebellious third-world origin,” she said. “South Korea receives economic stability and aid from the U.S., but this came at a price.”

Additionally, Tran claimed the United States’ policy in Korea is based upon racism.

“This Asian Tiger was kept on a short leash, and in return for aid it was obligated to support the U.S. and its white supremacist politics,” Tran said.

Here's Danny Choi. Twenty bucks says this proud Asian man pronounces his last name to rhyme with boy.

You can catch some of their demonstration on Youtube here and here, but nobody cares. Hahahahaha, 60 views. The same paper carried an op-ed rebuttal on April 30th to that and other on-campus protests. Clearly, Asian-Americans are not the good minorities. *cough* Her words, not mine. I typed up a little response to the protest, but billybrobby summed it up nicely on Dave's:

The picture is of Christine Tran. Judging from the last name, she's probably vietnamese. And I guess "Christine" is a proud, ancient Asian name.

Danny Choi, on the other hand, should be a little more knowledgable about his home country.

But it's nice when the probably japanese Michelle Tanaka can write an article about Korean Danny Choi and Vietnamese Christine Tran that illustrates what an intolerant country America is.

Christine Tran should come to Korea, where as a southeast asian, she will be showered with the respect and opportunities that she could never have in America.

Heh. This article in today's Chosun Ilbo couldn't be timelier. And here's one from November. An excerpt:

These days, Vietnam is being rocked by sad stories of their women who are living in pain and suffering in Korea. In Daejeon in July, a 19-year-old Vietnamese bride died after being beaten so severely by her husband that 18 of her ribs were broken. Some Vietnamese women come to Korea duped into marrying Korean men, who divorced their wives on paper only, simply to get another woman to bear them a child. After they have the child, the Vietnamese women are divorced. Incidents like these have been carried in Vietnamese media, leading to mounting calls to reconsider diplomatic ties with Korea.

Yes, Vietnamese women won't run away. Especially if they're wearing Uggs, like Christine.