Thursday, June 4, 1998
Respectful protestors support community
SOLIDARITY: Students show commitment
to diversity, justice
By Ayako Hagihara
We stand in solidarity with the UCLA students and supporters who
expressed their indignation toward Chancellor Albert Carnesale at
the fund-raising dinner for the UCLA Asian American Studies
Center.
On May 19, the UCLA Affirmative Action Coalition held a rally
and protest to demand that UCLA’s new chancellor, Albert Carnesale,
defy compliance with Proposition 209 and UC Regents’ decisions SP-1
and SP-2. All of these measures seek to eliminate affirmative
action in higher education and employment at UCLA.
Hundreds of students occupied Royce Hall that day, and
subsequently 80 students were arrested at the sit-in.
That same evening, Carnesale spoke at the fund-raising dinner
for the Asian American Studies Center, the premier research and
resource center for Asian American studies in the nation.
During Carnesale’s speech, several undergraduate and graduate
students, as well as community supporters, stood up and turned
their backs toward Carnesale. Some raised their fists high in the
air. They were in solidarity with the students in Royce Hall.
Carnesale went on speaking.
We admire the courage and commitment to equality and diversity
that these students and their supporters showed at the dinner. Not
everyone can stand up amidst over 500 people and turn their backs
toward one of the evening’s key speakers.
We also commend the respectful way this protest took place. Some
of the students who stood up in protest were recipients of
scholarships from the Asian American Studies Center. They
understand not only the importance of standing up against
discrimination and injustice but also the necessity of building
alliances and not alienating people because of their stances on
issues.
Many in our Japanese American community believe that to be
"good" Americans we should not make waves, and we should not raise
issues that point out the inequalities in society today. These
people feel embarrassed when other Japanese Americans stand up and
speak out for justice.
But they should not forget that, had members of our community
not stood up and spoken out, Japanese Americans who were interred
in camps during World War II would not have received reparations
and generations of Americans would have grown up unaware of the
violation of civil rights committed by the U.S. government against
its own people.
Throughout the struggle for civil rights and ethnic studies,
many Asian Pacific Americans have stood up against discrimination
and injustice. Institutions like the Asian American Studies Center
would not exist today had these people not spoken out.
Although the students and supporters at the May 19 dinner did
not speak a word, their message came across loud and clear – Asian
Pacific Americans will not tolerate the continuing attacks on
people of color. Keep up the good fight.