Virginia Tech Massacre: Perspectives

Since Washington, DC is in relative close proximity to Virginia Tech, a number of members within our organization have been contacted to comment on the events that occurred at Virginia Tech. After a film festival meeting, a reporter for CNN came to interview several Korean-Americans in our organization and get their viewpoints. Though I haven't seen the finished video segment, the following blog entry describes what transpired and some of the opinions that were expressed.

Korean-Americans' backlash fears lessen

Our organization was also contacted to comment on the connection of the gunman's released photos and the film, "Oldboy". It's understandable to attempt to make sense of the tragedy but to link it to one film may be a stretch of the imagination. Grady Hendrix, the former blogger of Kaiju Shakedown, wrote an article for the New York Sun that touches upon several topics with a big picture view of how Asian Americans are portrayed in the media using a historical context.

A Bad Week for Asian Americans Gets Worse

Jeff Yang, who writes a column for San Francisco Gate, also reveals the perspectives of several Asian Americans in the entertainment industry and takes a critical look at Asian males, violence, and film.

Angry Asian Men

Since the news broke that the shooter was Asian-American, there has been a flood of articles dealing with Asian-American issues, such as mental health, cultural double standards, and representation of Asians in mainstream media. Though ultimately his race will probably not prove to be a prime factor in the events that took place, we should focus on the lives that were lost and continue to openly discuss the issues
that affect Asian Americans today.