'Misanthropic Mr. Chu' Stereotypes

To the editors:

For the past couple of months, The Crimson has been running a comic strip entitled "The Misanthropic Mister Chu." This comic depicts a Chinese student who is short, anti-social, awkward both physically and socially and concerned only with math and science. As an Asian American student with pride in my culture and identity, I take offense personally to the negative portrayal of a fellow Asian American individual. As a member of the Asian American Brotherhood, I have deep concerns about the perpetuation of negative Asian American stereotypes in the media. As an individual with a conscience, I cannot believe that any self-respecting newspaper would allow itself to print a strip based upon stereotypes, artistically unoriginal and certainly socially unacceptable.

Due to the unfortunate tradition of negative Asian American stereotyping in American media, Asian American youth often have no role models to look up to, no positive elements to take pride in. Hence they suffer in silence. Where are all of the romantic Asian male lead roles in movies? Why is every Asian-looking man in a movie either kung-fu fighting or a dull, weak businessman lacking in personality? Given the success and numbers of Asian Americans in such fields as science and business, why isn't there greater Asian American representation in politics?

These answers lie partly in the pigeonholing of Asian Americans through stereotypes in the media. Since the writers of the strip do little more than continue the shameful tradition of negative stereotyping of Asian Americans, on behalf of the Asian American Brotherhood I ask that "The Misanthropic Mister Chu" be removed from The Crimson.

Sean S. Cheng '02

April 6, 2000