Imagine if you will, being part of one of the smallest minorities in the US. Racism exist against you, many times just as severe as any other racism. The difference, while it is acknowledged that racist acts and racist things happen to other races, it is all but ignored when it happens to you. Even worse, they call you a model minority, and hence ALL Racism is justified when done to you.
What does that do? In my opinion, and as I have noted several times on these boards, that means you are part of the most discriminated race or races in the US. It is the ONLY race where it is seen as completely justified and even legally promoted to discriminate.
African-Americans complain about racism and discrimination. They have the "Black Lives Matter", which while commendable, is racist to a small degree against other or smaller minorities...NOT because it ignores that other lives matter, but it puts African American lives over other minorities and pretends that they are the ONLY minority that have these problems. However, even THEY are given free license to discriminate against my minority. I was actually tossed out of a store because I was the "wrong" race by an African American and told that my kind was not welcome there. I did NOTHING except walk into the store and look to buy a drink. This is NOT a slam against African Americans...only stating, that while they suffer extreme discrimination, at least their's is acknowledged by the media and others...whilst those of certain minorities are legally discriminated against and have NO recourse. I feel for the "Black Lives Matter" movement's battle for equality, and feel they should get equality. What I'm pointing out is that it is so commonplace and so normal to discriminate against some minorities...that it is seen as common and legal.
These are Asians, and the discrimination against them is VERY real. Instead of noting the discrimination against them, they are called a model minority...as if that means any discrimination against them is justified.
It appears that this so called model minority is starting to have enough of this discrimination. CAAAV, which promotes actions against discrimination against Asians has called for activities of protest against a recent conviction of a Police officer.
These are mostly those from an East Asian background (so nothing still for those of a SouthWestern Background, but progress is still progress) who have joined the ranks in this protest. Recently, they had 15K gather...which for the Asian minority, is almost historical in the numbers in a protest.
Thousands Protest Chinese-American Officer's Conviction in New York
Liang, a Police officer of Asian-American Descent shot his pistol. The Bullet ricocheted against the stairwell and killed an African American man by the name of Gurley.
Liang was convicted of Manslaughter. The Asian Community is protesting that if he was White, he would not have been convicted. They are stating that there were White officers that recently did much worse (asphyxiation due to actions done purposefully to cause such) that got off scotch free.
I am completely for Asian-American rights. I stated everything above to be CLEAR that I stand for Asian-American Rights VERY strongly.
HOWEVER...I feel that in this instance, the conviction is absolutely correct. It is the RIGHT thing to do. Liang was convicted of Manslaughter and could be sent to jail for up to 5 years.
I think he should pay for the crime. Killing a man is a terrible thing, and perhaps this conviction will make others pause before doing things so carelessly.
THAT said, I think this case points to the symptoms of the difficulties that African-Americans complain of.
Unfortunately, instead of this case uniting Asian and African Americans, it has created a rift.
I think Liang is justly convicted...however, the reason the Asian Americans are protesting is because they WANT the white privilege which was granted to the other white officers which have done far worse in New York recently. The White officers got off free, while the Asian officer who did a lesser crime...did not.
It is this white privilege that I think points out the actual problems which ALL minorities face. ALL officers should face the consequences of their actions, not just the minorities. It's not a matter of Liang being treated unfairly, but that of those of another race being granted freedom from justice.
I think this rift also points to a bigger problem between minorities. In Atlanta and New Orleans and Detroit, African-Americans are profiled and most likely targeted by the Police. In San Francisco, El Paso, San Antonio, and San Diego, Hispanics have this EXACT SAME dynamic between them and the police. It's not an African American thing, or a Hispanic thing, it's a MINORITY thing.
Which is why I've been looking at the things from MLK jr. recently and thinking, why don't we listen to his messages a LOT more these days. Why have we tossed his thoughts in the wastebin (or even Malcom X's words, which while less welcome, still taught for all races to be equally footed, if separated) instead of continuing the promotion of the items and ideals he taught.
Why is it that instead of minorities combining and unifying for a common cause of equality, we are so separated?
I think the Liang case ALSO represents what has happened. Black Lives Matter IS important, but it is also representative...of why it focuses on Black Lives instead of any minority who has the same type of persecution as they did in Ferguson.
Minorities want the WHITE privilege. It is focusing on their group's difficulties and why they lack that privilege and how to obtain it. It isn't necessarily looking at equality for ALL, or for all minorities to have this equality, but specficially how they can obtain the same rights as the white majority (which is not as much of majority as it used to be...but is treated as a majority in the cultural sense).
Instead of thinking that Black lives should matter to whites (which I am not contesting), it should be, Black Lives matter, and those who are also minorities who are likewise persecuted should also be recognized as being their allies and also should have protection against discrimination.
In San Francisco, especially Oakland, their are the Asian gangs right alongside the other gangs. They are profiled right along with everyone else.
Same goes for New York. I'd say the Black lives movement NEEDS to reach out to the other minorities, and feel it would ONLY strengthen their movement rather than weaken it.
Likewise, the Asian minority, instead of complaining how unfair it is that Liang gets convicted when the white officers did not, should instead look to unify with the Black Lives movement. They need to recognize the great harm Liang did, and what he did was wrong. Instead of trying to get the same privileges of white officers, which will never happen (Asians are the ignored minority, remember how I said at the top, because they are seen as a model minority, it is basically legal to discriminate against them...they will NEVER get that white privilege), they need to reach out and understand WHY Black Lives matter and WHY African Americans would be so angry and frustrated at this death that unfortunately occurred.
Instead of the two groups quarrelling with each other, they need to see that they fight the same fight, that they have very similar difficulties, and that together they are MUCH stronger (Especially Asian Americans, they are like the smallest of the small minority in the US, small enough that just by themselves they may never get anything really truly accomplished in equality without others help) than separate.
They then need to unify with the Hispanic minorities (and any other minority groups that are unjustly persecuted) and fight for equality for EVERYONE.
I think much of the problems in minorities fighting with minorities, or focusing on the WRONG type of things (as in Liang's case...as I said, I think his conviction is justified...he does NOT need the white privilege and I think that brings about the wrong idea of what equality is), is that we have forgotten MLK and his legacy. Instead of trying to further his legacy, we have branched off onto that of trying to each be equal to the white majority, instead of fighting for equality and justice for ANY one who is persecuted (and I suppose that could also include the LGBT).
Just my opinions and thoughts (lengthy as they are) about the Asian American Protest in New York, as an Asian American myself (though some Asian Americans and even Normal Americans might try to convince themselves that I am not "Asian" enough, or from the "wrong" part of Asia...etc...etc...etc).
I live not overly far from where this happened. Liang and his partner f@&#ed up. Refusing medical attention and calling your union rep instead of calling in what happened is grounds for losing your badge and freedom. While it is incredibly suspicious that two rookies are doing a stairway patrol in a bad neighborhood without and that one took an immunity deal to testify against the other, the event itself is unconscionable. Race plays a role here I'm sure, but I don't think he should have gone free. If anything his partner should be sharing a cell with him.
At first I was more inclined to think that it was Liang's rookie status combined with his rank incompetence that led to his conviction, but then I re-googled the Eric Garner case and discovered that, from what I can tell, thus far, the only officer disciplined in that case was the black female sergeant for "failure to supervise."
[Shrugs]
