UCLA student angers Asian community after posting anti-Asian viral video on day of Japan earthquake

Ok, I know this isn't sports or baseball related, but I wanted to post this somewhere. Feel free to comment on whatever you see fit. I'll have plenty more Giants stuff, but this is what's going up for today. Here it is.

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A UCLA student enraged Asians across the globe Friday after posting a three minute YouTube video criticizing Asian conduct in the library during finals week, including her annoyance of people calling their families in Japan about the devastating earthquake and Tsunami that killed thousands.

Towards the end of her YouTube video, Wallace voiced her displeasure about Asians talking on their cell phones in the library during finals week because they might be communicating with loved ones affected by the tragedy in Japan. Coincidently, Wallace posted the video on the same day of the horrible Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan that has reportedly claimed at least 10,000 lives.

“I swear they're going through their whole families just checking on everybody from the tsunami thing,” Wallace said with an annoyed tone.

Earlier in her video, that is rapidly going viral, Alexandra Wallace also said that the “hordes of Asian people” attending UCLA lack American manners, including the use of cell phones in the library, and that their parents do not teach them any.

Later in the video, she mimicked a generic Asian language by assembling a random assortment of a stereotypical, pseudo-Asian language while holding her cell phone to her ear.

“Every five minutes…, I would be deep into my studying …and then all of a sudden, when I’m about to like reach an epiphany, over here from somewhere – ‘Ohhh Ching Chong Ding Wong Ting Tong Ohhh’,” said Wallace, who then slammed her phone down and stared at viewers with a blank, annoyed gaze.

Wallace’s rant included criticism on how she perceived that Asian families are too involved with their children’s lives when away at college.

“All the Asian people that live in all the apartments around me...and everybody that they know that they brought along from Asia with them comes here on the weekends to do their laundry, buy their groceries, and cook their food for the week,” Wallace said in her YouTube video. “It's seriously without fail, you will always see old Asian people running around this apartment complex every weekend. That's what they do. They don't teach their kids to fend for themselves...”

The video, which many people across the globe perceive as racist and reprehensible, has spurred negative notoriety, with the video reaching over 100,000 hits, and many Asians are voicing their displeasure on blogs and even creating YouTube video responses of their own. The video has even been mentioned on a few major news channels in the Los Angeles area.

Sondra Morishima, who writes for a tumblr web site called Generasian, was displeased that racial stereotypes are still alive and well. She believes that the video is insensitive and displays bigotry.

“In my mind, it’s nothing more than a grating reiteration of the same stereotypes that have been passed around for years,” Morishima wrote on the tumblr web site. “They’ve become so internalized that they show up everywhere - from policy to talkshow hosts to viral youtube videos.”

“It’s easy to call this woman out on her bigotry, because it’s so obvious, but we also need to look at less obvious cues that these ideas persist and how they harm the Asian American community,” Morishima added.

UCLA Associate Vice Chancellor Robert Naples said that the comments expressed in Wallace’s video was “beyond distasteful” and is in no way a representation of UCLA’s beliefs.

“We’ll be taking a look at the language that she uses in the video to see if it violates any codes under the student code, perhaps regarding harassment,” Naples said to the Daily Bruin.

The Daily Bruin also reported that Naples received over 100 complaint e-mails from people all over the country.

University Spokesperson Phil Hampton called the video “repugnant” and agrees with Naples that Wallace’s video is in no way indicative of UCLA’s view.

“The comments on there are contrary to the values the university believes in,” Hampton told the Daily Bruin.

Naples also told the Daily Bruin that the university has not contacted Wallace yet, but hopes to meet with her soon to determine an appropriate response.