Irene Eng The Kibbitzer

I got an e-mail for a protest at CBS TV station in the city at noon today.  It said little about the reason other than ‘CBS program’s humiliated Chinese … ‘  What exactly did the host or hosts say to be offensive to us?

This reminded me of an incident happened in the spring 2003 in our middle school: also was an e-mail informing us a meeting with superintendent that night at school because someone wrote on the school newspaper that … Chinese should go home.  Without a question, I went.  The small auditorium was almost packed with mostly Asians.  The superintendent, middle school principal, Board of Ed .. the usual perennial were all on hand.  The meeting was opened by a Chinese parent of the school.  She said .. we should united, we’re all immigrants .. (sorry I couldn’t quote her verbatim, since it’s few years ago; but I still have the newspaper that ignited this uproar.)  After the opening, the silver haired superintendent took over and began apologizing p-r-o-f-u-s-e-l-y, yes, it’s school’s fault, should have more supervision over its newspaper .. to a point it made me feel sorry for him.  I thought the meeting should have the offensive newspaper as handout, and should have given us the entire story on why and how it happened.  But it didn’t.  The meeting went on longer than necessary.  large part being spent on saying how sorry he’s p-r-o-f-u-s-e-l-y.  The atmosphere that night was mixed, few parents were agitated and angry.  It ended with the superintendent promised to write an open apology to be published in the next issue, p-r-o-f-u-s-e-l-y.

The truth I learned afterward was very simple: it was an soc assignment asking the students to weight in on pro and con of bilingual in US, and the teacher selected two and published them side by side.  Obviously the two represented total opposite views.   The one being picked on said .. “If you decided to come to this country you should learn English .. would you like if we Americans bring our language, our culture to your country…[she happened to be using China as an example, but also mentioned Greece, etc.]  She wrote that her grandparents were immigrants to this country .. and concluded that if you can’t accept American culture, thinking your language/culture is so vital, then you should go home..”  I don’t know if she meant what she wrote or merely fulfilling a homework assignment.  But I happened to agree that you come here, you learn the language of your host.  You can enjoy your native language/culture at your own home, but shouldn’t imposing that to others.  Regardless of wealthy European bankers or sweaty Mexican gardeners, they chose to be here for a reason(s), they should learn English and not making demand to have their language as the bi (Making no mistake, I come here to enjoy this country’s culture/history/language, not the European nor the Mexican, for example) – On another note, be grateful of what US has been providing, just to think about other countries, i.e. Germany’s guestworker thing.  [And the other side of the newspaper published the opposite view by anther student who support bi..]

Anyway, making the story short, the superintendent reneged on his repeated promise, and stood his ground firm.  Obviously when everyone calmed down, had time to think .. the superintendent had to reckon with the majority of our town, which opposed his open letter.  Then another round of e-mails urging us to go to school to protest.  This time, few went.  I called few neighbors whom I respect, we had our dilemma: not showing would dampen Chinese as whole, but to support a lame case, is equal to fighting a losing battle, making us looking like idiots.

The story I heard, the two who were actively pursuing this case, one enjoyed limelight and the other perhaps held some personal grudge, which made us wondered out loud, did she or her family member suffered discrimination somewhere (her husband got laid off somewhere)?  Our school district is pretty fair.  Seriously, we, ok I should just say I felt embarrassed by this incident.  It made Chinese looking insecure, giving us a bad name.  The Greeks didn’t come in doves to protest.  Should we know all the fact prior to that night’s first meet, I doubt that many would have showed.  Ming-der Chang was there [at the first meeting] but was silent during the meeting and greeted the superintendent right before leaving.  We support China/Chinese cause unconditionally, but there is a fine print that we shouldn’t do it blindly, especially when personal agenda’s involved.  We need a proper and worthy cause.  Smart fighter only picks winnable battle.

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