I Hope Thai Americans Don't Turn Out Like This

[Svenn]

As many of you American members may be aware, a prominent African American Harvard scholar, Henry Louis Gates, claims he was treated to something apparently tantamount to 19th century racism for being arrested in front of his home for 'disorderly conduct.' The story caught like wildfire and now every news network claims America must not have made any racial progress and we're all doomed. I really hope a dose of sanity can be instilled in this story, and that Thai or for that matter Asian Americans never sink to the hyper-sensitive and irrationally abstract conceptualization of race relations most American scholars have.

Basically what happened is this Gates guy was fiddling with his lock after losing his key since he had just returned from China. A "white" neighbor saw him doing this and called the police thinking he was breaking into this upscale harvard-area apartment (nevermind that all the news networks point out she's white, or avoided the fact at how odd it was Gates never befriended her). The police came and asked for his ID, he was in the foyer and immediately began a tirade- "why!? because I'm a black man in America?" , conversly demanded the officers ID, and finally when they stepped outside the officer arrested him for yelling, among other things, "do you know who you're messing with?."

What's irritating to me is that Gates immediately abstracted the situation into some grand racial battle, which is the same thing I've seen many Americans, white and non-white, do a thousand times unnecessarily because of the ego-boost. I'm no conservative, in fact I went to the most liberal university in the US (we had no grades or majors) and am the last person to belittle the real oppression non-whites often face in the U.S., however this story does not cut it.

So please everyone, don't let the media fool you on this one and don't extrapolate any inferences with the Asian-American community. To best sum it up, here is a quoted article by a black writer on the subject:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32085686/?GT1=43001

Consider this before crying ‘racial profiling’

A battle of two egos and why I don't feel sorry for Henry Louis Gates

....I might be kicked out of "The Black scholars club" for saying this, but the truth is that I don't feel sorry for Henry Louis Gates. America is far more capitalist than it is racist, so a distinguished Harvard University Professor like Gates is likely to get more respect than the average White American. The idea that he is somehow the victim of the same racism that sends poor Black men to prison simply doesn't fly with me, and Gates should be careful about appearing to exploit the plight of Black men across America to win his battle of egos with the Cambridge Police Department. At worst, Gates has been a victim of racial profiling by the woman who called the police, as well as the officer who may have interpreted his protests as being more belligerent than they actually were.....

[flying]

I agree but it didn't help when even Obama started talking about it in his Health Care speech today.

[Huey]

And your disrespectful rant against Prof Gates, has what exactly to do with Thailand??? Damm it's like you bigots just can't leave your hatred of us at home can you? He was victimized by the police, he has the right to fight back, and it has nothing to do with Thailand other than your here and your a hater.

[verydumbubba]

Uh Oh - here we go - the band has arrived - get out the hate speech mongers & hard done-by, whackjobs.

Bubba

[oldsparrow]

Never heard of such complain from Thai or Thai-American in the US. Maybe they compare it with the Thai police treatment..

[maccaroni man]

And your disrespectful rant against Prof Gates, has what exactly to do with Thailand??? Damm it's like you bigots just can't leave your hatred of us at home can you? He was victimized by the police, he has the right to fight back, and it has nothing to do with Thailand other than your here and your a hater.

here we go again... and day neeeed tu pay dat modurfuukr, siiiit.

the greatest part about living in thailand is that i dont have to listen to this victim crap anymore.

[a2396]

And your disrespectful rant against Prof Gates, has what exactly to do with Thailand??? Damm it's like you bigots just can't leave your hatred of us at home can you? He was victimized by the police, he has the right to fight back, and it has nothing to do with Thailand other than your here and your a hater.

EXACTLY!! Moderators should close this topic.

[DavidOxon]

And your disrespectful rant against Prof Gates, has what exactly to do with Thailand??? Damm it's like you bigots just can't leave your hatred of us at home can you? He was victimized by the police, he has the right to fight back, and it has nothing to do with Thailand other than your here and your a hater.

Hi

I'm in agreement about the non-Thainess of this post,

but I'm intrigued about which subsection of 'us' you

place yourself in, in order to take personal affront to this post.

Black, American, or both, or neither?

David

[Jingthing]

Black people in the USA still do very often get "special" treatment from the police. The professor is correct. It is a fact. We are half way there with Obama, as he is only half black. Cheers.

[lectito]

the greatest part about living in thailand is that i dont have to listen to this victim crap anymore.

Does reading all the Thai Visa threads about how how hard-done-by some farangs feel count as "victim crap"?

[Heng]

Asian Americans get stereotyped in the opposite direction. Sure that's not a good thing in general, but if you end up an angry Asian American, you'd probably already have shot yourself in the head if you were a black American. There's completely different mindset, even over generations when you are descended from planned/willing immigrants as opposed to those whose ancestors were brought over in chains.

I've been completely over the DUI/DWI limit countless times AND speeding on top of it, in the middle of the night on top of that, backpack in the backseat, the excuse of 'just getting back from studying with friends' (quickly throwing on my reading glasses and crushing a Hall's cough drop in my mouth before they got to my window probably helped too) got me off with the moving violation ticket only and not the more serious drunk driving offense. Never even been asked to get out of the car. Back in school I had plenty of African American friends who just driving at night with baseball caps turned backwards has been enough for getting pulled over (and sent on their way since they weren't doing anything).

[scorecard]

And your disrespectful rant against Prof Gates, has what exactly to do with Thailand??? Damm it's like you bigots just can't leave your hatred of us at home can you? He was victimized by the police, he has the right to fight back, and it has nothing to do with Thailand other than your here and your a hater.

Or put another way, are you one of the mob who always look for any opportunity to turn every situation into a negative comment about Thais / Thailand?

[gpdjohn]

And your disrespectful rant against Prof Gates, has what exactly to do with Thailand??? Damm it's like you bigots just can't leave your hatred of us at home can you? He was victimized by the police, he has the right to fight back, and it has nothing to do with Thailand other than your here and your a hater.

Or put another way, are you one of the mob who always look for any opportunity to turn every situation into a negative comment about Thais / Thailand?

With a avitar that appears sympathic to a radical 60's Black Panther sterotype...

[mauGR1]

I keep wondering how's this thread related to Thailand..Interesting story btw,and funny,seen the outcome.

IMO both parties were wrong,the Prof for yelling at the cops(you know,they are the law,and they expect respect)The cops are stressed on their own and they should think twice before mistreating innocent people who contributes to pay their salaries..

No racist issue here,well i'm a kind of a racist,i hate the racists..

[Lite Beer]

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