Duke students outraged over Asian-themed frat party
Feb 6, 2013 7:16 p.m.


Durham, N.C.—Asian student groups at Duke University have filed a formal complaint with the school after a fraternity hosted a weekend party with a theme that some consider racist.

The party, put on Friday by the university's chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, originally had an Asian theme, but it was changed to "international relations" after some students complained, according to Larry Moneta, Duke's vice president of student affairs.

However, pictures posted online show party-goers wearing Asian-style clothing, including a conical straw hat, and a party invite with the salutation, "Herro Nice Duke Peopre."

The Asian Students Association and the Asian American Alliance, on Wednesday, also held what they called "Race is Not a Party: Rally for an Inclusive Duke".

"The events of the past week have deeply hurt students in our community," the groups wrote on Facebook. "We won't use our platform to alienate, to provide more fodder for stereotypes about Duke, or to trivialize any person's experience. Instead, we will use this opportunity to spread awareness of why the events of the past week were hurtful and to establish a concrete plan for how our community can move forward."

Several hundred students attended the rally, in which they called for an apology in the form of action from Kappa Sigma - specifically for each fraternity member to participate in a community social justice project. They also called for a Group Bias Incident Task Force made up of leaders from student organizations representing "historically marginalized groups" on campus to respond to discriminatory actions by student groups.

"You hurt us when you made fun of our accent, when you wrote 'Herro Duke' in your invitation," Duke senior Tony Gouw said. "You were not just mocking an accent, you were mocking an immigrant's struggle to make it in this nation."

The Asian Students Association and Duke Student Government have also planned a forum for 7:30 p.m. about the matter. Students from Kappa Sigma are expected to attend.

Moneta said administrators learned of the party after they saw the invitations, and they asked Kappa Sigma to cancel the off-campus event. He said the university is now considering what action it might take against the fraternity.

"This is less about discipline and sanctions and more about education," Moneta said. "Humor at the expense of others is not humor, and entertainment at the expense of others is not entertainment."

Mitchell Wilson, executive director of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, said Wednesday that the organization is aware of the party and is investigating.

In the meantime, he said, all activities at the Duke chapter have been suspended until the investigation is complete.

"The Kappa Sigma Fraternity finds that the actions which have been associated with this event are inappropriate and insensitive, and Kappa Sigma does not condone such activity," he said. "This matter will be investigated, and the fraternity will address this matter in an appropriate fashion."

A fraternity spokesman at Duke could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Chapter President Luke Keohane, however, apologized in an article published by The Chronicle, Duke's independent student newspaper.

"Upon learning of the deeply damaging effects of our email to our fellow students, we should have completely canceled the aforementioned party," Keohane said, according to the newspaper. "The Duke Community in which we exist is one that we see too often as divided, and while our actions have brought attention to and widened that divide, it is our sincere intention to work to contribute to a United Duke."

The Asian student groups have the support of several other campus student groups, including the Black Student Alliance, the Center for Race Relations and the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

Controversy over racial insensitivity isn't new for the university.

In November, Duke women's lacrosse coach Kerstin Kimel apologized after photos from a Halloween party at her house showing a player in black-face were posted on the school's athletic department's website.

At the party, a group of juniors dressed up as characters from "The Little Rascals" comedy movies. The player who dressed as "Buckwheat" painted her face black for the party. The photo appeared on GoDuke.com along with a player's blogpost, but it was quickly removed.

2/6/2013 8:51:51 PM

HERRO PREEZE

2/6/2013 8:54:00 PM

2/6/2013 8:55:00 PM

gah, people to learn what the word "racist" means. What these d-bags did wasn't "racist." It was just racially insensitive and stupid. AKA, what fratboys usually do

2/6/2013 8:57:08 PM

in much the same way that what you drive to work isn't a "vehicle" but rather a "car"

2/6/2013 9:05:23 PM

actually, no. a car is a vehicle. try again

2/6/2013 9:08:26 PM

so a person saying "herro" to some asians isn't racist?

2/6/2013 9:08:36 PM

in related news, rednecks across the country revolt due to the insensitive nature of 'white trash' parties

2/6/2013 9:08:46 PM

nope. it's just insensitive.

2/6/2013 9:09:24 PM

AWW. I wah so essited abba pah-tee. I wah gon may chiki fly lice an spring rolls. Dees American asians are so big pussies. Dey hab no swag. Dey fake asians. Shame on dem. Shame on air famalies.

2/6/2013 9:21:40 PM

SO sensitive.

2/6/2013 9:23:13 PM

I'm pretty sure if you intend to host a party mocking a race of people, and they tell you that's racists, but then you do it anyway, you don't have a leg to stand on.

2/6/2013 9:25:35 PM

Quote :

"in related news, rednecks across the country revolt due to the insensitive nature of 'white trash' parties"

false equivalency much???

2/6/2013 9:28:31 PM

racially-insensitive comments are racist

can't they do like normal people and be racist in the privacy of their own home?

2/6/2013 9:30:24 PM

substituting r's and l's is racist

but can you not have a cinco de mayo party where you wear a sombrero, is that racist too?

also i wonder if the lacrosse team raped any black hookers

[Edited on February 6, 2013 at 9:33 PM. Reason : .]

2/6/2013 9:32:41 PM

They should have just thrown an "Ethnic Minority" party and encouraged people to come dressed as they're favorite ethnic stereotype. If everyone wore sombrero's with tequila, black-face, Burkhas, Trucker caps and wife beaters, Sarees, canadian hockey uniforms, or straw hats then they'd be insensitive to everyone. No one could get mad at that.

2/6/2013 9:37:14 PM

What in heaven's name is goin on?

2/6/2013 9:39:20 PM

^^

so what's the line between racially-insensitive and racist?

2/6/2013 9:42:31 PM

That line is called a hyphen.

Oh wait.

2/6/2013 9:47:16 PM

if they had held it 9 days later, they couldve just had a Chinese New Year's party

2/6/2013 9:48:08 PM

I wonder if they have "American" parties where they sit around a grill drinking budweisers talkin about guns and big titties and pickup trucks.



Because that would be awesome.

2/6/2013 9:48:28 PM

I'd say ignorance would be the line.
This group however had a complaint issued about the party before they threw it. They knew what they were doing was offensive to a group of people, but they did it anyway, that to me is racist.

2/6/2013 9:49:11 PM

doesn't the fact that they're Duke students mean they're racist?

i mean even their black bball players are uncle toms

[Edited on February 6, 2013 at 9:51 PM. Reason : ]

2/6/2013 9:51:05 PM

lolthread.

2/6/2013 9:56:41 PM

I'm not convinced that those d-bags understood what they were doing even after being told it was offensive. I'm betting they were just like "fuck you, we do what we want, fuck off and leave us alone, blah blah blah, cake and icecream mothafuckas". That's why I stick with "insensitive" as opposed to racist. They thought they were being funny

2/6/2013 9:57:56 PM

you people don't know what racisim means

2/6/2013 10:01:19 PM

tell me what racisim means

2/6/2013 10:02:14 PM

thinking one race, as a whole, is inherently superior/inferior to another

[Edited on February 6, 2013 at 10:05 PM. Reason : certainly not an asian stereotyped party]

2/6/2013 10:03:33 PM

^

Quote :

"2: racial prejudice or discrimination"

2/6/2013 10:09:56 PM

ignorance? I don't buy it.

having an asian-themed party is no problem. The engrish invite is the problem.

ignorance has kept races in shackles throughout history

[Edited on February 6, 2013 at 10:14 PM. Reason : ]

2/6/2013 10:11:12 PM

so THAT'S what racisIm means? come on, man!

2/6/2013 10:13:55 PM

prejudice -an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason

discrimination -The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, esp. on the grounds of race, age, or sex.

neither fits the bill

Quote :

"ignorance has kept races in shackles throughout history"

no, that generall is racisim

^i know...it's like people want to use a buzzword to sensationalize stuff

[Edited on February 6, 2013 at 10:16 PM. Reason : .]

2/6/2013 10:14:04 PM

aaronburro said:

Quote :

"gah, people to learn what the word "racist" means. What these d-bags did wasn't "racist." It was just racially insensitive and stupid. AKA, what fratboys usually do"

then lewisje said:

Quote :

"in much the same way that what you drive to work isn't a "vehicle" but rather a "car""

then aaronburro said:

Quote :

"actually, no. a car is a vehicle. try again"

then I:

2/6/2013 10:14:42 PM

what... you facepalmed because you don't understand the difference between racism and racial insensitivity? I'm glad you now understand it!

2/6/2013 10:16:15 PM

No I facepalmed because someone on this site got outwitted by lewisje.

2/6/2013 10:17:42 PM

that person must be you, cause I guess you don't understand the difference between words that aren't synonyms or subsets of eachother

2/6/2013 10:20:21 PM

[Edited on February 6, 2013 at 10:23 PM. Reason : Nevermind, troll on]

2/6/2013 10:22:13 PM

Not racism IMO. If you define anything that someone is offended by as racism then racism loses all meaning.


Certainly I'm not denying anyone the right to be offended, but anyone has the right to be offended at anything, and it doesn't necessarily mean the offending party is in the wrong or should apologize.

2/6/2013 10:26:09 PM

so if this were a black-themed party and the invite was in "yessa-massa" (yes, master) black-face lingo, that's not racist?

if not, does that fall under the "they're just ignorant of the matter" clause?

^what is something that would be "racist" against asians, in your opinion? not counting genocide

[Edited on February 6, 2013 at 10:33 PM. Reason : ]

2/6/2013 10:30:14 PM

what if it were an african american themed party where the theme was 40 ounce malt beverages and "yeah dog"

very different from some slavery / blackface party

[Edited on February 6, 2013 at 10:33 PM. Reason : neither appropriate, just sayin]

[Edited on February 6, 2013 at 10:34 PM. Reason : what if an asian themed party where everyone did math problems all night]

2/6/2013 10:33:28 PM

^^ "yes massa" implies subservience and slavery, far different than making fun of an accent.

What if everyone put on their cheesiest Russian accent? Or Scottish accent? Or Italian accent? Would those be racist?

2/6/2013 10:40:22 PM

The issue is that racial insensitivity is often a symptom of racism or at least pretty strong prejudices.

I mean, they're essentially implicitly declaring that this group of people is so unimportant/laughable/trivial that it's okay to mock them with a whole night devoted to the adorable quirks of those lovable slant-eyes.

I just gotta know how many people at this gathering thought it was great when they played joke and put pee pee in their Coke. I'm sure it was all in good fun.

[Edited on February 6, 2013 at 10:50 PM. Reason : I was being extra fair with "implicitly," but nobody tells me my own key words, Mr. Burro.]

2/6/2013 10:42:27 PM

What if it was an asian-themed party, but everybody was real studious and good at math and engineering, or acted like Ken Jeong's character in The Hangover, or dressed-up like indiana's short-round or Data?

2/6/2013 10:42:50 PM

Quote :

"a whole night devoted to the adorable quirks of those lovable slant-eyes."

lol i don't know why this made me laugh

2/6/2013 10:44:35 PM

also, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.

2/6/2013 10:45:36 PM

Quote :

"I mean, they're implicitly declaring that this group of people is so unimportant/laughable/trivial that it's okay to mock them with a whole night devoted to the adorable quirks of those lovable slant-eyes."

Key word there being "implicit." You're assuming that they are sober enough to understand that implication. They think they are being funny, but they are really being offensive. Ergo, insensitive. Ergo, NOT racist. Just assholish.

2/6/2013 10:45:51 PM

Quote :

"a whole night devoted to the adorable quirks of those lovable slant-eyes."

I'd like a whole night of that...nawImean?

2/6/2013 10:45:57 PM

2/6/2013 10:47:30 PM

you oriental?

2/6/2013 10:48:59 PM

are Hawaiians offended by luau parties? are Greeks offended by toga parties? are Irish offended by keg parties?

2/6/2013 10:49:26 PM