and Rajiv Shah Reform Party presidential candidate Ross Perot's appearance at the University last Wednesday night highlighted his racism toward Asian Americans. His comment that people with the name "Huang" should not be fundraising is only the latest comment in a series of offensive references to minority communities. In the past, Perot has referred to African Americans as "you people" and called Maya Lin, the architect of the beautiful Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, an "eggroll." Such statements are degrading, distasteful and representative of an unfortunate and counter-productive underlying xenophobia. Many second-generation Asian Americans may not have the surname "Smith" or "Jones," but they would like to actively participate in the electoral process. These individuals were born and raised in America and their patriotism should not be questioned. Whether their participation materializes in the form of voting or fundraising, every citizen of this country has the right to have his or her voice heard. It is a sad commentary on society when a presidential candidate can make inflammatory and racist remarks in a public forum. Unfortunately, Perot is not alone in his demagoguery of Asian Americans. In the aftermath of John Huang's suspected illegal activity, both the Democratic and Republican campaigns dropped scheduled appearances in front of Asian American audiences -- sending a message of exclusion to Asian American communities throughout the country. For the American dream to survive in an intensely competitive global marketplace, we must encourage and celebrate our ethnic diversity. Asian Americans pay taxes, create job opportunities in a myriad of industries and support the fastest growing sectors of the economy -- high-technology engineering, software development and exports to fast-growing Asian economies. Scapegoating and the politics of division only hurt us all.
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