LETTERS: Add more Asian-American funds

To the Editor: As chairperson of the Asian Pacific Student Coalition, I believe it is necessary to make a few points of clarification to the arguments Ahles presented in her piece. The Minority Recruitment and Retention Plan University President Judith Rodin proposed last fall does in fact exclude Asian Americans, while committing funds and resources to other underrepresented groups, primarily African American, Latino Americans and Native Americans. These funds should remain untouched by the Asian-American community. It is the intention of APSC to build upon the language of the plan as a means for the University to address the needs and concerns of Asian Americans, which Ahles admits exist. As a result, we do not wish to take funding away, but lobby for additional funding for the Asian-American community. Furthermore, Ahles was incorrect in stating that there are 116 Asian-American faculty members. The numbers from Friday's DP article ("Asian Americans shift focus," DP, 9/26/97) about APSC and Minority Recruitment and Retention state that there are 116 "Asian" faculty, not "Asian American," which means something completely different. And it is important to note there are no tenured Asian-American faculty at Penn, with the first ever tenure-track Asian American faculty hired only last fall. Ahles uses the term "Asian" and "Asian American" interchangeably, but I am afraid these terms cannot used in that way so easily. "Asian" refers to those individuals whose native born country is in Asia, whereas "Asian American" refers to individuals born in the U.S. and are of Asian descent. The difference could be further explained by sitting in a Chinese history class and Asian-American history class, through which one would find different experiences, events and issues. The continued categorization of our community as "Asian" perpetuates the idea that all people with yellow and brown skin are foreigners or immigrants. It reflects the long struggle that Asian Americans have faced in legitimizing their contribution and right to the overall "American" identity and culture. Finally, the University and its students should know that APSC is currently working together with the other minority groups involved with the plan and hopes to continue this work to help make the University a more comfortable and welcoming institution for all communities. Eric Lee Wharton '98 Chair, Asian Pacific Student Coalition Party police strike again To the Editor: On Friday, September 26, Alpha Chi Rho hosted a registered party at our fraternity house. A few minutes after we opened the doors to the public, several youths unaffiliated with the University made their way into our event. Almost immediately they began harassing female students, jumping on our furniture and throwing objects. As a result our security personnel asked them to leave the premises. After refusing to leave, our security staff and several brothers proceeded to escort them from our house. They refused to go any further than our front steps and began screaming and shouting at brothers, guests and security personnel around them. Matt Baker, our rush chairperson and IFC president, and Ethan Smith, our social chair, immediately located two University Police officers less than a block away and notified them of the situation, requesting their immediate assistance at our property to stop the altercation and prevent a further escalation of violence. The officers replied that they were responding to another matter and could not help us. Matt and Ethan then walked to a third officer and made him aware of the situation. He turned around and walked away without responding. They followed him, pleading for his assistance, which he denied only after repeated requests. Our security personnel finally brought the situation under control, but not before these thugs had punched one brother as well as beaten one bystander as he walked by on 36th Street. While all this was happening, an IFC observer made a phone call to the University Police Department and instead of requesting the Department's assistance in removing those causing the problem, they requested our entire event be shut down. Immediately, two University Police vehicles and approximately 15 officers converged on the scene and proceeded to forcefully shut down our entire event. Why were our requests for assistance ignored? How were 15 officers suddenly available when the call came from an IFC observer requesting our event be shut down? We find these actions (or lack thereof) by University Police appalling. This entire incident could have been safely handled had a single officer provided assistance when it was first requested by brothers. Simply put, we needed help, we asked for it, and we did not receive it. Thanks, University Police. Jason Moment Wharton '99 President, Alpha Chi Rho