blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/03/alexandra_wallace_ucla_girl_rant_asians_in_the_library.php
jpg YouTube Overnight celebrity Alexandra Wallace, pretending to be an Asian student on his cell phone ​ Updated after the jump: Death threats, poli-sci finals and the First Amendment.
Alexandra Wallace-Inspired 'Ching Chong' T-Shirts to Fund Japan Relief Efforts." Plus: UCLA Chancellor Gene Block makes a video of his own, and bikini pics of Wallace turn up to join the shitshow.
" "If you're going to come to UCLA, then use American manners." "Seriously, without fail, you will always see old Asian people running around this apartment complex every weekend. That's what they do -- they don't teach their kids to fend for themselves." In America, we do not talk on our cell phones in the library! I swear, every five minutes I will be -- OK, not five minutes, say like, 15 minutes -- I'll be like deep into my studying, into my political-science theories and arguments and all that stuff, getting it all down, like typing away furiously, blah blah blah... and then all of a sudden, when I'm about to like, reach an epiphany -- over here from somewhere, 'OHHH! I swear they're going through their whole families, just checking on everybody from the tsunami thing. Like, you seriously should go outside if you're going to do that."
Asian advocate groups and viral video-sniffers had gotten a hold of it, re-posting and immortalizing her ditzy hate speech for the viewing pleasures of many more indignant commenters to come.
Daily Bruin last night that the video was "repugnant," and couldn't confirm if Wallace was actually enrolled at UCLA. From the Bruin: "The comments on there are contrary to the values the university believes in," Hampton said. A number in the university directory listed under Alexandra Wallace was disconnected as of Sunday night. Many commenters have also been sticking up for Wallace's right to free speech.
For now, says Hampton, while university officials look into Wallace's student status, they're sticking to the stance that "the comments made in that video are deeply offensive... And in terms of discipline: "There is a student code of conduct that governs these things, and if in fact the person is a student, we'll be looking into if there are any violations," says Hampton.
A similar event took place at UC San Diego last year, when one student planned a "Compton Cookout" party to "honor" Black History Month, and -- a few days later -- another made a highly offensive racial slur against black students on the student-run TV station. After similar statements from university officials, no further disciplinary actions were taken, based largely on the First Amendment and the fact that no tangible threats had been made by the students in question.
Co-Ed Magazine just released 26 photos of Wallace in a string bikini -- and they're almost as hot as the topic at hand. Meanwhile, UCLA officials still haven't addressed their plans (or non-plans) to take disciplinary action against the newly infamous student.
Daily Bruin today: "Clearly the original video posted by me was inappropriate. I cannot explain what possessed me to approach the subject as I did, and if I could undo it, I would. For those who cannot find it within them to accept my apology, I understand." Update, March 15, 6:45 am: The UCLA student newspaper is really riding this one out until the bitter end -- taking a personal, offender-as-victim approach in its latest episode of the "Asians in the Library" saga.
Bruin that Wallace began receiving death threats to both her e-mail inbox and phone by Sunday evening: Police advised her to take a number of precautions and are currently working to ensure her safety, Greenstein said. "If she's received a death threat, I find that as deplorable as her original YouTube video. If this is the response of students on campus, we've got a lot of work to do," said Robert Naples, associate vice chancellor and dean of students. Wallace's poli-science professor divulges that those "precautions" included re-scheduling her finals, as the Internet mob had apparently gotten ahold of her exam locations.
And contrary to their "UCLA May Punish Student" headlines, a comment in the Bruin from Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students Robert Naples -- "but he cautioned that the code does not usurp the authority of the First Amendment" -- suggests the university is well aware they have no grounds on which to do so.
But when someone hops on here and publicly speaks on the right of free speech and then says, "forget about the law," makes them a hypocrite. They are essentially saying only the people that agree with them should be able to voice their opinion. That same law that gives you or me or the next guy the right to disagree with her is the same right she has to speak her mind racist or not. It allows us to bring to light ignorant videos full of tasteless unfounded generalizations, or racism, or anything else that needs to be scrutinized. I have never said she should not be disciplined in some way. What gives her this right gives you the right to call her a racist. I have experienced racism far worse than what this silly girl dished out. How dare you assume that I do not have family experiencing this tragedy in Japan and tell me I don't watch the news of what's unfolding in Japan everyday like you do and am otherwise unaffected by it. I'm sorry you have an issue with my acting the adult and using my brain. "American Manner" wft, so she thinks that in Asia, people talk in the library, I don't think so. Nah she is not a racist just ignorant and frustrated that asians speak in the library with their cell phones like they are speaking outside. You want racism just go Tupelo MS, Dubuque, IA and everybody will eye you down if you are the minority. This is the crux of white privilege and of majority privilege. The fact that a handful of Asians talking on their cell phones in the library is somehow easily extrapolated into representing all 25 billion Asians around the world would be laughable if it weren't so sad that not only white folks but Asians themselves are buying into it. Being part of the in-group - whether white, straight, Christian, or male - means you never have to worry about being seen by the rest of society as strange, wrong, lesser, or bad. On the other hand, if you are in the out-group, you have to consistently be on your best behavior, lest you somehow inexplicably make "the rest of us" look bad. And even if you do try your best to represent your minority group, you have no control over the misbehaving person on the other side of the room or the other side of the country. It's high time to stop worrying about looking good for and start sticking up for each other. And that includes Asians sticking up for Latinos, Muslims sticking up for Atheists, and everyone sticking up for whoever is the popularly-hated minority of the week. Enough with trying to get stomp on each other to the top of the second-class-citizen ladder. If you're the best of the worst, you'll still always be below the best. In essence, she apologised not because she wanted to, but because she knew what problems she would run into with the Uni if she didn't. Does she regret that she got in trouble for airing her views to the world? Or does she regret that she was stupid enough to hit the upload button in the first place? Or does she regret her actual bigotry and is she looking to change? Just because someone doesn't give voice to their bigotry doesn't make them any less bigoted. The best thing possible would be for her to gain understanding and awareness of minority issues and to eventually become an advocate for social equality. Former racists always make the best allies because they know how to relate to irrational racist thought. If one day we see her on another webcam post defending the rights of people at her school from the view of someone who once held bigoted views, I'd say that would be a huge win and a personal comeback for her. Actually, it's probably the only way she'd be able to salvage her professional aspirations. I'm one of those people not even affected directly or personally by this tragedy who sat down and cried, and tears well up in my eyes glancing at photogr...
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