Tag: Petitions

Fox News Receives Massive Petition in Protest of Racist “Watters’ World” Segment

Petitions protesting 'Watters' World' were delivered to Fox News today. (Photo Credit: Reappropriate)
Petitions protesting ‘Watters’ World’ were delivered to Fox News today. (Photo Credit: Reappropriate)

On Sunday, The O’Reilly Factor host Bill O’Reilly claimed that Fox News had received virtually no backlash in response to the racist ‘Watters’ World’ segment aired on the show last Monday. Claiming that the segment “wasn’t over the line,” O’Reilly blamed the bulk of the segment’s criticism on “far-left” websites, while suggesting that Fox News had received only ten irate letters after the segment aired.

Well, O’Reilly can no longer claim that to be true. Last Thursday, in the wake of several public statements issued by AAPI advocacy groups, I created a Change.org petition to help amplify the community’s outcry against Fox News, The O’Reilly Factor, and ‘Watters’ World’.

In less than 96 hours, the petition had accumulated nearly 20,000 signatures. Today, four copies of the full petition arrived at Fox News headquarters. The petition copies were sent by courier to: Jay Wallace, Executive Vice President of News & Programming; David Tabacoff, Executive Producer of The O’Reilly Factor, Bill O’Reilly, and correspondent Jesse Watters.

In total, each petition contained over 220 pages listing thousands of the petition’s supporters. Each petition weighed nearly four pounds.

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Asian American Students to Brandeis University Administration: #WeNeedAAPIStudies!

brandeis

Brandeis University is a research and liberal arts university located just west of Massachusetts, and currently serves an undergraduate student body of 3,600 young scholars. 12.7% of enrolled students are Asian American.

Earlier this year, Brandeis invited me to give the keynote address for their ECAASU campus tour. Before travelling to the school, I was informed by student organizers that students were interested in implementing an Asian American Studies program at the school. So, I decided to tailor my talk towards the need for more Asian American studies at our nation’s colleges and universities. Later after the workshops were done, the students pulled me aside to talk about what they might do to start a campaign around this issue, and I was deeply inspired by their passion and energy.

In an op-ed published last month in the school paper, Brandeis student Hin Hon (Jamie) Wong asked: “Why aren’t we learning about ourselves and our own collective past?”

Why, indeed.

Now, the Asian American students of Brandeis have mobilized with the creation of the Brandeis Asian American Task Force. Earlier this week, BAATF released a letter to their school’s administration, demanding a commitment to implement Asian American Studies at the school.

Continue reading “Asian American Students to Brandeis University Administration: #WeNeedAAPIStudies!”

Sign this petition to stand as an #AAPI with #Gaza | #solidarity

The mother of one of the children killed Wednesday on a Gaza beach by Israeli forces grieves the death of her child. (Photo credit: Daily Mail)
The mother of one of the children killed Wednesday on a Gaza beach by Israeli forces grieves the death of her child. (Photo credit: Daily Mail)

Last week, I reflected on the devastatingly high price of our collective silence on the occupation of Gaza. As of today’s writing, 1355 Palestinians — most civilians and children — have lost their lives in nearly three weeks of violence. An additional 59 Israeli have also been killed.

The individual stories coming out of Gaza are horrifying. Earlier this week, Gaza’s only power plant was targeted by Israeli airstrikes, leaving most Gaza residents with no electricity or running water. A United Nations school was struck, killing 16 Palestinians. Refugee camps and hospitals have not found themselves immune to attack. Efforts at a cease-fire have failed.

Last week, I wrote about the moral responsibility of all humans to speak out against these horrific deaths, and how I find myself empathizing with the Palestinian civilians and children of the Gaza Strip who have borne the brunt of the attacks and suffered the greatest share of deaths in this conflict. I spoke about the “blood memory” of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, who know firsthand the devastating impact of war and colonialism which has throughout our history taken countless lives and ripped apart too many families. I spoke about the emotional responsibility of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and indeed all humans, to not stand idly by while the death toll from this senseless slaughter continues to rise in the Gaza Strip.

Today, 18MillionRising published a petition, and are urging Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to sign it in solidarity with Gaza.

Continue reading “Sign this petition to stand as an #AAPI with #Gaza | #solidarity”

SIGN PETITION: Call for Fox News apology for airing of racist slur, and for Bob Beckel’s resignation

bob-beckel-chinaman

The term “Chinaman” is an archaic racial slur dating back to the mid nineteenth century, with a heinous history of dehumanization and violence against Asian Americans (and Chinese Americans in particular). Yet, Fox News co-host Bob Beckel has used this slur on-air not once, but twice, in reference to Chinese and Chinese Americans. Most recently, he referred to Chinese people as “Chinamen” in a July 10, 2014 episode of “The Five”.

Fox News’ ongoing tolerance of Beckel’s anti-Asian racism, and their unapologetic airing of Beckel’s repeated use of anti-Asian slurs, is both unprofessional and an insult to Asian American viewers. 

SIGN THIS PETITION to call on Fox News to IMMEDIATELY issue a retraction and an apology to the Asian American community for their airing of Beckel’s usage of racist slurs, and to call upon the network to terminate Beckel’s position as Fox News co-host. Then, share the petition with all of your friends.