Possible Racist Backlash of Virginia Tech Shootings

[Voronwë the Faithful]

[Note: I once again split this side discussion off from the main thread on the tragedy in Tol Eressëa - VtF]

Oh boy. The latest news that I have heard is that the shooter was a student from South Korea. I anticipate a backlash against immigrants in general, and Asians in particular.

[JewelSong]

Oh boy. The latest news that I have heard is that the shooter was a student from South Korea. I anticipate a backlash against immigrants in general, and Asians in particular.

I disagree, Voronwë (although there is always someone to say something!) A high percentage of the student body was Asian, which likely includes many of the victims.

I haven't posted anywhere on this incident and I am finding it difficult to even read people's comments and thoughts on it at this point. It's not because I don't care. It's because I care so much and I simply do not know what to say.

My prayers are with the victim's families and friends and yes, with the family of the shooter as well. What a mess.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I hope you are right, Jewel. I really do. But I wasn't thinking about on the campus, so much as in American in general. Perhaps I am just too cynical.

[nerdanel]

Voronwë --

Especially in a state where nearly half of the voters were willing to vote for Allen after Macacagate, I'll be honest and say I very, very much fear a backlash in terms of stereotyping, prejudice, and outright hate against Virginia's Asian population (which includes my parents, though they are not East Asian.)

It's also been interesting for me to see how I really have internalized my racial minority status in ways I hadn't realized. When I found out that the shooter was Asian, I experienced a lot of feelings of anger that he had made "us" (Asians - a so-called "model minority") look bad. Indeed, around the South Bay yesterday as I ran errands, I heard MANY white people saying, "The shooter couldn't have been Asian - they don't commit these sorts of crimes." It was as though "our" record had been sullied - what a bizarre thought to have.

[JewelSong]

*sigh*

I guess I am just naive about that kind of thing, Voronwë and nerdanel. Or maybe not cynical enough.

As I said...I just have no words to even being talking about this incident coherently.

[nerdanel]

From vt.edu:

The Virginia Tech Police Department has confirmed the identification of the gunman responsible for the multiple fatalities at Norris Hall on the Virginia Tech campus Monday, April 16, 2007.

The individual has been identified as Cho Seung-Hui, 23. Cho was enrolled as an undergraduate student in his senior year as an English major at Virginia Tech. Cho, a South Korean native, was in the U.S. as a resident alien with a residence established in Centerville, Va. Cho was living on campus in Harper Residence Hall.

A 9-milimeter handgun and 22-caliber handgun were recovered from Norris Hall. Ballistic tests on the evidence seized from the Norris Hall and the West Ambler Johnston Residence Hall scenes were conducted at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) lab in Maryland. Lab results confirmed that one of the two weapons seized in Norris Hall was used in both shootings.

“At this time, the evidence does not conclusively identify Cho Seung-Hui as the gunman at both locations,” said Col. W. Steven Flaherty, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police. “With this newfound ballistics evidence, we are now able to proceed to the next level of this complex investigation.”

State, local, and federal investigators spent the night collecting, processing, and analyzing evidence from within Norris Hall. The deceased were recovered from at least four classrooms on the second floor and a stairwell of Norris Hall. The gunman, who took his life, was discovered by police in a classroom among the victims.

All of the deceased have been transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Roanoke for examination and identification.

The names of the 32 deceased students and faculty will be released once all victims are positively identified and next-of-kin notified.

The Virginia Tech Police Department, Blacksburg Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, FBI, ATF, and multiple other state and local agencies are all involved in the ongoing investigations at both Norris Hall and West Ambler Johnston Hall.

[edited diatribe against murderer out]

[Voronwë the Faithful]

nel, I wish you had left it in. This is a time of strong emotions. Particularly for you, since you have closer ties the scene then most of us do.

[The Watcher]

I do not think that the fact that the shooter was a resident alien from Korea is likely to create any huge outcry against immigration in general, or stereotyping of Asians, he came here as a child with his parents in 1993, I believe, and he would have been all of 9.

I do feel simply AWFUL for his family, they still live in Centerville, VA.

The list of victims certainly seem random enough - covering all ethnicities, ages, genders. It unfortunately seems to be as to who was in his way or in his line of fire, except for maybe those first two deaths from the dorm.

Last I heard, even the South Korean government had issued an expression of condolence and a near apology for Cho's actions. How on earth could anyone hold something like this against South Korea? I sincerely hope such things do NOT occur.

However, it WAS interesting to note that the netverse discovered a Korean student at VT who runs a personal page, and also happens to be a registered gun collector, and several pics of him with his guns appear on said webpage. He has received over 37,000 hits and volumes of nasty e-mails and threats, even inquiries from reporters and news agencies wondering if he "Knew" the killer. Oh, yes, I am sure on a campus of over 26,000, that all Koreans automatically know all the other Koreans....

[axordil]

Oh, yes, I am sure on a campus of over 26,000, that all Koreans automatically know all the other Koreans.... Sad

I would never make that connection. OTOH, the chances that the shooter purchased the guns from a local registered gun collector/dealer second hand (and thus without a background check) are quite high. Not that it would make any difference, since no background check I'm aware of reads minds.

[axordil]

Man, he WOULD be an English major.

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- The gunman suspected of carrying out the Virginia Tech massacre that left 33 people dead was identified Tuesday as an English major whose creative writing was so disturbing that he was referred to the school's counseling service.

News reports also said that he may have been taking medication for depression, that he was becoming increasingly violent and erratic, and that he left a note in his dorm in which he railed against "rich kids," "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans" on campus.

Cho Seung-Hui, a 23-year-old senior, arrived in the United States as boy from South Korea in 1992 and was raised in suburban Washington, D.C., officials said. He was living on campus in a different dorm from the one where Monday's bloodbath began.

Police and university officials offered no clues as to exactly what set him off on the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history.

"He was a loner, and we're having difficulty finding information about him," school spokesman Larry Hincker said.

Professor Carolyn Rude, chairwoman of the university's English department, said she did not personally know the gunman. But she said she spoke with Lucinda Roy, the department's director of creative writing, who had Cho in one of her classes and described him as "troubled."

"There was some concern about him," Rude said. "Sometimes, in creative writing, people reveal things and you never know if it's creative or if they're describing things, if they're imagining things or just how real it might be. But we're all alert to not ignore things like this."

She said Cho was referred to the counseling service, but she said she did not know when, or what the outcome was. Rude refused to release any of his writings or his grades, citing privacy laws.

The Chicago Tribune reported on its Web site that he left a note in his dorm room that included a rambling list of grievances. Citing unidentified sources, the Tribune said he had recently shown troubling signs, including setting a fire in a dorm room and stalking some women.

ABC, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the note, several pages long, explains Cho's actions and says, "You caused me to do this."

Investigators believe Cho at some point had been taking medication for depression, the Tribune reported.

The rampage consisted of two attacks, more than two hours apart - first at a dormitory, where two people were killed, then inside a classroom building, where 31 people, including Cho, died after being locked inside, Virginia State Police said. Cho committed suicide; two guns were found in the classroom building.

One law enforcement official said Cho's backpack contained a receipt for a March purchase of a Glock 9 mm pistol. Cho held a green card, meaning he was a legal, permanent resident, federal officials said. That meant he was eligible to buy a handgun unless he had been convicted of a felony.

Investigators stopped short of saying Cho carried out both attacks. But ballistics tests show one gun was used in both, Virginia State Police said.

And two law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the information had not been announced, said Cho's fingerprints were found on both guns. The serial numbers on the two weapons had been filed off, the officials said.

Col. Steve Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police, said it was reasonable to assume that Cho was the shooter in both attacks but that the link was not yet definitive. "There's no evidence of any accomplice at either event, but we're exploring the possibility," he said.

Officials said Cho graduated from a public high school in Chantilly, Va., in 2003. His family lived in an off-white, two-story townhouse in Centreville, Va.

"He was very quiet, always by himself," neighbor Abdul Shash said. Shash said Cho spent a lot of his free time playing basketball and would not respond if someone greeted him. He described the family as quiet.

Virginia Tech Police issued a speeding ticket to Cho on April 7 for going 44 mph in a 25 mph zone, and he had a court date set for May 23.

[The Watcher]

Oh, yes, I am sure on a campus of over 26,000, that all Koreans automatically know all the other Koreans.... Sad

I would never make that connection. OTOH, the chances that the shooter purchased the guns from a local registered gun collector/dealer second hand (and thus without a background check) are quite high. Not that it would make any difference, since no background check I'm aware of reads minds.

Jny -

I was being saarcastic. The student in question at V-Tech, the one who collects guns and has a webpage showing pictures of them, is in no way connected to the shootings, has not been questioned by anyone on the school campus or any police authorities at all. It was the fact that he was Korean, at V-Tech, and liked collecting guns that has made him a target.

[Cerin]

It hurts even more knowing there were these kinds of warning signs that perhaps if managed better might have prevented the shootings.

As far as the backlash, yes, I imagine there will be one, not necessarily against South Koreans or Asians, but against pretty much everyone here on a visa. Which is so silly, really, since our own citizens kill each other all the time.

[axordil]

I guess I should have said "I wouldn't have made that connection either," , TW. But while I would have serious issues with Koreans or immigrants in general taking some undeserved heat for this, my feelings towards second-hand gun distributors are much more problematic.
The article notes the serial numbers were filed off the guns...but whether that was before he acquired them illegally, or after he acquired them legally, we may never know.

[nerdanel]

Okay, V, I’ll try again but maybe a little bit more calmly. One thing that troubles me about my reaction to the killer being Asian is the Asian stereotypes I’ve internalized. Much of it is because my parents would frequently characterize some aspects of American culture as “American problems” or “white problems” - and perhaps some of that, heard repeatedly at a young age, made a deeper impression than I’d prefer.

Although the evidence is not conclusive that this student was responsible for the murders at both location, at least we know that one of the two weapons involved was used in both shootings, and that weapon was found near him in Norris Hall. This has caused widespread speculation that his (former?) involvement with an 18-year-old freshman (the “domestic dispute”?) was the precipitating event which triggered the shootings. If true, this fills me with anger on a number of levels. First, I feel a special sense of outrage when people kill each other because of romance gone wrong - what a pathetic thing to do! Second, though, even if you are going to kill the person who you perceive to have wronged you (and the RA who was trying to separate the two of you) – how on earth - how on earth can you take your “domestic dispute” (or anything else) out randomly on nearly three dozen people who had NOTHING to do with your personal, pathetic issues? (And, third, why didn’t the school realize it was a possibility?) Here, I find myself tripping over the first of the Asian stereotypes that I mentioned - that it’s not an “Asian thing” to do, to kill someone for love - that’s a “Western thing.” I mean, most of us come from cultures which discourage marrying for love, forget about killing for love. Obviously a highly stereotypical/prejudiced thought to have, but I am admitting it because I think it is more helpful in a discussion of racism to acknowledge the various prejudices I am feeling than to discuss the issue as though no uncomfortable or inappropriate feeling had actually occurred to me.

Second, the moment I heard the suspected murderer was Asian yesterday, I started to worry. Let me own up to some more inappropriate thoughts. My first thought was, “Please, please, please let him not be Indian (or Pakistani.”) Seriously. If he had been, there would have been two groups of (white) people to deal with in Virginia on the next trip back (in addition to those who are of course not actually prejudiced.) The first group would be the “we know that ‘you’re not all like that,’ and we’re going to reassure you that we know” contingent, which would pride themselves on their “progressive” attitude in “understanding” that one Indian killer does not a demographic of Indian-American killers make. And would pride themselves on informing us of the same. The second group would be the “you’re all like that, go back to India/macacaland” contingent, which would pride themselves on their racism and would feel the need to inform you about their ancestors (who uniformly came over on the Mayflower, fought in eight different wars, and singlehandedly drafted the Constitution). Members of the first and second group would be interested in “dialogue” with hyphenated Americans. The dialogue would consist of “wanting to learn” about the “cultural differences” in how we Asians are raised which make us more susceptible to [insert folly of the day - here, randomly murdering thirty-something people.] So, uh, Merry Christmas (or other suitable holiday) to the Korean-Americans who will get to have these fun conversations - or perhaps all “Chinese people” (since I can’t count how many times I heard “They all look alike!” (referring to East Asians) from white Virginians when I was growing up.). I’m still feeling glad the guy isn’t of Indian descent.

Have to run, but it’s been somewhat helpful to own up to these troubling thoughts - more so than just feeling guilty for having them.

[Griffon64]

If anything, the fact that the shooter was a resident alien highlights to me the perils of marginalization. I am assuming that a resident alien may have a harder time integrating into society and being accepted, though I know that is a rather crass generalization ( not to mention profiling a shooter as necessarily being an 'isolated loner' kind ). I know from myself that adapting to a new culture can be difficult. Almost any immigrant to America will experience that to some extent. In the current environment, where immigrants are increasingly not entering the 'melting pot', and are also increasingly not accepted as readily as before ( broadly speaking, here ), the potential for friction increases.

One would expect that a 1993 immigration date would have allowed sufficient time for adapting, though maybe not. I haven't followed the story in detail at all, and this post was hastily written with a reaction off the top of my head.

[The Watcher]

I do not know if what I keep reading on various news reports is making me feel reassured that the fact that Cho was a resident alien or of Korean descent seems to be of LITTLE impact here or not. But the latest stories picked up by the Chicago Tribune among others, indicates that Cho seemingly wrote some very disturbing things in one of his creative writing classes, enough to sound off some alarms with the faculty and advisors who suggested that he might want to go in for counselling and talk to someone.

Apparantly, there was also a several page rambling and disjointed note found in his dorm room where he was fed up with "rich kids" and "pompous colleges" and similar sorts of ilk. Sources indicated that he had also set a fire in his dorm (it did ot state if it was done purposely) and had been accused of following or even "stalking" girls on campus. Sources also indicated he may have been on antidepressants, or was prescribed them.

I hate to resort to more stereotypes here, but it seems that the "ill-adjusted loner" label might be a more fitting one than anything else at this point.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

nel, you're a special person.

[nerdanel]

Thanks, V.

Reuters just had this article quoting members of the Korean-American community on the VT campus. I just want to caution against one tendency - citing neutrally written news reports as proof that race is a non-issue. If there is indeed a racist backlash - and we ALL hope there will not be - it will no longer come through "official" channels such as news reports. Racism, for better and for worse, has become something that is expressed in subtler ways - harder to detect and harder to combat, but still present. For instance, I would be more concerned about a subtle ostracism of Korean students at Tech than a loud "Get out of town, Koreans!" rally. (same re: immigrants) I don't imagine that Koreans (or Asians more broadly) would experience what Muslim-Americans have post-9/11, and I hope I'm not wrong.

BLACKSBURG, Va., April 17 (Reuters) - Virginia Tech student Jiyoun Yoo was terrified when she heard a gunman had rampaged through her campus, killing 32 people. When news broke on Tuesday that the gunman was a South Korean student, her fear took a new direction.

"I'm from South Korea, so I am a little bit scared," said Yoo, 24, as she walked on campus. Only one person was responsible for the massacre, she said, "but maybe it will affect all South Korean students."

The gunman who carried out the worst shooting rampage in modern U.S. history was identified as Cho Seung-Hui, 23, an English literature student. He had lived legally in the United States with his parents for 14 years, a U.S. immigration official said.

Yoo, a petite graduate student with long black hair, said she didn't know the gunman and none of her Korean friends had heard of him either.

"If he speaks Korean, we'd maybe know him, but none of us does," she said. She said her family in Seoul had called overnight, very concerned Yoo might be a target if there was a backlash against Asian students at Virginia Tech.

"It is big news in South Korea. Yesterday they were worried if I'm safe, now they are worried there might be a risk that I'm South Korean," said Yoo.

In Seoul, the South Korean government also expressed fears of a backlash.

"We are working closely with our diplomatic missions and local Korean residents' associations in anticipation of any situation that may arise," a Foreign Ministry official said.

South Korea has the largest number of foreign students in the United States -- nearly 15 percent -- according to the U.S. Customs and Enforcement Web site.

Police say Cho chained doors closed to trap students inside as he gunned them down before killing himself. There were early rumors the gunman was Asian, but his identity was not disclosed until Tuesday.

Some 1,655 students at Virginia Tech, or 6.2 percent, are Asian, the university's Web site says.

Annie Hang Tran, a member of the Korean American Student Association, said Cho did not belong to the group. "I didn't know the shooter," she said, declining further comment.

White students on campus dismissed suggestions there might be a backlash against foreigners at the university.

"It hadn't even crossed my mind," said Andrew Rush, 20, an accounting major. "There is a huge Asian community on campus and we're all together in class all day. It's so integrated I don't think this will change anything."

Foreign-born residents in Blacksburg said the town, nestled in the mountains of southwest Virginia, is a welcoming place.

"Everyone has always been open and supportive," said Xiaojin Moore, co-owner of the Oasis World Market grocery store a mile (1.6 km) from campus.

Moore, a native of China, hopes her three small children will not be targeted because of their Asian appearance.

"We just want to be left alone to figure things out, until things calm down," Moore said. (Additional reporting by Jack Kim in Seoul and Andy Sullivan in Washington)

[axordil]

If it's any consolation, the current letter trail in the NYT has surprisingly little anti-Korean or anti-immigrant sentiment. Not none, alas.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

On the other hand, I just heard an interview on NPR's Day-to-Day with a student who is the news editor of a student journalism website at Virginia Tech, and she said that there are "many racist comments" on Facebook.