UCLA Chancellor responds to controversial YouTube post
After a magnitude 8.9 earthquake and tsunami struck Northern Japan, a UCLA student posted a video on YouTube complaining about Japanese students who, attempting to reach loved ones back home in Japan, were disturbing her studies.
The video has faced a myriad of criticism, prompting UCLA Chancellor Gene Block to release a video message openly criticizing Wallace’s YouTube post.
The original video, titled “Asians in the Library,” was posted by Alexandra Wallace, a junior majoring in political science at UCLA.
Wallace said Asian students talking on their phones lack manners and she blamed them for distracting her from her work.
“In America we do not talk on our cell phones in the library…when I’m about to, like, reach an epiphany, over here from somewhere, ‘Oh, ching chong ling long ting tong? Oh,’ ” Wallace said in the video.
Block said in his video response that Wallace’s YouTube post has “caused a lot of pain.”
“This has been a sad day for UCLA and a disappointing day for me personally,” Block said. “The UCLA described in the video is not the University that I know.”
Since releasing the YouTube video, Wallace has apologized.
“Clearly the original video posted by me was inappropriate,” Wallace said. “I cannot explain what possessed me to approach the subject as I did, and if I could undo it, I would.”
The death toll for the tsunami and earthquake in Japan, which occurred on March 11 , is currently 6,000, but continues to rise.
For more coverage on the devastation in Japan, click here.
Another reporting fail from DT – business as usual.
The author COMPLETELY missed the point of the video – it was not at all targeted at Japanese students. It was targeted as “Asians” (doesn’t matter what race to Alexandra Wallace, because they are all the “same”) – and in that huge umbrella, she managed to insult all Asian races. The fact that she mentioned the tsunami was merely a part of this ignorance. Anyone who knows Japanese culture would know that talking in quiet areas such as the train and library on their cell phone is basically a sin.
Did the author even watch this video?
U niversity of
C aucasians
L ost (among)
A sians
That is all.
I got rejected from UCLA and she’s there?? (I’m not a USC student)
Ok, this was STEREOTYPICAL, but not RACIST. I disagree with what she said, but the asian fraternities at my undergrad had MUCH worse stuff to say about white people.
The tsunami reference? not ok. All the rest is in poor taste, but she shouldn’t get in trouble for speaking her mind. I’m pretty sure it was her chest making the comments tho, not her mind.
I am disappointed that this article only focused on the comments she made about students who were trying to contact their relatives in the Tsunami. That is only part of this student’s comments. This rant is racist and a clear example of how much more work we need to do to educate ourselves about the people in our community. And, USC, this is not a UCLA incident. I’ve heard comments like this and worse on our own campus community!
On all points, agreed!