Open letter to Una Osato:
I suppose I should preface this letter by telling you that I have white skin; I have no Asian heritage whatsoever. So maybe my opinions should be discredited as originating from a mind sheltered from the oppression that Asians do and have suffered. Does my skin color supercede my thoughts and beliefs in determining the social and cultural groups I can support or with whom I can identify? If so, I guess you should stop reading.
It upset me to read your Wespeak April 30th in which you accused Jesse Brenner of being “’the man’ [you’re] struggling against.” Now, maybe you just so grossly misunderstand Jesse’s character and politics that you assume his thoughts and behavior contribute to the perpetuation of white dominance. Such a personal attack is false, ignorant, hurtful and irresponsible. Or, maybe you are conscious of Jesse’s utter disgust with and contempt for the political climate in this country as a compassionate liberal thinker, and you have determined that his skin color necessarily classifies him as “the man” in spite of his actions and beliefs. This scenario is all the more disconcerting. What does it suggest about all sympathetic white people? If I am not a victim of oppression, am I therefore a perpetrator by default?
As you seem to have ignored or misunderstood when reading Jesse’s Wespeak, he firmly supports the Asian community in its political plight. He took exception to the methods you selected because he felt they were counterproductive.
I would also like to mention that I disagreed with his decision to make reference to a group of ostensible “thought police” on campus. However, the general response to his article has confirmed that a person can and will be condemned and ostracized for expression of a controversial opinion. True liberalism entails creating a political atmosphere in which anyone is free to express him or herself without fear of stigmatization. Manifesting intolerance for those that disagree with you constitutes action much more aligned with fascism than with liberalism.
Furthermore, your claim that Jesse should feel alienated because he’s “not one of [you]” is egregiously detrimental to the promotion of multiculturalism. Your statement reflects and condones the mentality that wishes to make divisions between “us” and “them,” and thus nurture prejudiced antagonism. Jesse attended Mabuhay to support and contribute to the celebration of Asian cultures. Do you honestly believe that he SHOULD feel ALIENATED? What kinds of social segregation are you promoting?
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