Recently, a You-Tube video made by white students and containing discriminatory messages

Recently, a You-Tube video made by white students and containing discriminatory messages against other racial groups circulated around Stuyvesant High School, causing great and continued unrest among the student population. The wave of unrest is growing, and Korean students at the school are now concerned that they may become involved – or targeted soon.

The video, made by four white students, contains the lyrics of a popular rap song insulting to both Hispanics and Blacks. This message of hate has been spread around the school community on social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter. It has received so much attention that it has become a major example of racial prejudice and bias in the entire N.Y.C. school system. Stuyvesant is one of the City’s large high schools, which, along with Brooklyn Tech and Bronx Science, has a very strong math and science concentration. Students at these schools are admitted based upon performance in competitive entrance exams; they are viewed as among the City’s smartest.

In response to the video, Charles Barron and other City councilmen have rallied in front of the school along with Black and Hispanic parents, on March 9. They have strongly condemned the school administration and N.Y.C. Department of Education about the manner in which both have handled this incident. The demonstrators have also

demanded a change in the admissions ratio of Asian students to other racial groups; there is a large number of Asian students enrolled annually, but the number is still far smaller than that of Hispanic and Black students. This autumn, 569 Asian students, including Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipinos, will enter the school, among a total of 937 students. Perhaps because of the large number of Asian students entering the school, Asians now find themselves drawn into the rhetoric over this video.

But Korean students at the school are largely remaining silent, and careful not to get involved in any debate, preferring instead to concentrate on studying. Many worry about becoming directly involved in such a problematic issue. Korean parents are very concerned as well, since the debate has also mentioned Asian students; parents are advising their children to be mindful of their behavior and not to participate in activities that are problematic.

Mr. Tae-Joong Kang, the chairman of the Korean Parents Association at the school, said, “This incident has spread beyond the school, and is still spreading. As a parent, I really worried that this could reach a level of unrest and response similar to that of the Rodney King incident. I am also deeply worried, even though Asian students were not involved, that they may be harmed by this incident in the future.” He added, “This is a very prominent school, so as much as students have pride in their school, they are also careful of their behavior. I advise Korean parents to take care of their children and avoid involvement on their or their children’s part in any debate or problematic issues.”

After the incident, Stanley Teitel, the school’s principal, sent a letter to student families, urging them to “be cautious of any discriminatory bullying or harassment and watch behavior in a bias-free environment of mutual respect.” The white students who made the video have been suspended from the school.

By Jung-eun Lee, The Korea Times, 11 March 2011. Translated from Korean by Sun-Yong Reinish.