More on the Virginia Tech Shooting

Melissa Hung
April 20, 2007

A few lines from the story:

When race enters the equation -- when the perpetrator of a crime of this type is black, like "Beltway Snipers" John Allen Muhammad and his ward Lee Boyd Malvo, or Asian, like Cho -- it rises to the surface and stays there, prompting inevitable discussions about whether "black rage" or "immigrant alienation" were somehow to blame; whether in some fundamental fashion, color of skin, shape of eye, or nation of origin lie at the seething, secret heart of such tragedies.

  • In the LA Times: When Ethnicity Brings an Unwanted Focus.
  • Column in the Washington Post: Koreans Aren't to Blame. The writer, Adrian Hong, takes Lee Tae Shik, the South Korean ambassador to the US, and others to task for apologizing for the shootings.

    But the actions of Cho Seung Hui are no more the fault of Korean Americans than the actions of the Washington area snipers were the fault of African Americans. Just as those crimes were committed by deranged individuals acting on their own initiative, and not because of any ethnic grievance or agenda, these were isolated acts by an individual, not a reflection of a community.

    Further, it is inappropriate for the Korean ambassador to the United States to apologize on behalf of Korean Americans and speak of the need to work toward being accepted as a "worthwhile minority" in this nation. While the Korean ambassador represents the interests of Korean nationals in the United States, and the interests of the Republic of Korea, he does not speak for naturalized Koreans here.

  • From the San Francisco Chronicle:Asians Less Likely to Seek Therapy.
  • From the Roanoke Times, a story about how some survived the shooting: Images of Shootings Still Fresh in Minds of Many. Substitute teacher Haiyan Cheng and her class pushed furniture against the door and barricaded themselves.
    • Contributor: 

    Melissa Hung

    Founding Editor

    Melissa Hung is the founding editor of Hyphen. She was the editor in chief for the magazine's first five years and went on to serve in many other leadership roles on the staff and board for more than a decade. She is a writer and freelance journalist. Her essays and reported stories have appeared in NPR, Vogue, Pacific Standard, Longreads, and Catapult, among others. She grew up in Texas, the eldest child of immigrants. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.

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