A transportation company that services the Champaign-Urbana area in Illinois is under fire for a racist, anti-Chinese message included in a promotional email sent out to its mailing list over the weekend.
Suburban Express sends controversial Christmas email
Suburban Express sent an email touting the perks of its Christmas break bus services for University of Illinois students. Among other self-identified selling points, the Surburban Express Experience includes riding with "Passengers like you. You won't feel like you're in China when you're on our buses."
This, of course, refers to the University's large population of international students.
I think we can safely assume the message, which is xenophobic as fuck, is aimed towards white students. White students who see the benefits of riding the bus with other white students. You know -- racists.
Suburban Express sent out a subsequent email entitled "Apology," which does not actually include an apology in any form. The company attempts to explain the offending statement, saying it "made a remark based on the fact that our competitor mostly handles Chinese international students," then goes on to devote several paragraphs expressing disapproval of how the University of Illinois manages enrollment -- citing "large number of international students." The company concludes by stating "we did not intent to offend half the planet."
Again, note: no actual apology in this "apology."
The company's statements have prompted swift condemnation from the University of Illinois community. Asian Pacific American Coalition issued a statement on Facebook, calling Suburban Express' remarks "dehumanizing and disgusting to our Asian classmates and friends." They called on folks to avoid using the company's services and use alternate means of transportation.
The Daily Illini published an editorial calling Suburban Express "a company that has nothing better to do than sit around on a computer and terrorize students." While it looks like there's already some previous bad blood between the paper's editorial board and Suburban Express, the Daily Illini says the company's false and discriminatory claims about international students have gone too far.
"International students only benefit the University and its student experience," the editorial states. "Students, both foreign and domestic, are lucky to learn and grow in such an ethnically diverse and global environment."
The paper also encouraged students to seek other forms of transportation "rather than support a vile company such as Suburban Express." Unless, of course, you're vile too. Then, by all means, racists should ride together.
More here: Shame on Suburban Express
