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8.31.2020

Syracuse University Professor Refers to "Chinese Communist Party Virus" in Course Syllabus

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



SU places professor on leave after syllabus calls COVID-19 'Wuhan flu'
At Syracuse University, a professor has been placed on leave or using derogatory racist language in a course syllabus. The announcement comes after social media posts circulated a course syllabus appearing to belong to chemistry professor Jon Zubieta that refers to the coronavirus as "Wuhan Flu" and "Chinese Communist Party Virus." I don't know why anyone would need to use those words a chemistry course syllabus, other than to be a racist asshole. The university agrees. "The derogatory language used by a professor on his course syllabus is damaging to the learning environment for our students and offensive to Chinese, international and Asian-Americans everywhere who have experienced hate speech, rhetoric and actions since the pandemic began," the school said in a statement. The professor has been removed while the administration investigates the incident according to university procedures. I don't really know what there is to investigate. But go on.

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"What are you doing in this country?"
In the Bay Area, a man was caught camera shouting racist remarks at an Asian American couple outside a supermarket. Junie and Minh got into an altercation with the man in the parking lot of a Safeway store in Milpitas last week. The man can be seen yelling from his SUV, "He's a fucking Asian. What are you doing in this country?... We have enough people." Of course, the video was shared on social media, where it received the attention of the local news, the mayor, the internet. Wouldn't it be great to go out for some groceries without fear of getting accosted by racist assholes?

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Dispute Over Alcohol, Face Masks Turns Violent at Chinese Restaurant

In Massachusetts, the owner of a Chinese restaurant was pushed and the protective plexiglass at the front counter was knocked down when a dispute over alcohol and wearing face masks turned violent. Surveillance video from inside The Ming Dynasty in Marshfield showed a 49-year-old woman pushing the plexiglass after she became enraged when the management asked her and the group she was with to put on face masks. "The woman pushed one of the owners, pushed another customer, and then began pushing things over inside the restaurant," according to police. Real classy. Can people just wear a damn mask?

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Teen Activist Receives $2500 Bill For Police Overtime
A New Jersey teen thought she was only exercising her First Amendment right when she organized a rally in support of Black Lives Matter. Not long after, she received a bill for thousands of dollars in the mail from the mayor. Emily Gil was inspired to hold a rally in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, this summer after watching thousands of Americans show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The protest went off without a hitch on July 25 and lasted about 90 minutes. A few days later, Gil received a letter from the mayor, billing her for $2,500 worth of police overtime used during the protest.

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BTS video 'Dynamite' breaks YouTube record for most views in 24 hours
Korean pop stars BTS have made history after the group's new single "Dynamite" became the best-ever 24-hour debut of a music video on YouTube with more than 100 million views. The world's biggest K-pop group released the highly anticipated visuals for the record last Friday. By the end of the first day, "Dynamite" had racked up 101.1 million views to become the most-viewed music video premiere on YouTube.