As we celebrate the gains our community made this election cycle, let’s not forget there&rsquo
As we celebrate the gains our community made this election cycle, let’s not forget there’s lots of work to do. In our communities, in our country, in our daily lives. Not sure if you saw this xenophobic flyer that got mailed to voters in Ohio – but check it out.The recent xenophobic flyer mailed by the Ohio Republican Party to voters prior to the upcoming election is deeply disappointing, infuriating, and unacceptable.We ask for a pledge to end the use of xenophobic rhetoric, as well as an apology for the offensive materials distributed.The “Betty Sutton is Taking our Jobs to Go” flyer utilizes racially-charged language and imagery that play on prejudices against Asian Americans, specifically those of Chinese descent. While it has been common practice to attack China in this electoral cycle, capitalizing on xenophobic rhetoric for political gain has long-term implications that negatively affect the APIA community.The scapegoating of Asians for the effects of a changing economy has already culminated in the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin. Chin, a Detroit-born Chinese American, was beaten to death by two laid-off auto workers who blamed the loss of their jobs on the thriving Japanese auto industry. His death was the result of racial fear-mongering for political gain.Elections should be issue-focused, without resorting to unfair and inaccurate comparisons. Using stereotypes to demonize and scapegoat one group of Americans at the expense of substantive debate must not be tolerated by the community at-large. We call upon all political parties and candidates to present their cases with respectful, inclusive dialogue.It is our hope that, in the future, the Ohio Republican Party will engage in constructive dialogue, not the production of xenophobic rhetoric which targets a specific group of individuals.Sincerely, Johnny Wu, OCA-Cleveland PresidentReady to go to work and deliver on the promise of this election? Sign on with Johnny Wu here: http://bit.ly/cmonOHIO -- source link
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