Today's Date: March 18, 2024
EarthX to Feature Benji Backer, Author of "The Conservative Environmentalist," at Upcoming Congress of Conferences   •   Cadence and NVIDIA Unveil Groundbreaking Generative AI and Accelerated Compute-Driven Innovations   •   Spire Global to Enhance AI-Driven Weather Prediction in Collaboration with NVIDIA   •   Statement by Minister Qualtrough on the Closing of the 2024 Arctic Winter Games in the Mat-Su Valley, Alaska   •   Smarter AI for All: Lenovo Unveils Hybrid AI Solutions that Deliver the Power of Tailored Generative AI to Every Enterprise and   •   Consumers Energy Expands MI Clean Air, Allowing Customers to Offset Carbon Emissions   •   UNLOCK SPRING LEARNING: THE TOY ASSOCIATION™'S NEW STEAM ACCREDITED TOY LIST OFFERS 25 ENGAGING TOYS FOR KIDS   •   Mbanq and The Financial Policy Council to Host: “Business Banking Battles – Big Value in the Face of Bank Industry T   •   EverWind Fuels Praises Historic Canada-Germany Agreement to Sell Canadian Green Hydrogen   •   NAREB PREPARES MEMBERS FOR MAJOR CHANGES TO HOME SALES AGENT COMMISSIONS AFTER LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT   •   Carlisle Companies to Acquire MTL Holdings, a Leader in Edge Metal and Non-Insulated Architectural Wall Systems   •   TM Associates Announces Grand Opening of Luxury Affordable Apartment Community in DC, MDXL Flats Apartments   •   College of Saint Mary Selects YuJa Enterprise Video Platform as Campuswide Media Creation and Distribution Solution   •   Hyundai Showcases Refined-Rugged SUV Experience in New Asian American Campaign for the All-New Santa Fe   •   UL Solutions and SINAI Technologies Join Forces to Help Customers Enhance Decarbonization and ESG Performance and Reporting   •   Mitsubishi Electric Named to CDP Supplier Engagement Leader   •   Using Banuba SDKs Gives Businesses an Advantage in the Case of TikTok Ban   •   Center for Disease Analysis Foundation Announces First Round of Grantees for the CDAF-Relink Grant   •   New ASEAN Energy and ACTUAL Sign Cooperation Agreement to Develop Net-Zero Plan for the New $5B USD Pengerang Energy Complex   •   SBS TO RECEIVE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT FROM VOZ MEDIA
Bookmark and Share

Racist Rants Circulate Online After Japan Quake

By New AMerica Media, Pacific Citizen 

LOS ANGELES -  Days after Japan’s devastating earthquake, bodies are still washing up along the coastline, crematoriums are overwhelmed and rescue workers are running out of body bags. But as the nation struggles with the grim reality of a mounting humanitarian, economic and nuclear crisis after a tsunami, some Americans are using the power of social media to unleash insensitive and racist jokes about the tragedy.

In a March 13 post, a blog promoting the need for a University of California, Santa Cruz Ethnic Studies Department posted a collection of racist status updates and tweets gathered from Facebook and Twitter including references to “payback” for Japan’s World War II attack on Pearl Harbor.

“If you wanna feel better about this earthquake in Japan, google ‘Pearl Harbor death toll,’” tweeted Alec Sulkin, a scriptwriter for the Fox animated television show “Family Guy.”

Sulkin has since deleted his comment on Twitter and has apologized for his “insensitive tweet”.

Hateful rhetoric is rampant on the web. Comedian Gilbert Gottfried continues to make lewd jokes about the disaster on his Twitter page and rap star 50 Cent reacted to backlash from his tsunami jokes by tweeting, “Hate it or love it. I’m cool either way 50 cent.”
 

JACL national director Floyd Mori is also blasting the comments.

“I think comments such as these not only inflame prejudices of the past but cause misinterpretations of the real facts of this major catastrophe,” said Mori. “It’s unfortunate that people have to stoop so low to try to make a name for themselves and get their seconds of notoriety on social media.”
 
According to public broadcaster NHK, some 430,000 people are living in emergency shelters or with relatives. Another 24,000 people are stranded, it said.


STORY TAGS: Asian News, Asian American News, Asian Pacific Islander News, Minority News, Civil Rights, Discrimination, Racism, Diversity, Racial Equality, Bias, Equality

Video

White House Live Stream
LIVE VIDEO EVERY SATURDAY
alsharpton Rev. Al Sharpton
9 to 11 am EST
jjackson Rev. Jesse Jackson
10 to noon CST


Video

LIVE BROADCASTS
Sounds Make the News ®
WAOK-Urban
Atlanta - WAOK-Urban
KPFA-Progressive
Berkley / San Francisco - KPFA-Progressive
WVON-Urban
Chicago - WVON-Urban
KJLH - Urban
Los Angeles - KJLH - Urban
WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
New York - WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
WADO-Spanish
New York - WADO-Spanish
WBAI - Progressive
New York - WBAI - Progressive
WOL-Urban
Washington - WOL-Urban

Listen to United Natiosns News