"A Journey Against Racism: Express anger"

25. Jan 2024 “Anti/Rassismus in der Lehre”

Dongeun Kim

This lecture focuses on racism and discrimination within a university

department and outlines responses to these issues. In the first segment, a student
representative at the University of Vienna sheds light on discrimination and
problems within the anthropology department, emphasizing the unique
perspective student representatives possess. The lecture underscores the potential
lack of awareness among administrators and lecturers regarding these issues.

Secondly, it highlights the widespread racism at the University of Vienna,

particularly in anthropology workshops, pointing out the criticism of a lack of
diversity and the resulting problems. The speaker addresses the restricted choices
in attending lectures, leading to exposure to the same individuals during grading
and examinations, exacerbating the absence of diversity.

The third part introduces specific instances of racial discrimination within

university departments, including inappropriate language and defensive responses
from administrators. Instances of lecturers using racial slurs, dismissing student
concerns, and promoting pseudoscientific racist theories are outlined. Despite a
lack of awareness of similar initiatives elsewhere, students are shown organizing
against racism and intersectional discrimination.

Moving on, the lecture explores the necessity of anger in addressing racism
within academia. Student representatives express their anger and frustration,
fueling their activism. Concerns are raised about the potential pacifying effect of
the notion of decolonial potential in anthropology, discouraging the necessary
anger and action needed to address social issues. The lecture discusses how
universities discourage anger and unprofessional communication, creating barriers
to addressing complaints and social issues.

Finally, the lecture advocates for addressing racism in universities through student
action. Emphasizing the importance of knowing where to report discrimination at
the university, the speaker considers it a crucial step towards addressing the
issue. Listeners are encouraged to take action by writing emails to their head of
department or administrator to inquire about the reporting procedure. Mario
highlights the significance of addressing racism in departments through small,
concrete actions. Overall, the lecture aims to raise awareness of racial
discrimination and encourages practical responses to address these issues..

Within the university, there is a case where students and faculty members
expressed anger and sought justice regarding racial discrimination. The incident
unfolded at Purdue University, involving the removal of Thomas Keon, the
Chancellor of Purdue University Northwest, by the Purdue Board of Trustees amid
racial discrimination controversy. The issue stemmed from Chancellor Keon's
racially insensitive remarks during a commencement ceremony where he was
encouraging creative language.

During the winter commencement ceremony at Purdue University Northwest,

Chancellor Keon, in response to the speaker's request to "try creative language,"
made inappropriate remarks, saying, "My Asian version of creative language,"
sparking controversy. While an apology was issued, the matter continues to be a
subject of significant debate both within the university and in the broader
community.

The Purdue Board of Trustees released a statement categorizing Chancellor

Keon's remarks as "extremely aggressive, insensitive, and an attempt to provoke
spontaneous laughter," deeming it unacceptable in the atmosphere of a
graduation ceremony that should be remembered for celebration and unity. The
board imposed the removal decision, leaving open the possibility of further
disciplinary action against Chancellor Keon, including possible dismissal, in case
of similar incidents in the future.

However, some faculty members and students within the university view the
decision to remove Chancellor Keon as a "lenient punishment" and advocate for
more stringent measures. The Purdue University Northwest Faculty Senate passed
a vote of no confidence against Chancellor Keon, criticizing the board's decision
as "not only insulting to Asian Americans but also dismissive of faculty members
calling for Chancellor Keon's removal." This stance intensifies the controversy
surrounding the situation.

For the past five months, I've been living in Europe as an Asian, and I've
occasionally encountered racially insensitive remarks. The most common one is
'Ni Hao,' where they utter it without even asking where I'm from, solely based on
my appearance. Every time this happens, I feel infuriated, but I chose to ignore it,
thinking that ignoring is the wisest response. I didn't want to give attention to
those who harbor racial prejudices. Living as an Asian woman in Europe seems to
come with such challenges. However, today, during a lecture, I realized why
expressing anger is essential. I understood the need to enlighten the ignorance
of those promoting racial discrimination and teach them the wrongfulness of
their actions. We must raise our voices to prevent such incidents from happening
again. Although I hesitated before, fearing potential conflicts, I've now made a
decision to confront and address racial discrimination directly. As an Asian
woman in Europe, I've come to accept that facing these challenges is part of my
reality. Nevertheless, I am now determined to actively respond to such situations,
speak up, and educate those who perpetuate ignorance and racial discrimination.
Only by doing so can we hope to eliminate such instances of racial bias.