学习中文的黑人学生抗议哥大中国学生会种族歧视
综合新闻
日前纽约哥伦比亚大学推出了戏剧《寻找李伟》，剧本中持续对黑人使用种族歧视型语言举行攻击，学习中文的黑人学生Lillian Okoye出席了演出。她不堪剧中多处种族歧视的语言和观众的反应，给赞助演出的哥大中国学生学者联谊会写了一封公开信。
（中译文）哥伦比亚大学中国学生会及有关人员：
观看2008年4月26日在哥伦比亚大学师范学院上演的中文话剧“寻找李伟(Finding Li Wei)”，是我在哥大生活中最痛苦和失望的经历之一。当我听到演出中的那些对黑人的种族主义的言论时，特别是一角色的对话针对黑人区的黑人，我几乎崩溃。“我觉得哦，美国人还是挺好的啦。哦，不对，要除了那些黑人区的黑人。哎哟，我最怕黑人了啦！”接着是哄堂大笑，我回家后痛苦不堪，不仅角色的对话伤害了我，还有几乎99％的观众，那些哥大的中国学生。
我深感混乱和沮丧哥大的中国学生会（CUCSSA）参与和排演了这种种族主义的节目，特别是在2008年北京奥运会，全世界各民族人民汇聚中国之际。做为一位哥大东亚文化系的黑人学生，我付出很多的努力学习中文和中华文化，也曾远渡重洋留学中国。而这出由中国学生会排演的种族主义的话剧公开在我的校园喧闹地上演，令人无法不失望。我也被告知艺术和科学系研究生于明辉（音译：Minghui Yu）的不幸，他也是哥大的中国学生会（CUCSSA）的成员。虽然我知道他在2008年4月4日遭受“西黑人区人-West Harlem youth”身体骚扰，且死亡，攻击他的种族背景，整个黑人区的非洲移民社会并不能使这次事件合法化。
在演出之前，我是如此兴奋，还邀请了五位朋友同往。不仅如此，还取消了我为主持人的哥大Karaoke的活动，早知如此，还不如去唱歌。
这个种族主义的事件发生在我自己的大学，发生在我的眼前侮辱了我。
以中文的方式发布的种族主义言论并不能减轻问题的严重性。为此，对当时的听众说几句：当你们大笑时，我哭着走了。在我为中国留学生写出这样的煽动种族主义的剧本而悲哀时，我却发现剧作者是我的朋友。
哥大是世界闻名的大学，她的确需要加强校园内的种族兼容。去年哥大校园内就有多起“憎恨”犯罪，只有几起得到校方注意，很失望又一起出现了。
哥大的中国学生会（CUCSSA）成员们请记住，这里也有非裔学生，还有从黑人区非洲移民的后代。请你们给与尊重，停止种族主义！！！！！！！
**********************
黑人代表致哥伦比亚大学CSSA的一封信（原文）
To the Members of the Columbia University ChineseScholars and Students Association (CUCSSA), and tothose it may concern:
I am writing this note in response to the performanceof "寻找李伟(Finding Li Wei),”a Chinese drama(spoken in Mandarin) held on the night of Saturday,April 26th, 2008 at Teacher's College, ColumbiaUniversity. This was one of the most hurtful anddisappointing experiences for me during my time hereat Columbia University in the City of New York. I wasso devastated to hear the racism and the racist slursagainst Black people in the show itself. Specifically,there was a racist comment made by one of thecharacters in the show and it was targeted towardsBlacks in Harlem. I went home crying after hearing oneof the characters saying, "I feel like Americans arequite nice, but actually no, except for those Blackpeople in Harlem. I'm terrified by Black people!"which was followed by an uproar of laughter in theaudience. Not only did the character's words hurt me,but so too did the outburst of laughter by nearly 99％of the people in the audience, who are Chinesestudents at Columbia University.
I am deeply upset and saddened that Columbia ChineseScholars and Students Association would be associatedwith and originally produce and write something soracist, especially at a time when the 2008 BeijingOlympic Games, an event that people from all acrossthe globe and people of all races will be traveling toChina to see. As a black Columbia student and EastAsian Studies major, I have dedicated so much of myenergy to learning about Chinese language and culture,and even spent quite some time in China for studyabroad. I am so saddened that this act of racismoccurred on my campus and in such a public, blatantmanner, in a play that was written and produced by theColumbia University Chinese Scholars and StudentsAssociation (CUCSSA). In recent weeks, I too have beencoping with the loss of fellow student, Minghui Yu ofthe Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, who was alsoan active member of the CUCSSA. Although I realizethat the physical harassment and death he endured onApril 4th, 2008 was at the hands of a West Harlemyouth, the ethnic background of his assailant is not ajustification for a generic attack on the entireAfrican Diasporic community in Harlem.
Prior to the beginning of the show, I was so excitedto attend and invited five of my friends to attendthis event. I was so excited to be there. Not onlythat, but I also cancelled an event last night that Iam group organizer and creator of, called the ColumbiaUniversity Chinese Karaoke Group, since the eventconflicted with yesterday's performance of "Finding LiWei." To make a long story short, I sacrificed my ownevent to attend this one. In hindsight, I would haverather gone to karaoke.
This incident of racism insulted me and the entireAfrican-American community at my own university and infront of my own eyes! This prejudice will not betolerated. The fact that these racist comments werespoken in Chinese does NOT desensitize the issue. Tomy fellow audience members: I left crying while all ofyou kept laughing and snickering. I am so saddenedthat "Chinese scholars" would write a screenplay thatwould instigate racism in our Columbia community. I amalso especially disappointed, hurt and overwhelmed bythe fact that a "friend" of mine, Guo Rui SEAS '08 wasthe playwright.
Columbia University is one of the most prestigiousuniversities in the world, and it really needs toenforce its supposed intolerance of racist acts oncampus. Within the past year alone, there have beenmany hate crimes on Columbia's campus, with only a fewgaining attention by the administration.. I am sosaddened that yet another one occurred. Members of theCUCSSA, please remember that there are fellow studentsof the African Diaspora and from Harlem who attend theSAME University as you. Show respect, and STOP THERACISM!!!!!!!
Lillian Okoye
