Spring Break
McCain should be held responsible for racial remarks
Pratistha Koirala
Issue date: 9/3/08 Section: Commentary
Eight years ago, John McCain made a statement that should have raised a massive outcry. Instead, it went by almost unnoticed - a tiny blip in the political landscape.
"I hate the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live."
In 2000, McCain uttered these words while campaigning for the Republican presidential bid. He later refused to apologize for these spiteful comments. In fact, the word "gook" has been part of McCain's vocabulary for decades.
The etymology of the word "gook" is largely unknown, but it is thought to have roots in the Filipino uprising of 1899. It later came back in strong force during the Korean War and finally the Vietnam War. Though the history of the word is entrenched in war, its impact has a much wider range, extending into an era of racialism toward Asian Americans.
This racialism is no minor part of American history, no matter how well it has been hidden. The word "gook" is a reflection of the Chinese Exclusion Act, preventing this group from immigrating to the United States, of the Japanese internment camps during World War II, and the hate directed toward Asians during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
Due to its bloody history of hate, dehumanization and discrimination, the term "gook" is the Asian American equivalent to the n-word racial slur for blacks. Would it be acceptable for someone to use the n-word for any person, regardless of what atrocious crime they might have had committed against them? Why then, was it such a nonevent when McCain used a racial slur to describe a group of people?
McCain later justified his use of this racial slur because of his experience as a prisoner for five and a half years during the Vietnam War. According to him, his statement applied to only to his captors. Though his anger is understandable, his choice of words is not. They were inflammatory and uncalled for. As a politician and a presidential candidate, McCain should have had more class than to use a derogatory racial slur.
"I hate the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live."
In 2000, McCain uttered these words while campaigning for the Republican presidential bid. He later refused to apologize for these spiteful comments. In fact, the word "gook" has been part of McCain's vocabulary for decades.
The etymology of the word "gook" is largely unknown, but it is thought to have roots in the Filipino uprising of 1899. It later came back in strong force during the Korean War and finally the Vietnam War. Though the history of the word is entrenched in war, its impact has a much wider range, extending into an era of racialism toward Asian Americans.
This racialism is no minor part of American history, no matter how well it has been hidden. The word "gook" is a reflection of the Chinese Exclusion Act, preventing this group from immigrating to the United States, of the Japanese internment camps during World War II, and the hate directed toward Asians during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
Due to its bloody history of hate, dehumanization and discrimination, the term "gook" is the Asian American equivalent to the n-word racial slur for blacks. Would it be acceptable for someone to use the n-word for any person, regardless of what atrocious crime they might have had committed against them? Why then, was it such a nonevent when McCain used a racial slur to describe a group of people?
McCain later justified his use of this racial slur because of his experience as a prisoner for five and a half years during the Vietnam War. According to him, his statement applied to only to his captors. Though his anger is understandable, his choice of words is not. They were inflammatory and uncalled for. As a politician and a presidential candidate, McCain should have had more class than to use a derogatory racial slur.
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 8
L Fujimoto
posted 9/03/08 @ 4:46 AM EST
Give me a break! I'm Asian, and I understand EXACTLY what he means when he says that. When he said "Gooks" he meant the North Vietnamese that held him hostage, tortured and beat him for five years and you are going to judge him for saying that????
haha
posted 9/03/08 @ 11:58 AM EST
How about Obama's "white man's greed" remarks?
S
posted 9/03/08 @ 12:11 PM EST
This is ridiculous.. I say give me a break! I'm tired of the Daily Campus being so far left-wing to the point that there is basically only one opinion. (Continued…)
Conservative
posted 9/03/08 @ 12:22 PM EST
If you want a more "balanced" paper, go and write for it. However, you won't get any real information about either candidate from the media. Rather, you'll get these ridiculous articles about who said what. (Continued…)
john
posted 9/05/08 @ 8:04 AM EST
This is a satire piece right? If the author is truly sincere, I think you need to take a step back..look at the big picture of things..and see if you really are up to writing commentaries. (Continued…)
Jack Brookman
posted 9/22/08 @ 1:29 AM EST
Pratistha Koirala's article is a good, well-thought out piece.
What, on the other hand, IS the deal with all the idiotic comments here?
To "John": YOU are the one with the self-esteem issue. (Continued…)
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