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Nearly a month after the Virginia Tech shootings, University of Maryland students and faculty held a forum to reflect on the lessons of the deadliest U.S. school shooting in a public forum.

On April 16, Virginia Tech student Seung Hui Cho killed 33 people in the campus before turning the gun on himself. After the tragedy, Asian Americans nationwide expressed concerns of a backlash because of their race.

“The End of the Model Minority Myth: Reflections on the Virginia Tech Tragedy from Asian American Perspectives,” drew over a hundred participants who grappled with serious topics, such as Asian American stereotypes and the different ways a university can address students’ emotional needs.

"As the nation starts to get some distance from the tragedy, we need to begin processing the entire range of proactive lessons we can learn from Virginia Tech," said Larry Shinagawa, director the University of Maryland Asian American Studies Program. "I was moved by some of the exemplary actions I personally witnessed in the difficult days following this tragedy.”

He added: “Now is the time to examine additional steps that can increase a sense of inclusiveness on the part of Asian Americans and other minorities. This is an issue for higher education as a whole, but the University of Maryland can take an important leadership role in advancing this dialogue.”

            Shinagawa invited Frank H. Wu, dean of Wayne State University Law School and author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White, to make sense of the tragedy. Wu also focused on debunking contemporary images of the “model minority,” and encouraged students to openly express their diverse opinions on the shootings.

            “I don’t know the answers, but I know it’s important to ask the questions,” Wu said. “There is no sense of closure after a murder or suicide …we will never quite know why this happened for years to come.”

            As Asian groups are targeted around the country after the shootings, Wu said he was reminded of what it is like to be “the perpetual foreigner.” He said, “Indeed, even if we had been born here, that figuratively we do not belong; we are not real Americans.”

            Wu said a public forum would help expose some of the unexpressed needs in a community. After he paid respect to the victims of the shooting, he commented on the different approaches people can look at the situation.

            “There are many lenses in which we can look at the tragedy,” Wu said. “We can look at the practical, important issues, such as immigration and gun control. But, we must also look at his mental, emotional state … we must engage in dialogue and we must offer counseling, especially in the Asian American community where we are reluctant to admit of such problems.”

            Eight panelists joined Wu as he addressed a packed auditorium at the school’s Stamp Student Union. Judy Tso, of the university’s Center for Leadership and Organizational Change, offered practical suggestions, such as counseling services on campus and a need for cultural training among university staff.

            “We need a greater number of people of Asian descent in leadership roles on this campus, so students have a sense of, ‘I see someone who looks like me,’” Tso said. “As Asians, we tend not to talk about out feelings. We must call leaders on campus to understand cultural dynamics.”

Stereotypes

Tso observed that Asians face contradictory stereotypes: They are either projected as submissive or violent and volatile. Or in Tso’s words, “one minute you’re a pet, the next you’re a threat.”

            Likewise, Seung Hui Cho was portrayed as anti-American or a terrorist in some circles. William E. Sedlacek, assistant director of the Counseling Center at the university, chastised the media for “racializing” the shooter.

“He was perpetuated throughout the media as an alien; someone not American,” Selacek said. “Yes, he was a Korean national with a green card, but he came here when he was seven years old. Asian civil rights leaders call this stereotyping. We must call into question similar incidents, and have a rapid response among the leadership. Tolerance is needed.”

            Jen Park, president of the Asian American Student Union (AASU) at the university spoke on behalf of the students. She was angered by a recent incident in which an 18-year-old Asian American student was arrested for writing a violent essay in his creative writing class. Park said she felt the student was singled out because of his race.

            Park asked her peers not to “be ashamed or apologize” for the shootings or any related racial profiling. Instead, she asked them to question how they can move on.

            “Education will forever be affected by this tragedy,” Park said. “My biggest concern and my biggest worry is that the educational experiences of my younger Asian Pacific American brothers and sisters will be compromised. I wonder what’s going to happen in the classroom. Are we going to have the same educational experience as year’s before?”

Vtech forum captions by Winyan Soo Hoo

pictures 1, 2: Leading Asian American academic scholars and students gathered for a public forum at the University of Maryland in early May. Nine panelists, including keynote speaker Dr. Frank H. Wu, author of "Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White," reflected on the Virginia Tech tragedy and ways they could end the "model minority" myth.

pictures 3: Dr. Frank H. Wu signs a copy of his book "Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White," for panelist Judy Tso. The two speakers discussed Asian American experiences throughout history and the meaning of the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech.

picture 4: Christian Oh of APA Film asks a question for the panelists at University of Maryland's recent discussion on "The End of the Model Minority Myth: Reflections on the Virginia Tech Tragedy from Asian American Perspectives."