Author’s Note: Each week, I will select Asian-American news deemed unique from a certain state and summarize the content and its media responses. This week, I focused on news coming from New York.
News: According to MSNBC.com (via NBCNewYork.com), 70 students from Stuyvesant High School, a secondary educational institution in New York City housing a large Asian-American population, were caught cheating on their regent exams. Erin Hughes, a spokeswoman from the Department of Education, said a student last month photographed a Spanish exam and sent this photo to 69 other students via text.
Social Media Response:
- Angry Asian Man: “Cheaters! Caught and shamed.”
Media Response:
- Lisa Belkin of The Huffington Post suggested a variety of factors influence students to cheat, such as pressure from parents, but these authority figures cannot be “off the hook completely.”
News: Patrick Svietck of The Huffington Post reported several New York radio hosts and a show guest last week mocked Democratic nominee for the 23rd District of New York, Nate Shinagawa, with racially-insensitive statements, claiming for instance he will lose his congressional battle “just because of his name.”
Social Media Response:
- Hyphen Magazine on Facebook: “Real classy, Bill Nojay, Paul Gullo, and Bob Savage.”
Media Response:
- The Nate Shinagawa Congressional campaign briefly responded to The Bill Nojay Show’s racist comments, writes Andrew Poole of the Evening Tribune, calling these remarks “unfortunate” and that it does not “merit any further response.”