Ethnic Media Take On Race Challenge
New Poll Highlights Media's Role in Covering Race Relations
New America Media, News Report, Sandip Roy, Posted: Dec 12, 2007 
Editor’s Note: The first-ever multilingual poll of black, Hispanic and Asian Americans is a call to action for the ethnic media leaders who sponsored it. While respondents believe that ethnic media are "irresponsible" when it comes to covering race relations, they also describe ethnic media as a vital intermediary for strengthening inter-group communication. NAM Editor Sandip Roy interviewed some of the poll’s media sponsors about how they view their shifting role in covering race relations in America.
SAN FRANCISCO – When Tae Soo Jeong, editor-in-chief of The Korea Times, attended a town hall meeting in San Francisco after a local Asian weekly published a column called “Why I Hate Blacks,” he realized it wasn’t enough to say sorry.
“We need to know what’s being whispered in our own backyards,” says Jeong. “We need a get-to-know-each-other campaign.” The first national poll of race relations among Asian Americans, African Americans and Hispanics from New America Media is a “starting point” in that campaign, says Jeong.
The Korea Times, along with eight other major ethnic newspapers, signed on as a co-sponsor of the poll because ethnic media are increasingly becoming aware that it’s not enough just to cover their own communities.
"This is an extraordinary piece of information that can hopefully help our three communities to have a better understanding of each other,” said Pedro Rojas, La Opinión's executive editor.
"Wherever you live and work in the states today, and especially for us in California, learning from communities near us and around us is vital to growing,” says Anh Do, vice president of Nguoi Viet Daily News in Westminster, Calif., one of the oldest Vietnamese newspapers in the country and a sponsor of the survey.
“We have to understand what’s going on in the real world,” agrees Maria Mejia, editor of El Mensajero, a Spanish-language weekly in San Francisco published by ImpreMedia media group, another of the co-sponsors. “People say this is a Latino paper, and that’s an African American paper, but we are all part of the same society.”
But when it comes to covering that society, ethnic media editors and publishers find themselves navigating through a minefield. When Tim Lau, chief executive officer of the Chinese-language Sing Tao Daily, hears stories about crimes in Oakland’s Chinatown or San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley he worries about how to cover the issue. “There is a perception that the crimes are committed by African Americans,” says Lau. “We want victims to report the crimes. But we don’t want to add to the stereotypes.”
“But it’s important to find out if they are real or just anecdotal,” says Gail Berkley, editor at the Sun Reporter which serves the African-American community in the San Francisco Bay Area. “Without knowing the facts you cannot have a dialogue.”
The New America Media poll found deep racial tensions and suspicions among the main ethnic groups even though there was also widespread optimism about the future of a multi-racial America.
The lack of dialogue between the different ethnic communities worries ethnic media leaders. The poll found that about 70 percent of each ethnic group believed that the media had a responsibility to bring communities together. Kai Ping Liu, deputy city editor of Chinese-language World Journal, worries that the media do not do enough. “It’s partly a manpower issue,” says Liu. “But we should cover other communities more. It’s not just their stories. I would like to learn from them.”
Liu says he would like to see more stories about declining African American and Latino enrollment in the University of California system even as numbers of Asian students continue to rise. “We have to learn to share public resources fairly,” says Liu who worries about the negative stereotypes many Asians have towards African Americans even as they “enjoy the achievements of the civil rights movement.”
But AsianWeek’s editor Ted Fang says amidst the tensions and stereotypes, he sees some good news. AsianWeek just held a town hall meeting in San Francisco’s Fillmore District, a historically black neighborhood that now houses Japantown. “We brought the African-American and Japanese-American communities together to talk about the future of the area,” says Fang. Now Yoshi’s Jazz Club, which brings together jazz masters and sushi, has just opened in San Francisco.
Fang had his own taste of the tensions when AsianWeek was in the middle of a firestorm over the “Why I Hate Blacks” column. Now the newspaper is reviewing a novel by one of its former editors about Asian men who develop relationships with black women. “It’s about more than political statements,” says Fang. “This is about love relationships.”
The Sun Reporter’s Berkley says she is not surprised with the racial stereotypes found by the poll. But she is heartened that more than 60 percent of each group believes that relations between ethnic groups will get better in the next 10 years.
“That’s a hopeful sign,” says Berkley. “It’s a little surprising because you mostly read about stereotypes and segregated neighborhoods. Perhaps this is where the media can play a role in bringing about a more hopeful future.”
The Korea Times is already embarking on that endeavor, says Korea Times’ Tae Sook Jeong. The paper is planning a series every other week in 2008, called “Getting Together – Let’s Bring Down the Walls.”
“I wanted to start this summer,” says Jeong. “But I have been waiting for this poll.”
The other partners of the poll included Philippine News and Asian Journal.
Related Articles:
Deep Divisions, Shared Destiny - A Poll of Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans on Race Relations
Listen to Ted Fang discuss the NAM Poll on UpFront
MP3
Ethnic Media Convene to Talk Racism After AsianWeek Fiasco
NAM Polls
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User Comments
Phil Wu on Dec 18, 2007 at 16:00:27 said:
I’ve learned much about human nature in my 7 years as a substitute teacher for all grades among the regular, gifted, and special education populations. I’ve seen children get along from different races and ethnic groups and I have seen conflict spawned by intolerance based on clothing, sub-group identities and racial prejudices. Too many people are imprisoned by their limited life experiences, fears, and biases. In an ideal world scenario, people would base their beliefs, perceptions and opinions based on personal experience and knowledge rather than on social norms, media distortions, and hearsay. But in our highly imperfect and media manipulated culture, too many of us are caught up in trying to fit in, rather than to be honest to our inner selves (an honest assessment that escapes most people). We should be thankful for all that we have – air that is generally still breathable, water that is drinkable, and food that is edible. We should be thankful for our families, friends, communities and strangers who comprise a relatively free society whose noble ideals are still worth striving for. Why must people fight and hate? I believe we should follow the words of the three great Kings of our generation – Dr. Martin Luther King said he had a dream where blacks and whites are one day brothers. Rodney King pleaded with people to stop rioting and asked, “Can, can we all just get along?” and Larry King of CNN has asked untold insightful questions in seeking truth. Let’s base our lives more on truth seeking, appreciating diversity in people, plants, animals and all that share our vulnerable ecosystem in our tiny planet Earth.
phil kam on Dec 16, 2007 at 11:37:52 said:
I've lived among all the races - experienced their cultures, heard thier ideals - dreams and complaints. I've found that all individuals whom I've known carries with them their life dreams, experiences, fears, opinons, prejudices and stereotypes. But after getting to know me, they universally tell me that they like me because in so many ways - I'm just like them! And that is what I have found to be the key to healing misunderstanding and prejudice - to reach out to show one's innate humanity - to take the chance to accept others first, not to shun others and to categorize them - but to embrace their humanity - something we must all never lose or be doomed. Give love, have an open mind and let not one of the many dissappointments in life become the cause of yet another fear, prejudice, stereotype or justification for mass hatred.
idy gaff on Dec 16, 2007 at 11:15:32 said:
I came from another country and racial stereotyping appears to be a global phenomenon. Just as the vast majority of Muslims have negatve perceptions of Christians or Jews and vice versa, we also live in a world where racial stereotyping is a fact of life that is likely to remain for untold generations to come.
Comparative polls show that whites are more likely to harbor racial prejudices than among minority groups - with white opinions of other races being far more negative than the reverse perception. We find this \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We against them\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" social phenomenon to be pervasive no matter what land and culture... if it\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s not about race (and it usually is) - then it\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s about social strata and economic class, or gender, or tribal or ethnic geneology - or being too fat or too intelligent, always some categorical distinction no matter how small or irrelevant.
I think humans have not evolved very far up the evolutionary ladder, in spite of our high technologies - we are still collectively backward animals who possess innate fears of the unknown, and thus seek the safety of the known - the familiar. I went to a pond to watch the ducks, and couldn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t help but notice the geese kept among their own kind as did the ducks and other species. In the same way perhaps race has become distinctive sub-species of homo sapiens and forever we shall in the mainstay remain alienated from each other - as this a natural instinct.
It\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s too bad we \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"just can\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t all get along\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" - but perhaps this is as it is, was meant to be, and will always be until the days humanity exterminates itself and the planet spawns another species to the top of the food chain. I\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'m not going to lose any sleep oer it.
tony lee on Dec 16, 2007 at 10:06:31 said:
I think this poll shows how the virtual world of mass media news and movies has created a reality of fear and distrust among not only racial minoities but among most demograhic groups. i'd wager that were whites, Jews, gays, women and the elderly to be polled - the results would likely show even higher levels of racial stereotyping.
OneBlackVioce on Dec 13, 2007 at 17:03:05 said:
I would like to know where the poll was given? Who came up with the break down on racial numbers(i.e 400 Asians, 355 Hispanics,350 African-Americans).I reside in Texas, born and raised. After reading the artical in my local paper the one question that stuck in my mind was, were all the participents polled citizens? And how was that determination made(i.e word of mouth,yeah right)? Some may feel that this question dosen"t matter, but it does. I take issue with this poll because out of the three minority groups polled only one ends in American.
Example 1: Belief in the American Dream- 74% of Hispanics and 64% Asians strongly agree and they should. If they are not citizens and working in this country,the money that they earn (no taxes withheld,no medicare/caid no FICA all these things that "Americans" give to the government)is theirs. So,in their eyes working hard can lead to the "American Dream".
Example 2- "Every American" has an equal opportunity to succeed(59% Hispanic, 43% Asian). The key word here is American. Those non-Americans providing for themselves and their families should view this as success because it is better than where they were.
I don't take issue with the questions on the poll. I take issue with the numbers and responses to the questions. I believe that the answers and responses to the questions would differ if the demographics varied.
raja gursahani on Dec 12, 2007 at 20:23:53 said:
i think the honesty is noteworthy and its about time we face issues of stereotypes,etc. we may have a new president in the white house that will further push us to understand these problems of our nation. it is time for us to work on these things and progress forward. i am glad there is little shame here instead a willingness to improve.
mswhyte on Dec 12, 2007 at 13:13:06 said:
It sounds like the seeds have been sown to do some major growth as individuals and as media representatives. I like what has been said so far it sounds like there is an opportunity to unite and do some major work.
-->I will be watching to see what happens from this point. I hope that in the future there will be actual evidence of your collective intentions.