Asian American Community Mourns Virginia Tech Tragedy
The shooter is identified as a South Korean national. Now AA groups fear a rise in anti-Asian sentiment.
As the nation continues to grieve the tragic shooting deaths of 32 students and faculty on the Virginia Tech University campus, police have identified the shooter as Seung-Hui Cho, a 23-year-old English major and legal U.S. resident who is of South Korean descent.
Asian American groups across the country expressed sorrow and gave condolences to the families of those killed and injured. They also hope that this tragedy committed by one individual does not lead to a rise in anti-Asian sentiment against an entire ethnic group.
"We grieve with the families and friends of those who have died, yet we caution against stigmatizing an entire ethnic community," said JACL National Director Floyd Mori. "The Asian American community understands well the negative impact of such ethnic stigmatizing, and we hope that authorities will assure the future safety of all students and faculty there at Virginia Tech."
But a day after the national tragedy, the backlash has already begun.
"Unfortunately, we have already received calls saying that immigrants aren't welcome in this country because look what happened," said Eun Sook Lee, executive director of the National Korean American Service and Education Constortium (NAKASEC). "The actions of one individual does not reflect on the entire community," she added.
Cho was a senior at Virginia Tech when he committed the worst shooting rampage in modern U.S. history. According to newswire reports he and his family have been living in the U.S. for 14 years.
As media outlets continue to run wall-to-wall footage of the tragedy, Cho's headshot is a visible reminder of the tragic events that occurred the morning of April 16. Media reports across the nation continue to underscore Cho's ethnicity and legal status - all points that are irrelevant, said Aimee Badillo, director of programs of the Asian American Justice Center.
"Unfortunately, we have experienced situations when tragic events have occurred, the race and national origins of the suspect are examined. It's a difficult situation," said Badillo.
Although a motive for the shooting is still not clear, media reports indicate that Cho first entered one dormitory in the early morning killing two students. He then waited over two hours before heading across campus to Norris Hall where the majority of the killings occurred.
By the time the police were able to locate the shooter on the 2,600-acre campus, Cho had shot himself in the head.
Now AA students on the Virginia Tech campus, especially those of South Korean descent, are concerned that Cho's actions will lead to a backlash against all AAs on campus, whether students or faculty.
"I'm from South Korea, so I am a little bit scared," said Yoo, 24, in an interview with Reuters. One individual was responsible for the horrific shootings, she said, "but maybe it will affect all South Korean students."
But a potential backlash against Asian students never even crossed the mind of student Andrew Rush, 20.
"There is a huge community on campus and we're all together in class all day. It's so integrated I don't think this will change anything," he said to Reuters.
The South Korean government immediately released a televised statement of mourning in response to the tragedy and expressed condolences to the families.
Currently, 1,655 students of Asian ancestry attend Virginia Tech, about 6.2 percent of the student population.
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