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发帖数: 1582 | 1 http://www.chemistry-blog.com/2011/05/23/racist-story-developin
The website of Clifford Kubiak from UCSD had a page in poor taste taken down
recently. The website listed the lab rules to follow while working in the
Kubiak group. Most of the rules are written in a tongue-in-cheek fashion
covering basic safety awareness. However, Lab Rule #3 stands out. The image
of the offending website is shown below, and implies that the word of
Chinese colleagues should not be trusted.
A statement today by Suresh Subramani (Executive Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs) and Mark Thiemens (Dean, Division of Physical Sciences) at
UCSD is below.
On behalf of President Mark Yudof, Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, and the UC
San Diego community we are truly disappointed by the insensitive and
offensive language that appeared on the website of Professor Clifford Kubiak.
This language does not conform to our commitment to the UCSD Principles
of Community. We have communicated today with Professor Kubiak who has
ensured that the offending language has been removed and he will provide a
formal, written apology. This apology will be posted on Professor Kubiak’s
website. Further, we have asked the Office for the Prevention of Harassment
and Discrimination (OPHD) to review the matter. Please accept our sincere
apologies on behalf of the University
I find it unlikely that Kubiak himself made the rules, it was probably the
work of a grad student with no class. However, the text says rule #3 has
been demoted, implying that it was an active topic discussed within the
group. We'll probably never know what benign interpretation the real author
had for rule #3, but it is unfortunate that this story will be associated
with Kubiak. Hopefully Kubiak's folly will remind PIs to keep a more
watchful eye on their webmasters.
Update 1: The San Diego Union Tribune has now picked up the story -- UCSD
closes website over slur (May 23rd)
Update 2: Text from the apology issued by Clifford Kubiak is below. (May
24th)
Please accept my personal and sincere apologies for the insensitive
language recently found on my laboratory's website. I find the language
offensive and I am embarrassed by the poor judgment exhibited in posting the
offending language. Although I was unaware of the existence of this page
until it was brought to my attention, I accept full responsibility. I have
taken steps to remove the offending language and will arrange for
appropriate training for my research group and me relative to the UCSD
Principles of Community.
Clifford Kubiak
Professor,Chemistry & Biochemistry
Mitch
18 Comments »
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Posted on : May 23 2011
Tags: chinaman, Clifford P. Kubiak
Posted under Uncategorized |
18 People have left comments on this post
Simon @ May 23, 2011 - 08:05:15:
Well, again... after the UCLA one.
Anonymous @ May 24, 2011 - 04:05:23:
Sounds like an inside joke gone bad. I've heard plenty of stuff that was
equally/more racist than this between friends. The problem is that strangers
don't understand the context, so posting this in a public place without
context is very, very stupid. Reminds me of something I heard on the radio
several years ago; a white guy called in to ask Ice-T why black people got
mad when he and his white friends called each other the N-word when they
just meant it as a joke.
Honclbrif @ May 24, 2011 - 06:05:56:
Also, Dude, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American,
please.
polyene @ May 24, 2011 - 08:05:23:
Atleast Chinaman was capitalized.
Hythlodaeus @ May 24, 2011 - 10:05:42:
This is stupid. As usual, UCSD completely overreacts to any little complaint
of racism, no matter how insubstantial. That whole 'lab rules' list is just
a bunch of jokes, probably inside jokes like Anon said above. What if I
like disney music? Should I file a complaint saying my right to listen to
the music of my choosing has been violated? No.
No harm was intended by using the word 'chinaman'. Stop being such a
sensitive child.
enahs @ May 24, 2011 - 12:05:52:
Free speech = right to make an ass of ones self.
I also think people get offended to easily.
I personally feel that not being allowed to make fun of someone because of
race is very racists; while making fun of someones race is not necessarily
racists.
Besides, in my lab we had a "Chinaman" fit a trend line with 1 data point...
..
deflepard @ May 24, 2011 - 12:05:10:
What a racist.
Joe @ May 24, 2011 - 02:05:08:
One Asian reader reported that, (in his/her own words)
This professor is aware that this term is offensive to Asian Americans, and
he issued a private apology after several organization told him, yet he
still choose not to remove it from his website. What do you make of that.
Mike @ May 24, 2011 - 06:05:07:
UCSD should fire this racist and liar.
marsh @ May 24, 2011 - 09:05:45:
The only thing offensive chemists might find in my new youtube folk song
about lab safety, The HAZCOM Song, is my actual singing (-;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeyA4Z6aDCw
Andy @ May 25, 2011 - 07:05:15:
This is an outrageous racism action by an educator in a decent public
university supported by tax-payers. The professor should not use the public
resource (website, computers, networks) to launch personal racial attacks.
Please use your brain a bit: if that public page contained "Don't believe
anything the N-word says," everyone knows the severe consequence. Just
plainly saying "Don't believe anything the (American, African-American,
Chinese, Jews ..) says" publicly is stupid and deserves severe penalty to
correct the insane from sliding over the cliff.
Andy @ May 25, 2011 - 07:05:20:
To Marsh,
Whatever in your youtube is irrelevant here. Your action is very personal.
Youtube might delete it but on Youtube's will. Anybody got offended can file
a complaint to youtube. That is very simple.
In this case, however, this is on the webpage of a public university.
Education, man, do you understand? What kind of students will be produced
from this lab, this department, and this university? It is public racial
attacks to a huge community of over one billion population.
The apology from Prof. Kubiak is empty and he pushes away any responsibility
by claiming unawareness (an evident lie). Again, please use your brain, if
not retarded, a lab director is unaware of a set of lab rules for over two
years on his own lab pages. I tend to believe they discussed the lab rules
internally and assumed nothing would happen even if put on the public
webpage. That reveals a racist's stupid arrogance and ignorance too.
David Tilly @ May 26, 2011 - 03:05:05:
Come on...It was meant to be funny! And it did make me laugh. Chinaman could
have been replaced by Indianman, or Frenchman, or Oklahoma man... French
fries/freedom fries: it shocked nobody.
People make a big deal about nothing: this is so ridiculous. So much
puritanism about nothing at all. This polemic is ridiculous.
Kubiak lab members are great people. Give them a break.
Stewie Griffin @ May 26, 2011 - 05:05:38:
@Andy
Is it ironic that you seem so offended by the use of "Chinaman" but you have
no problem using the word "retarded" as a derogatory term?
mitch @ May 26, 2011 - 07:05:55:
@David Tilly: This story wasn't meant as a contrived piece against Kubiak or
his group members. Before I wrote it, I was being told something truly
racist was happening over at the Kubiak website, which no one could verify
as the website was taken down. Through painful investigation and
reconstruction I was able to obtain an accurate screen shot of the offending
website, and present the story to the chemical community for their
evaluation. That everyone can now see the whole story, I think is far better
for Kubiak than the imagination of Rumor and Innuendo.
Anonymous @ May 26, 2011 - 07:05:13:
Are you guys helping Kubiak, or humiliating his IQ? These two apology
letters have confirmed that this is not a funny joke but serious issues.
When UCSD administration and Kubiak, restlessly and promptly, make efforts
to protect themselves, you guys are discussing a funny joke? Context,
context, context, in the public (not including such blog forums)! This is
not about an internal joke or a funny story. This is about the reputation of
UCSD and reputation of a professor's career! If your IQ is normal (like in
this blog's community), you should not think UCSD and Kubiak are making a
big fuss out of nothing. They are smart enough to know this WILL cause
tremendous damage to UCSD, only because of one faculty member's misbehavior.
I just cannot help laughing at you guys (pretend to be smarter than the
dean, the department chair, and Kubiak). You definitely need more education.
Kubiak has never made such a high impact in his education career until now.
Voluntarily and for free, he is teaching a lesson to this country, to the
never-so broad audience, that NOBODY should show racism on the public
platform (e.g. public university or private university), regardless of
whatever you think in your heart or internal groups. Tons of examples, UCLA,
Harvard, Chicago, just to name a few.
Ptarth @ May 26, 2011 - 07:05:09:
I always find it tragic when people go on a crusade against things like this
while ignoring the starving and homeless in their own neighborhoods. It
says something about us as a people when we worry more about a webpage than
a person.
Clifford Kubiak @ May 26, 2011 - 07:05:09:
I find the language offensive and I am embarrassed by the poor judgment
exhibited in posting the offending language. "It is offensive and offending"
period.
Do any of you dare to do the same in the similar context (public webpage, "
lab rules")? Do any of you dare to do the same as I did to the public (Don't
believe anything the RACE says, you are free to change the C-word to any N-
word, K-word, or whatever positive or negative word)? Don't follow my "role
model". I have been sleepless and repented to UCSD sincerely. I just wish I
didn't do it and wish I could save my pants although I have lost my hats, my
shirts, my shoes, and my belts. Believe it or not, don't even give it a try
. Otherwise, you will have to apologize to yourself, really sincerely to
your deep heart.
Clifford Kubiak
Professor,Chemistry & Biochemistry |
