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Possible hate incident probed

By Ari Bloomekatz | Daily Bruin
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University police announced Tuesday they were investigating a possible hate incident that occurred in an Asian American studies class last week.

The investigation began after Vu Long Trinh, a teaching assistant in Asian American Studies 20, told police that petitions students in his class signed Thursday supporting the removal of Taco Bell had been vandalized with ethnic slurs and derogatory remarks.

Nancy Greenstein, UCPD's director of police community services, said the vandalism was being investigated as a hate incident instead of a hate crime because there was no indication the alleged perpetrator was going to harm any of the students.

A speaker supporting the removal of Taco Bell had come to the class Thursday to make a presentation before asking students to sign postcard petitions against the fast-food chain, Trinh wrote in an e-mail.

At the end of class, a student noticed that on 10 of the postcards had been written racist, prejudiced and homophobic slurs, including "We need to go to Africa and catch more slaves," and "We need more KKK," the e-mail said.

Trinh said he was worried his class may no longer be the same.

"Students might not know what to expect in the class. They might be afraid to speak up, (afraid that) they might become a target on someone's list," Trinh said.

Trinh said he was also worried for his students' safety because they wrote their addresses on the postcards, something the perpetrator had access to.

Students in the class were informed of the vandalism Tuesday and some said they were shocked and upset.

"This is an ethnic studies class and you would think that people would be more aware and would be more conscious, would have the decency, have the humanity, not to say something like that," said Darryl Molina, a fourth-year Asian American studies student. "It's not a laughing matter, it's not funny."