Lawrence KilliumA college fraternity has been accused of racism against Asians and culturally appropriating U.S. military culture because they threw a camo-themed party.
Pi Kappa Alpha at William & Mary threw an annual themed party as part of their Military Appreciation Week which was meant to raise money for disabled veterans. Historically this party was held as a sort of farewell event for students that were drafted in the Vietnam war, and has been continued through students who wanted to make a positive impact on veterans for wars since. They’d typically dress as members of the military from that era (since, as you know, parties are more fun and interactive if you have themes,) but had to change that theme to a more broad “camo-party” after the Asian-American students pitched a fit over it.
But, weirdly enough, now another group of (unexpected) snowflakes have joined in, saying that this event appropriates their culture… the Student Veteran Association.
Right? What the hell. If there was any group that I would have thought wouldn’t be filled with crybabies, it would have been the damn veterans. Not only did they somehow take offense, but the head of the campus veterans’ group, Tim Beck, told the campus paper that he’d “like to see them get kicked off campus.”
“No one is fooled by this cultural appropriation,” Beck wrote. “It’s a disgrace to the uniform, it’s a disgrace to the people who died while wearing this uniform. … I think that any group that year after year after year engages in such a gross and disgusting appropriation on the level that they do just can’t be tolerated anymore. There needs to be an example set.”
Are you kidding me?
Dude, chill the hell out. It’s not like their actually posing as members of the military to get a discount at the mall or something. This isn’t that “stolen valor” bullshit, this is a bunch of guys who are having fun and trying to help your group at the same time. Just be glad someone cares about what happens to you guys enough to organize and host something that benefits you.
On top of that, Heat Street wrote that the Asian American group still took offense as well, even after the name change:
The Asian-American Student Initiative also complained, saying that even though it was officially now a camo-themed event, PIKA still used bamboo decorations, and several members still referred to it as the “Nam Party” on social media.
“The use of a country, its people, and its culture as a party theme is racist,” Aastha Uprety, the group’s co-director, told Heat Street, “especially when bamboo is used at the venue as a decorative piece, which has nothing inherently to do with the military, and is used to invoke a crude aesthetic of Vietnam or Asia in general. We also agree with the student veterans that the aestheticization of a devastating war is completely inappropriate to use as a party theme, since it grossly affected both Americans as well as Vietnamese/Asian people.”
People honestly need to take a huge dose of “chill the hell out.”
H/T: Heat Street
