Statement co-signed by the Caucus

The following was co-signed by Chicano Caucus as a statement of solidarity with those - both individuals and groups - that were offended by a flyer issued by the Clear 2010 Party in the recent CCSC elections.

We the undersigned express our concern and outrage.

As CCSC elections approached this past week, many students began to see a particular flyer from the "Clear 2010 Party" campaign that read "Two Asian girls at the same time".

While we understand it was meant to be a joke, we also understand that the humor was predicated upon racist and heterosexist ideas and stereotypes. Not only is it a play off of a fetishization of Asian women that directly corresponds with the effeminization and invisibility of Asian men, as well as American imperialism, but it is also a heterosexist and patriarchal male fantasy that has contributed to the invisibility of Queer women, and the devaluation of lesbian sex as a mere spectacle for a male gaze.

Many students were shocked and appalled by this flyer for obvious reasons. This is particularly disturbing as it is commonly understood that student council members are not only our representatives, but our advocates. We think that student council members and the elections board should have a responsibility to take a critical stance on the various hierarchies of oppression in our society, working to undermine them, not reproduce them. In doing so, they strive to improve our university by creating a more just and inclusive campus culture, rather than simply accepting the use of offensive language. This is what we believe constitutes an ally.

For these reasons, we ask that the Clear 2010 Party release an apology for their flyers, explaining how and why the references they called upon were so hurtful and marginalizing. We also ask that an honest investigation be conducted to critically analyze the structure of student council and the elections board so that we may proactively create avenues of greater understanding and awareness about power and privilege on Columbia's campus.