Video attacking Asian UCLA students is 'hateful and ignorant,' school chancellor says [Updated]

UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block said he is "appalled" by a video posted on YouTube by a white student in which she criticizes the behavior of Asians on campus.

"Like many of you, I recoil when someone invokes the right of free expression to demean other individuals or groups. This one act certainly does not represent the views of our UCLA community," Block said in a press conference. "Our community is built on mutual respect and civility, and we are committed to fostering an environment that values and supports every member of the community."

The video has generated criticism on campus, and a university spokesman said officials were looking into the matter.

In the video, the student, Alexandra Wallace, comments about the manners of Asian students, among other things.

[Update 6:23 p.m.: UCLA spokesman Phil Hampton said university officials are evaluating whether the student may have violated the code of conduct and, if so, what possible discipline she could face.

Wallace could not be reached for comment.

The UCLA campus newspaper, the Daily Bruin, reported receiving a statement from Wallace in which she apologized and said: “I cannot explain what possessed me to approach the subject as I did, and if I could undo it, I would.”]

In his statement, Block said the student's video has "no place at UCLA":

It is most unfortunate that a single clip on the Internet undermines that environment by expressing hurtful and shameful ideas about others in our community. I believe that speech that expresses intolerance toward any group of people on the basis of race or gender, or sexual, religious or cultural identity is indefensible and has no place at UCLA. Let this incident serve as a reminder of our collective responsibility to confront hateful and ignorant speech and to uphold UCLA’s core values of respect and integrity.

-- Soo Oh, Shelby Grad and Larry Gordon

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Comments

[FreeSpeech]

So much for free speech. This girl has a right to her stupid opinion just like you do.

[shadowpark]

Yep and so do idiots like your self GOD BLESS AMERICA!

[Turquoise]

It's funny how people can be educated at even the best institutions yet still remain so ignorant. I knew a guy like this only he was Asian and disliked African Americans (and people who appeared to be "black"). This kind of thing isn't a rarity in higher education,sadly.

I think it's safe to say this girl just made her life a heck of a lot harder for herself. What company would want to hire a girl who's famous for being the "UCLA Racist from Youtube" ?

[Vic]

Yeah, she's a UCLA Bimbo, but what she said is mostly true.

University of
Caucasians
Lost (among)
Asians

[UCItooo]

Ok, the girl is pretty near crazy on almost every point except one: cellphones in the library. Most annoying thing ever...

[Lawkid]

Actually, racist speech is not protected by the 1st amendment. Hopefully, she is expelled

[Doug from Douglas]

Okay, here's the deal. 1st Amendment protects you from the *government*. In this particular case, this means that Miss Wallace cannot be prosecuted in the criminal court for this video. That's *all* 1st Amendment does.

1st Amendment, as well as the general concept of freedom of speech, does *not* protect you from other people's scorn and scrutiny. If the public media covers her extensively for her offensive and racist remark, and people on the internet decides to call her names over it... Saying "Freedom of Speech!" does nothing to defend Miss Wallace. It's literally the case of everyone condemning someone's immoral action, and someone going "Well, it's legal!"

Personally, I don't think UCLA should take disciplinary actions against her. It's not like she can get a decent job after graduating with this video clip floating around the internet. The punishment has already been dealt; and it was Miss Wallace herself who handed it out.

[Tim]

lol I bet if she was talking about African Americans, the way people treating this would be completely different!

[Read the fine print]

Actually, it is, unless it meets some pretty extreme criteria.

[Daniel]

Free speech does not exempt a person from public criticism, it means that she won't go to jail for it.

[eaharris]

Oh yeah, she has a right to her opinion, and we have the right to point and laugh at her.

How dare her fellow Bruins inconvenience her while they try to figure out if their families were still alive after the greatest natural disaster in generations.

[scroo yoo]

I never understand the point of racism.as a white guy,most if not all of my problems stem from other white people.

I will never understand why some people bring up race when talking about behavior that is intolerable to begin with.

[cowdog]

Would this be racist coming from an Asian? She happens to be correct and is talking about the Chinese and Koreans... most Chinese students can't do anything for themselves, they were raised with true helicopter parents who do everything from the cooking and cleaning.

[goat]

UCLA, I will believe that this "has no place at UCLA" when this woman has no place at UCLA.

[Leilani321]

Only in America can such vitriolic rants be defended as Freedom of Speech. As a veteran US Marine. I know the Marines who died for our Freedom of Speech, if they were able, would come back just to set this girl straight. Her message is vile, hateful, and on all counts insensitive to the tens of thousands of families and friends of the tsunami victims who have yet to find their loved ones underneath debris or in the ocean. I'm sure if that important call came through while at the UCLA library, NONE OF US would choose to not answer it. Her insensitvity during this devastating time for ALL OF US who have been touched by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan makes me wonder who is teaching her these american manners she extolls so proudly. She should seriously consider her political science degree because I would hate to see her have any part in our political system.

[about that]

actually, racist speech is protected by the first amendment, unless of course it can be viewed as a credible and imminent incitement to violence... i suggest you read the first amendment, or supreme court cases interpreting it.
note that i didn't actually bother to watch the video, i have no interest in what she says or does not say; but as to the matter of racist speech not being protected, you are quite simply wrong.
LawKID indeed

[Von]

Hey man you guys need to catch a chill pill, give the girl a break, i watched the video and for the life of me cant see what all the upset is about. It seems that she is only stating the facts as she sees them, so where is her freedom of speech. I thought she was funny in a way and rather hot as well!! I would employ her.

[PhDtrojan]

Free speech? sure, but you just have to deal with the consequences.

[Rob]

She is entitled to her opinion... this is America. Her mistake is putting her opinion on the web.
She has a point is telling how it is. I believe there are a lot of people who think this way but will not dare say it. I also think she is not being a racist for her comments but more so, ignorant.
Feel sorry for her,,, this is going to follow her for awhile.

[Malby]

It is amazing that, even after the Westboro Baptist case, people still think they can censor free speech to protect their delicate sensibilities. No, you can't. Get over it.

[Spokker]

Every ethnicity is cracking jokes about other ethnicity all the time. I crack jokes about my own racial makeup, which seems to have been assembled in the garbage dump of ethnic backgrounds, sheesh.

In any case, people are always talking about everyone else, this woman unfortunately made the mistake of getting caught.

"Actually, racist speech is not protected by the 1st amendment. Hopefully, she is expelled "

Yes it is, "lawkid."

[Steven Moshlak]

Before anybody issued any statements:

1. Verify that there is an "Alexandra Wallace" attending UCLA.

2. Verify the young lady in the video as being the "Alexandra Wallace" is the one attending UCLA.

I believe that UCLA (and a lot of people) have been "punk'ed" by the USC Film School, by reacting on the emotion of outrageous behavior, that may be the result of a fictional character.

[ergwg]

Freedom of speech does not justify racism that causes so much distress
Just like right to bear arms does not mean you can walkaround pointing guns at everyone

[thinkCritically]

QUESTION:

Free speech has been mentioned throughout several comments on different articles about the same event.

As PhDTrojan mentioned, free speech involve dealing with the consequences. In her act of "free-speech," Ms. Wallace made a conscious decision to express her frustrations in a non-constructive way by generalizing and making assumptions about a population.

Speech is free until you have to pay for it

[honestlyisbestpolicy]

She's right. Good for her. If this is what it took to get the message across, then shame on the Asians for not taking the cues they'd already been given.