Fear, pain, tear, anger, embarrassment, sadness, sickness all aroused and became a confused mess-up mixture.
As the killer had been highly marked, "ASIAN", Korean, many were surprised indeed when they found out that this "Korean" boy had came to US at the age of 8. Why are they calling him a "Korean" then? Wasn't him an American too?
Tension increased while hateful comments aimed at Koreans being posted on the website Facebook and on various blog sites.
The media and critiques had continued to use titles like "KOREAN", "ASIAN", "KOREAN-BORN GUNMAN", as if that's what Cho was recognized as. Quoted from The New York Time last Friday,
Professor Park in LA said she was troubled that Cho's ethnicity had quickly become central to the narrative of his crime. "Calling him a South Korean native as if he arrived yesterday, doesn't make sense to me," She said of Cho, who arrived in the US with his parents at the age of eight. "It doesn't make sense, I agree.
Some said, "we're very worried about Koreans being harassed now." "They're scared. They're shocked to death. When the news media said it was an Asian, we prayed,'Not Korean, not Korean'."
A large fear was introduced to the Korean-American Community. To share with you, when the news media said it was an Asian, the Chinese also prayed, "Not Chinese, not Chinese". My Chinese friend called her relatives in US, and found the fear that laid deep inside them.
I am not surprised that such fear occurred. The influence of the media is great, indeed.
The description of Cho Seung-hui has some resemblance of Hikikomori personalities, social isolation. But then, if a "Korean/Asian" that is what he was recognized as, even in fact he was an American; and the great fear of the Korean-American to admit themselves as a Korean after the incident. The problem is clearly more than an aftermath of massacre.
It seems to me adding to it are social nonacceptance and social inequities. Then, it would not add to my surprise that Asians are stereotyped as loner and antisocial. Without a clear will of the society to include its minority in its games, there is lack of empowerment for the people to choose the right choice.
Viewing the disturbing video record that Cho made, something that he said kept echo in my ears. "you forced me into a corner".
Is that the cry of Hikikomori? I wonder.
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