This weekend, mass transit company Suburban Express made racist and discriminatory statements aimed at more than 20 percent of the University’s student population.

In an email advertising the “Suburban Express Experience,” they wrote, “You won’t feel like you’re in China when you’re on our buses.”

“You won’t feel like you’re in China when you’re on our buses.”

In their statement, which was intended to be an apology to international students, the transportation company claimed the “high percentage of nonnative English speakers places a variety of burdens on domestic students.”

The Daily Illini, whose staff have all been banned from using Suburban Express, would like to speak on behalf of all students because we already have nothing to lose from a company that has nothing better to do than sit around on a computer and terrorize students.

It’s already clear that after Suburban Express reads this editorial, they will create another segment on their so-called “Page of Shame” trying to discount The Daily Illini by calling us “uneducated” and “fake news.”

Good one Suburban Express. You really got us there.

As it turns out, it’s really Suburban Express who has been making uneducated, idiotic and defamatory claims regarding many students at the University. And their recent claims about international students have gone too far.

The Daily Illini Editorial Board would like to widely discredit Suburban Express’ statement for its brutal discrimination and false claims against international students.

International students only benefit the University and its student experience. Students, both foreign and domestic, are lucky to learn and grow in such an ethnically diverse and global environment.

We would also like to point out this overwhelming fact and hope that Suburban Express can understand it clearly.

There is not one domestic student who has been denied from the University because an international student has taken their place.

Let us say this one more time so Suburban Express can digest this fact properly.

There is not one domestic student who has been denied from the University because an international student has taken their place.

We would like to encourage students to seek other forms of transportation rather than support a vile company such as Suburban Express. There are many other ways to travel back and forth to the Chicago suburbs this holiday season and we would like you to be more aware before you give your money to this company.

As for Suburban Express, you should really be more careful before you threaten almost a quarter of the student population (yes, we believe that racist statements do count as a threat); it might come back to bite you.

What’s your reaction to the Suburban Express email?

Let us know by submitting a Letter to the Editor or commenting below.

More coverage

News: Suburban Express sends controversial Christmas email

Letter to the Editor: Suburban Express doesn’t know how to apologize

Students on the Suburban Express ‘Page of Shame’ speak out