Alcohol no excuse for racism

By Hannah Kim

When I first came on this campus three years ago, I never thought it would be a big deal that I was a minority. I thought that, by now, racism was not as prevalent, especially on a college campus where there would be people my age.

However, I was wrong. In fact, nothing has changed except for the fact that people now blame their inappropriate behavior on the fact that they were inebriated at the time they called me a “gook,” or said that I should “go back to China.”

What is horrifying is the fact that people think it’s okay to say these things because they were drunk.

Just the other night, a group of semi-sober people shouted, “Asians!” and pointed at my group of friends as if we were part of some sort of circus act. Honestly, what would you think if I shouted back “White”?

And is it necessary to call us “chinks” or mutter under your breath that we’re “f’n gooks”?

Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!

  • Catch the latest on University of Illinois news, sports, and more. Delivered every weekday.
  • Stay up to date on all things Illini sports. Delivered every Monday.
Thank you for subscribing!

Must you do this in public while I’m trying to cross the street? All I want to do is walk home at night without being called a racial slur.

Being drunk does not give you the right to call out racial slurs.

Alcohol does not make you a racist; so don’t use it as an excuse. Handle your tongue before you handle alcohol.