How do you think Americans are going to react to the V Tech gunman being a Chinese National?

Question

Is this going to deal a huge blow to the image of Asian Americans? Especially Chinese-Americans?

Answer 1

Some people will stereotype Chinese or Asian Americans, that is unfortunate. Stereotypes lead to prejudice and that is never good.
The problem here is not the nationality of the shooter, the problem, in my opinion, is that college-aged young people, on college campuses may have classmates who will go on killing sprees when pressures mount that they are ill-equipped to handle.
It is interesting to note that this killing came at grades time. I wonder if the pressure of the relationship and trying to maintain a certain grade point average proved too much for the young man. (just a thought) Seems he was stressed to his breaking point. It could happen to any nationality.
I think that stress, plus youth plus hopelessness leads to this type of tragic occurence, not nationality.

Answer 2

I do not think that this one individual will make much impact on the perspective of most people toward Chinese people. He was a disturbed individual. Most Chinese work and study dilligently and become very successful and great neighbors.

The rampage was planned. The shooter was heavily armed with two handguns a 9mm and a 22 and plenty of ammo plus a vest.
What caused his meltdown? It was likely a combination of:
o-- cultural shock (he was a foreign student from Shanghai)
o-- romantic bollux (was she his "girlfriend" how long had they been involved) and
o-- poor grades (an Oriental student usually focuses on studying,).

It is a horrible, horrible tragedy but in time, it will fade from public view. Only those who have suffered a personal loss will be faced with the struggle to overcome their grief and restructure their life.

The shooter is the ***ONLY*** one responsible for the deaths.

It is difficult to emotionally process such a horrible event. Sometimes people react in stages such as denial, anger and blaming. This is a normal chain of reaction to tragedy towards the acceptance of the event.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubler-Ross_model
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Answer 3

First, do we know the identity?

Second, I don't think it will be a huge blow to the image. There may be a few boneheads who change their views about Chinese Americans, but I think it would take several incidents to cause any significant impact.

Third, I think most of the heat will be on the school. There will be talk about guns and the impact of violence in the media, but the two hours between shootings will be difficult to explain. The media seems to be piling on that issue already.

Answer 4

Because he was South Korean. He was not a native-born American. Being in the U.S. since the age of 8, 18, or 80 does not change the fact that he was born in South Korea. The professor that was killed trying to save his students was Israeli. He is not classified as an American, although he has been a professor here for some years. And, remember, this is the media doing this. They are not noted for their brains, only for the speed at which they can send in slanted news reports. Virginia Tech officials did not "classify" him as a South Korean, just as a "troubled" student.

Answer 5

I never heard that he was a Chinese National. I was watching CNN for quite some time, and all I heard that it was a young asian kid. Asian covers quite a few countries, as does white, black, and Muslim. And who's to say he wasn't born here? Or that his parents weren't born here? All I see is that he was a seriously disturbed young man. I don't blame all asians for what he as a person did, as I don't blame all Muslims for 9/11.

Answer 6

They will say that he was crazy and very emotionally disturbed. It will be the same if it turns out to be a white, black, hispanic, native American, or any other nationality you can think of. The Asian Americans are no exception.

We are all Americans and we bleed red, either for good or evil.

Answer 7

Yes it happens to the arabs now it will happen to the asians,I thnk there will be an increase in Racism - people cant distinguish the individual from the culture/community he belongs too.Especially if he was'nt an Anerican Citzen.

Answer 8

I think that if this guy is an American it will be looked at it as just one more person that went crazy, but if this guy is a foreign that has been going to school here then I think that all h*** is going to break loose.

Answer 9

yea definitely... i mean because of this one asian human being of virginia that killed these poor helpless people, we should all just hate the asians.

i mean damn, because this gunman happened to be an asian male, i might as well just hate all of the asian race.

hell, you should warn all of the film industry that Jackie Chan or Jet Li might shoot us americans next...

Answer 10

No, Asians are largely ignored, unnoticed by the public. I don't worry about outrage against Asians as you might see with blacks or Muslims.