FW: letter from Brown CSSA CSA and HKSA

["Fang, Liting" <Liting_Fang@brown.edu>]

________________________________

From: Fang, Liting
Sent: Fri 2/22/2008 4:58 PM
To: COE; indyweb@gmail.com; theindy@gmail.com; Office of Media Relations; Bergeron, Katherine; Office of International Student and Scholar Services
Subject: letter from CSSA CSA and HKSA


To whom it may concern,
 
 
On February 22, 2008, Japan-America Society of Rhode Island and COE sponsored a lecture: TOYOTA & SHISEIDO: Secrets to Their Success. During the lecture, the representative of Shiseido presented a misleading image of Chinese. 
 
That's what he said as far as we remember: In Japanese culture, if we want to give something to people, we will be using both of our hands politely. Not as rude as Chinese, using a single hand, throwing things away. 
 
We understand the speaker was trying to make the atmosphere active in the lecture, but the way he presented was really rude and disrespectful to people from a country with 3000-year history of politesse.
 
After the lecture, when we tried to express our feeling and asked for explanation, we only got arrogant answers like: I am a Japanese. I am not fluent in English. I might express the meaning wrong. I wasn't talking about all the Chinese people acting like that. I was just talking about the fact I met 10 years ago when I was in China.
 
That's what we met during a lecture which we once wished to acquire intelligence and knowledge. But the result turned out to be indignity and disrespect from the guest our school sponsored.
 
We sincerely understand the fact that the speaker doesn't represent the whole Shiseido Company or even Japan. What we ask for is an explanation on why he insulted Chinese people during a public situation at Brown and an apology from the speaker himself.
 
Last but not least, as one of the worldwide well-known universities with more than 500 Chinese students, scholars and faculty, Brown should make a serious and careful consideration when choosing the guests.
 
If you consider what he said is appropriate and acceptable, please totally ignore my e-mail.
 
A copy of this email has been forwarded to all the Chinese Students Organizations in the US universities and colleges. A Boycott-Shiseido Product Action has and will be taken by Chinese students in the United States until we get satisfactory answers from the speaker.
 
An e-mail explaining our situation will be sent to Embassy of People's Republic of China in the United States of America on March 5, 2008 if we still get no reply from the speaker.
 
 
 
Best regards,
 
Brown University Chinese Student & Scholar Association
 
Brown University Chinese Students Association
 
Brown University Hong Kong Student Association