Two Vietnamese American students from the University of Michigan wore their school colors proudly during the rivalry game against Michigan State University.
But they say it wasn’t their school’s maize & gold that bothered some MSU fans, but the color of their skin.
The back and forth with opposing fans one would ordinarily expect at a college game, especially one against a hated rival, occurred. But in a blog written for Michigan’s Vietnamese Student Association, the two say it escalated into something a lot more than that.
“With just me and my brother walking back, our apparel had already caught the eyes of State fans, enough for us to get decently grilled. We initially laughed it off until we heard “F**k you, Michigan Asians!” And just like that, what seemed to be playful remarks became pure disrespect. This wouldn’t be the last time we heard racist language directed at us on our way back. Verbal attacks along these lines were continually tossed at us during our walk, such as “F**king Michigan Asians,” “F**k you, Asians,” and “F**k Michigan Asians.”
Depending on your tolerance, some may argue that no slurs were used, that while the foul language could be left out of it, this is just the type of thing you might expect during a heated rivalry.
But the Vietnamese Student Association thinks otherwise. “We were not granted the privilege of white Michigan students who didn’t have to worry about being targeted for anything but their Maize and Blue apparel. VSA believes that the aggressors do not get a free pass because they wore State colors, were men, were white and/or intoxicated.”
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The harassment didn’t end with that incident. The two walked by a fellow University of Michigan fan. Time for high 5’s, fist bumps and a chorus of the school fight song? Not quite. Instead the fellow University of Michigan fan said this.
“I’d say GO BLUE to you guys, if you weren’t Asian.”
You can read the entire blog about both incidents from the Vietnamese Student Association.
RE: Vietnamese Americans at University of Michigan racially harassed by rival fans: disgusting racist