The Asian American community is calling for an investigation of United Airlines after an Asian passenger was violently dragged off a flight.
David Dao, a 69-year-old Vietnamese physician from Kentucky was bloodily removed from Flight 3411 by security officers Sunday. This incident has stoked outrage among many Asian American and Pacific Islander community organizations and elected officials.
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) fired off two letters Tuesday: one to United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz, the other to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
CAPAC chair Judy Chu asked Munoz for the criteria used to choose Dao for removal.
Chu also requested Chao publish reviews of the incident from the Transportation Department, including whether UA violated federal laws or regulations.
“I am deeply disturbed by the footage of a ticketed United Airlines passenger being forcibly removed from his flight,” Chu said in a statement. “In this instance, the mistreatment of an Asian American passenger in order to accommodate United’s employees resulted in serious physical injury and an appalling abuse of rights. As more details regarding this incident continue to emerge – including the recent revelation that the flight was not oversold – we are left with more questions than answers.”
Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA), a nonprofit, also said Tuesday it was sending letters to United Airlines, U.S. Department of Transportation and the Chicago Department of Aviation to demand an audit of the incident.
OCA said it was also calling for congressional hearings of UA and other airlines “to investigate ticket sales and boarding processes” because this incident reflects “a lack of judgment” and fairness, OCA CEO Ken Lee said in a statement.
“Indeed, the optics of a bloodied elderly Asian man being forcibly removed from his seat is something we cannot ignore,” Lee said. “Regardless of race or background, all individuals’ rights and freedoms must be protected within the system.”
Amid mounting outrage, petitions denouncing the incident have been circulating online. A White House petition “#ChineseLivesMatter” calling for a federal investigation is one of them. The petition reached the required 100,000 signatures, with more than 205,00 people having signed it by this morning.
The news story has also sparked outrage in China. Many Chinese citizens expressed anger in Weibo, a popular Chinese-language social media platform.
Joe Wong, a 47-year-old Chinese American comedian, said the idea of America is shattered in some Chinese’s mind.
“I want to give a thumbs up to this passenger who was beaten, Quartz reported that Wong wrote on social media. “Many Chinese people feel they have been subjected to prejudice but are too embarrassed to speak out. As a result, Western mainstream media and the public don’t treat Asian prejudice as a serious issue.”
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