Please accept my personal and sincere apologies for the insensitive language recently found on my laboratory's website. I find the language offensive and I am embarrassed by the poor judgment exhibited in posting the offending language. Although I was unaware of the existence of this page until it was brought to my attention, I accept full responsibility. I have taken steps to remove the offending language and will arrange for appropriate training for my research group and me relative to the UCSD Principles of Community.A snapshot of Dr. K---'s apology letter is available at https://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/large/305804015.png?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJF3XCCKACR3QDMOA&Expires=1306293416&Signature=VrQ2Q0yYMZtijjChKd13kt41HAI%3D
----. K---.
Professor,Chemistry & Biochemistry
-----
Updated May 23, 2011
It is not my intent to criticize anyone particularly but to promote the public awareness of racial issues on campus when I wrote this open letter.
For my Chinese friends, I am proud of those who stood out during this incident, especially RoamingGhost, who wrote the first version of this letter and contacted the President of UC and the Chancellor of UCSD. For any friends from other ethic groups, I would like to emphasize that the C word is as offensive to Chinese as the N word to African-Americans and the K word to Jews. Do not use it. Additionally, any racial discrimination issues are serious. You must be responsible for what you say. Try to communicate before you complain. Try to be considerate with other ethnic groups.
I will keep my promise and am willing to bring this letter down or at least remove Dr. K---'s name when I see the formal apology of Dr. K----.
Here is an apology from UC San Diego: http://physicalsciences.ucsd.edu/
---------An apology for insensitive comments on Professor K----'s research lab website
On behalf of President Mark Yudof, Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, and the UC San Diego community we are truly disappointed by the insensitive and offensive language that appeared on the website of Professor ------ K-----.
This language does not conform to our commitment to the UCSD Principles of Community. We have communicated today with Professor K----- who has ensured that the offending language has been removed and he will provide a formal, written apology. This apology will be posted on Professor K-----’s website. Further, we have asked the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) to review the matter. Please accept our sincere apologies on behalf of the University.
Suresh Subramani
Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Mark Thiemens
Dean, Division of Physical Sciences
Updated May 23, 2011
I would like to highlight the comment of an anonymous reader who is familiar with Dr. K----. I am willing to believe this reader: this incident is due to misunderstanding instead of Dr. K----'s true intention.
It is not my intention to critic anyone particularly but to promote the public awareness of racial issues on campus. If I receive any formal explanation of Dr. K---- or representatives of Dr. K----- or UCSD, I am willing to bring this letter down and looking forward to a smooth resolution.
I see what you've written and I'm sure it will be removed once brought to their attention.
Professor K----- is one of the biggest proponents of acceptance of all races and diversity on campus. I had him in CHEM 6C and I can attest that he never made any sort of inappropriate comments in class and he was always very respectful and supportive of all students in class and outside of class in his office hours in addition to being a brilliant man and excellent teacher.
Also, I think anyone who's ever worked in a lab (I did this past summer) knows professors don't have time to make, edit, and monitor frivolous details like their own site. I think from the context of the snapshot you have, it's obvious the lab rules there are satirical. I think that term shouldn't be used but I, as an Asian-American, do not find it offensive, especially since it's an old general term and not equivalent to the N word. Instead of writing an open letter and creating controversy, why didn't you just e-mail him personally?
He is a very responsive person and I'm sure he would have removed it immediately once it was brought to his attention, just like any other professor at school.
Also, to bring more attention to his true character, I know he and his wife donated millions to support students' educations at UCSD from an article I found googling him. Don't throw out accusations and make assumptions without knowing someone.
------------
This open letter is adapted from a letter by RoamingGhost at http://www.mitbbs.com/article_t/Military/35811421.html
I am writing to bring to the public attention a racial discrimination incident at the University of California, San Diego.The webpage mentioned in this letter is archived in Google Cache at
Dr. ----- -. K-----, a faculty member in the Dept. of -----, openly states that "3.Don't believe anything the Chinaman says." in his lab's website (http://-----.ucsd.edu/labrules.php). As any well-educated people should have known, the C word is as offensive to Chinese as the N word to African Americans and the K word to Jews. It is really shocking that Dr. K----- uses the C word and attacks the integrity of Chinese people, openly and officially in the university-hosted website. As a Chinese, I am deeply uncomfortable with Dr. K-----'s statements and feel disappointed that UCSD even allows such incident from happening.
The fact that this incident happens in a publicly funded lab at a prestigious university is shameful. What concerns me even more, racial discrimination seems a widely spread issue on the UC campuses. For example, Alexandra Wallace, a UCLA student, posted racially discriminatory video clip to Youtube not long ago. The UC system obviously fails to fulfill its responsibility to educate its faculty members and students on racial issues.
I hope that UCSD takes immediate action to deal with Dr. K----- inappropriate and seemly racial discriminatory statements and demand Dr. K-----'s apology to the Chinese students community. I believe the UC system will learn from this unfortunate incident and take the education of racial issue more seriously. I would also like to see more friendly communications between different ethnic groups on campuses so that we together make the UC campus a better place.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:e7DW-P-AlsUJ:kubiak.ucsd.edu/labrules.php+http://kubiak.ucsd.edu/labrules.php&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a&source=www.google.com
The webpage is also archived by Internet Archives:
http://web.archive.org/web/20090503020539/http://kubiak.ucsd.edu/labrules.php
A snapshot of the webpage on May 21, 2011 is shown below.
http://kubiak.ucsd.edu/labrules.php
