Black-faced Asian

A UC Irvine fraternity has volunteered to suspend itself after it was blasted for a member-produced video that featured a student in blackface.

Lambda Theta Delta announced Wednesday that it would cancel all major events and stop operating as a UCI-sanctioned organization until fall 2014.

"This decision is mainly due to the abhorrent, insensitive and highly offensive 'blackface' video created by our members that has been circulated widely on the Internet," members of the Asian fraternity said in a statement on their Facebook page.



The student playing Jay-Z wore blackface in the video.

Members of UC Irvine's Black Student Union said the video was indicative of a racist atmosphere at the campus and pointed to another video by the fraternity that briefly showed someone wearing blackface at a Halloween party.

"First of all we'd like to point out that this blackface video isn't the first, nor is it the last, example of racism that's been shown on this campus," Ainaria Johnson, co-chairwoman of UC Irvine's Black Student Union, said at the time.

The fraternity removed both videos and apologized.

Lambda Theta Delta President Darius Obana said the "Suit and Tie" video was made by a small group of members unaware of the video's racist implications.

UC Irvine launched an investigation to determine whether that is the case and to decide if any disciplinary action will be taken.

"We are aware that the campus has initiated an investigation of our behavior in several videos involving racial insensitivity and alcohol use," Lambda Theta Delta's statement read. "We are cooperating fully with the university's investigation."

UC Irvine agrees with the fraternity's decision to suspend itself, but the action doesn't halt the investigation or preclude other possible discipline, campus officials said.

"We are encouraged and pleased by the way Lambda Theta Delta has taken ownership and responsibility for the actions of its members," Cathy Lawhon, UC Irvine's director of media relations, said in a statement.

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Well I'm sure he could have done without the blackface. It would have been fine if they had just done it without that. After watching what they said was supposed to be Jay-Z was obviously a jab at the blacks as he had none of the mannerisms and pose of The Rock. It doesn't help that every single person in the video is Asian either.

If this is supposed to contain any hints about why the video is offensive, then rather than it being offensive I'll just take it as people being too desperate to be offended.

If this is supposed to contain any hints about why the video is offensive, then rather than it being offensive I'll just take it as people being too desperate to be offended.

Nowadays, it's okay to call someone a racist if it's a light-skinned person doing the "racist" act.

Blackface is still a thing?

Apparently a serious thing.

Meh.
This could be compared to a complaint filed for a video where a dude has his face painted red because he impersonates Darth Maul, because it "discriminates alien races".

People just like to bitch around. The video wasn't offensive, wasn't violent, and was based on a song about suits and ties. Case closed.

Try and look at it from a different point of view.

If you were in a club and knew that wearing a certain color offended a rival club would you wear it? I don't think you would unless you purposely tried to initiate a fight. Blackface has a long history of racism and used in a derogatory manner towards the blacks.
Now say that you had heard and glimpsed a few rival club members wearing a color that offended you/your club. You have confronted them/ignored it. Then you see a video and one of the guys is blatantly wearing the color known far and wide as a color offensive to your club. Would you be offended?

By that context, ANY AND ALL racist terms should be deemed racist and should ALSO be dealt with.

It goes for ALL COLORS AND ALL GROUPS.

Try and look at it from a different point of view.

If you were in a club and knew that wearing a certain color offended a rival club would you wear it? I don't think you would unless you purposely tried to initiate a fight. Blackface has a long history of racism and used in a derogatory manner towards the blacks.
Now say that you had heard and glimpsed a few rival club members wearing a color that offended you/your club. You have confronted them/ignored it. Then you see a video and one of the guys is blatantly wearing the color known far and wide as a color offensive to your club. Would you be offended?

It's quite possible that I would be offended. I've done my research now on the black face, and the derogatory value that it possesses is clearer to me.

But nonetheless, in regards to the nature of the video, should it not be overlooked as a poor disguise choice and not as a racial insult?