A reporter from The Miami Herald and WLRN recently sent out a questionnaire to the members of the Public Insight Network, which was:
“Why doesn’t Miami have a bigger Asian population?
Miami’s culturally diverse communities may be the future face of the U.S. But despite Miami’s reputation as an international city, there is a much smaller percentage of Asians than the nation as a whole (five percent). Asians are the country’s fastest-growing minority group, but recent Census data shows that in Miami-Dade county Asians make up only 1.7 percent, an even smaller percentage than Florida overall. In Broward county, on the other hand, Asians make up 3.5 percent of the population, significantly higher than the state average.”
The list of questions members were asked to respond to were:
- What explains why Miami lacks a bigger Asian-American community?
- In what areas and places in South Florida is Asian culture very visible?
- Have you seen examples that demonstrate the lack of Asian-Americans in South Florida?
I thought this was a ridiculous and RACIST question to begin with, as if it were somehow our fault that not enough Asians want to live here. Shame on you, South Florida! You’re not filling the mandated quota of Asians for the pie chart entitled “Politically AND Racially Correct!”
Taken aback by the inane question, I pretty much responded along those lines. In answer to the the question regarding the visibility of Asian culture, I told her about the very visible Asian “massage” parlor culture in South Florida.
I’m guessing she won’t be publishing my responses. I considered her questions to be outrageously RACIST, yet I bet she’ll think that the fact that I responded with the unvarnished truth makes me the racist.
By refusing to acknowledge the truth about race and racism, one perpetuates ignorance. Race, along with ethnicity and gender, is a means by which people describe themselves, and yet, if we point out the color of one’s skin when making an identification, we are labeled RACISTS. It’s just not politically correct.
There are so many blatant forms of racism going on right under our noses, especially in North Miami and North Miami Beach. To name just a few:
1. Telling voters that “A vote for a Haitian is a vote for change” is RACIST.
2. Posting on Facebook that “If they don’t win, the council will be only white people” is RACIST.
3. Dropping mailers in mailboxes stating, “Please vote for my dad. He’s the only black running and if he doesn’t win, our city council will be ALL WHITE!” is RACIST.
4. Those who only concern themselves with only the “Haitian community” or campaign on a promise of a “Haitian majority,” as opposed to all the residents of a city is RACIST!
Imagine if I were to say “A vote for a white person is a vote for change,” or “If they don’t win, the council will be only black people,” or “He’s the only white running and if he doesn’t win, our council will be ALL BLACK!” Or, what if I campaigned on the promise of helping “the white community” so we can get a “white majority?”
Damn right it would be RACIST! So, why isn’t it RACIST when blacks do the same thing? I dare anyone answer this legitimate question honestly.
Let’s get real here, people. Voting for the person you believe will do the best job is NOT RACIST. Voting for or against someone BECAUSE of his skin color or nationality is RACIST. It doesn’t get any more real than that.
My pointing out that we have an Asian “massage” parlor problem is NOT RACIST. It’s merely stating a fact. Just because one doesn’t like the facts, it doesn’t make the messenger a RACIST.
That South Florida seems to be a hotbed of prostitution rings engaging in the “massage” business is not my imagination. On February 11, 2010, the Toledo Blade named Miami as the number one city for human trafficking for the sex trade.
Since Chief PC seems to think that stating the truth is stereotyping, let me throw a few questions directly at him?
1. Do you see any of those fake massage parlors around town advertising themselves as Latina massage parlors, Jewish massage parlors, Norwegian massage parlors, Eskimo massage parlors or American Indian massage parlors, for example?
NO, YOU DO NOT! The ones that are operating all over South Florida ADVERTISE THEMSELVES BY THEIR OWN ETHNICITY and OF THEIR OWN VOLITION! Does that make the owners of Asian “massage” parlors RACIST?
2. Are you not concerned about human trafficking and sex slavery?
Tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, of young women from Asian countries are SPECIFICALLY TARGETED, SOLD INTO SLAVERY and brought into this country for the SOLE PURPOSE OF SELLING THEIR BODIES FOR SEX! Doesn’t THAT bother you?
3. Are you not concerned with the conditions under which these young Asian women are living and working?
These young sex slaves are forced to have sex with six to ten men a day. At about one to one and a half hours per “session,” they perform sexual favors for tips at least ten to twelve hours per day, seven days a week. Doesn’t THAT bother you?
4. Are you not concerned with the transmission of sexual diseases from these establishments?
Many of these young sex slaves are forced to have sex with hundreds of men per month without the use of protection against sexually transmitted diseases, such as a condom. This increases the possibility of infecting the other five to nine men she has sex with in one single day. Doesn’t THAT bother you?
No, none of these things seem to bother you one bit.
(Oh, and for the record, in answer to your question in your email to me, police reports DO specify race and ethnicity when an arrest is made. How else would one be able to identify a suspect? DUH!)
You are apparently not concerned with human trafficking, sex slavery or the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
What DOES bother you is that I am pointing out that Asian “massage” parlors are DIRECTLY RELATED to these crimes. Your accusation that I’m “stereotyping” is your main concern. You tell me I should be more politically correct.
Sorry about that, Chief, but I’m more concerned with addressing the problem honestly and openly than I am with political correctness. If telling the truth makes ME the racist in your skewed world, than so be it. In the real world, truth is not a hate crime. Pointing out that these SELF-DESCRIBED Asian “massage parlors” are Asian is NOT RACISM. It’s reality.
By the same token:
- Voting for skin color or ethnicity is RACISM.
- Playing identity politics is RACISM.
- Concerning yourself with only your “community” to the exclusion of all others is RACISM.
My calling attention to these things is NOT RACISM.
Avoiding or ignoring the facts because they are politically incorrect is dishonest, disingenuous and very dangerous.
Shooting the messenger for telling the truth is just plain stupid.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
Am I missing something? Who is calling you a racist? Did you post the email you speak about because I haven’t seen it. Please dish.
This resident has a problem with my using the word “Asian” when referring to Asian “massage” parlors. He accuses me of “stereotyping.” He also stated that that the police reports don’t mention the word “Asian” when these prostitutes are arrested, which is untrue because they absolutely do. I tried explaining to him that these fake massage parlors use the words “Asian,” “Oriental,” and “Chinese” IN THEIR OWN BUSINESS NAMES AND ADVERTISING! Are they “stereotyping” themselves? I also tried to ask him if he sees any other fake massage parlors around that aren’t Asian around town. Because if there are any, I don’t see them anywhere. (Irish massage, anyone?)
In the past, this resident also had a problem with my use of the word “black” whenever I refer to individuals of the negroid race. Apparently, the only politically correct term, according to this resident, is “African American.” I refuse to use that term because (a) I despise hyphens when describing “Americans” because we are all SUPPOSED to be Americans, and (b) the word “African” implies that they were born in Africa. Ironically, I actually do know quite a few people who were born in Africa (from Somalia and Ethiopia, to be exact), and even they prefer to be called Americans, rather than African Americans, despite the fact that they were born in Africa. I know white people from South Africa, who could be called African Americans since they hail from Africa. That doesn’t make them black.
Political correctness is the cause of some of the worst ills of our country today and I refuse to cater to the insanity. If that labels me as a “racist,” oh well. When people use the term “racist” irresponsibly and indiscriminately, or as a defense mechanism (“I don’t like you, therefore you are a racist” or “If you don’t agree with president Obama, you are a racist.”), it loses its power to sting. Real racism is the most odious of character traits, but playing the race card is equally despicable. I refuse to be politically correct so as not to “offend” someone when the truth needs to be told.
What part of “Asian” used in “Asian Massage Parlor” does that idiot not understand? I mean, let’s face it. The use of the word Asian is a brand identification for these businesses. Using it is a valuable sales tool. Those business owners want it there. Some feel it’s necessary. So please, PC Jerk, think it through before you make dopey blanket statements about racism.
As I said in one of my previous columns, these places cater to a clientele that specifically has an obsession with Asian women, and the slave traders and business owners know their market very well. The phenomenon known as “yellow fever” is well known, and from what I have learned, Asian women are particularly disgusted with men who look at them as nothing more than objects. As long as there are men with this addiction, there will be those who capitalize on it. The demand will always be there, so cutting off the supply is the only solution. Putting a stop to human trafficking, enacting stricter local ordinances and helping local law enforcement agencies to close these places down is critical to ridding our communities of the problem.
Chief PC has a problem with the truth. By pretending there is no problem, political correctness will only enable it to continue.
What we need is development of new business to drive out the crime element. If you look at Biscayne Boulevard from 15th street (Omni Mall) to 79th Street, there has been a lot of redevelopment which has driven out the street prostitutes that used to proliferate the area. I don’t see any massage parlors in this area now either, when there used to be a few back in the late eighties and the nineties. New people have arrived who push out the unwanted rif-raf (sp).
Here in NMB, we need to start looking at the strip malls and either redevelop them or update the look. We need to enforce our codes to stop the blight that has become North Miami Beach Boulevard. We need to annex the “holes” in our city to bring uniformity as well as additional tax revenue from these properties. Our current administration has tried to stop the bleeding from the budget, but must now look to increase revenues without increasing what is the highest millage rate in the county. As Stephanie has stated before in other posts, we do not want to become the “Ghetto” of Miami-Dade County.
I’ve been screaming about that for years!!! We need stricter code enforcement and development. P.S. We already are the “ghetto” of Miami-Dade County.
Interesting read… here’s another piece I find to be a good read on racism.
http://www.rubmaps.com/blog/is-racism-limited-only-to-the-nba-68