Okay, before the jokes come out, I am in no way related to Danny Chen in any way other than the fact that we're both of Chinese descent, and I guess that's why his story hits so close to home for me. It actually kind of pissed me off because I thought that we were beyond all of this racist crap! What Danny went through was way beyond racism, and not to mention just plain B.S.
For those who are unfamiliar with the story, 19-year-old Danny Chen was a kid from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, who was said to be quirky and brainy with an offbeat sense of humor. He had dreams of becoming an New York City Police officer, but first he wanted to fight for his country and was shipped off to Afghanistan this past summer. This son of a Chinese chef and seamstress wanted to make something of his life, much like many Chinese who come to this country. It was when he joined the military when his nightmares began.
Even before they shipped him overseas, his fellow soldiers at a base in Georgia began teasing him about his last name "Chen" and crying it out in a Chinese accent. They would also call him "Jackie Chen", and everyone would ask him if he was Chinese, even though he was born in the United States. Okay, this is where I start to rant! First of all, how old are we when we're in the army? Seriously, you ignorant assholes? I, too, grew up in an all-white suburb in New Jersey and often dealt with being called Bruce Lee or Bluce Ree. I was also often called a chink, gook, egg roll, pork-fried rice, zipperhead, etc. You get the idea. Then again, those were kids. As I got older, the teasing stopped and I was treated as an equal. My uncle always told me that if someone asked me if I was Chinese, my correct response should always be that "I'm an American of Chinese descent" because Chinese people are born in China! A black man born in China is Chinese, a white man born in China is Chinese. I was born in Paterson, NJ making me more American than most of you reading this right now! I believe the same went for Danny Chen.
Chen kept a diary when he was shipped overseas, and in the diary, there were examples that showed his bullying got even worse. For instance, soldiers would drag him across the floor while pelting him with stones. They would also force him to hold liquid in his mouth while hanging him upside down. From what it sounds like, Danny was being tortured in another country by our very own men, who are supposed to be defending our country and our rights! Because of all this torturing and bullying, Danny Chen took his own life back in October, as he was found dead in a guard house in Afghanistan with self-inflicted gun shot wounds. This didn't have to happen if people just grew up and focused more on what 's important, like defending this country rather than making fun of this American kid. Man, does this story anger me!
This past Wednesday, the Army announced that eight soldiers were being charged in Danny's death saying that he was the victim of illegal hazing. Five of the accused are being charged with involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. The alleged offenses also include maltreatment, assault, and threats. Good! These guys should all be tortured and threatened the way they made Chen feel. I can't say that I've ever felt that I was bullied to the point where I wanted to take my own life, but it does make you think about what kind of people they are enlisting in the Army. The way Chen was treated, you would think that those guys never saw someone of Chinese descent before, and in a melting pot like America, that really, really surprises me.
Like Danny, when I was made fun of as a kid, I would use humor to get away from the racist taunts. I might still even use it today, but I also noticed that if you have fun with it, people don't really turn it into a harassing situation because they see that it doesn't bother you. Unfortunately for Danny, he was stuck with these guys and had to see them everyday, so I'm sure those jokes eventually ran out. Trust me, I'm proud of my Chinese heritage, and I'll always remember where I come from, but I am an American, and like I said, I might be way more American than some of you, and as an American, I have to say that a fellow American should never have been treated in this manner! It's absolutely disgusting and makes me embarrassed to be a proud American!
Well said, Tim.
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