當你們大笑時，我哭著走了

日前紐約哥倫比亞大學推出了戲劇《尋找李偉》，劇本中持續對黑人使用種族歧視型語言舉行攻擊，學習中文的黑人學生Lillian Okoye出席了演出。她不堪劇中多處種族歧視的語言和觀眾的反應，給贊助演出的哥大中國學生學者聯誼會寫了一封公開信。

（中譯文）哥倫比亞大學中國學生會及有關人員： 看中國網站 禁止建立鏡像網站 。

觀看2008年4月26日在哥倫比亞大學師範學院上演的中文話劇"尋找李偉(Finding Li Wei)"，是我在哥大生活中最痛苦和失望的經歷之一。當我聽到演出中的那些對黑人的種族主義的言論時，特別是一角色的對話針對黑人區的黑人，我幾乎崩潰。"我覺得哦，美國人還是挺好的啦。哦，不對，要除了那些黑人區的黑人。哎喲，我最怕黑人了啦！"接著是哄堂大笑，我回家後痛苦不堪，不僅角色的對話傷害了我，還有來自幾乎99％的觀眾的笑聲，他們是哥大的中國學生。 看中國網站 禁止建立鏡像網站 。

我深感混亂和沮喪哥大的中國學生會（CUCSSA）參與和排演了這種種族主義的節目，特別是在2008年北京奧運會，全世界各民族人民匯聚中國之際。做為一位哥大東亞文化系的黑人學生，我付出很多的努力學習中文和中華文化，也曾遠渡重洋留學中國。而這出由中國學生會排演的種族主義的話劇公開在我的校園喧鬧地上演，令人無法不失望。我也被告知藝術和科學系研究生於明輝（音譯： Minghui Yu）的不幸，他也是哥大的中國學生會（CUCSSA）的成員。雖然我知道他在2008年4月4日遭受紐約西哈萊姆區年輕人的 (West Harlem youth) 身體騷擾並且死亡，但是嫌犯的種族背景並不能使這次攻擊整個黑人區非洲裔居民的種族主義言論合法化。

在演出之前，我是如此興奮，還邀請了五位朋友同往。不僅如此，還取消了我為主持人的哥大Karaoke的活動，早知如此，還不如去唱歌。

這個種族主義的事件發生在我自己的大學，發生在我的眼前侮辱了我。

以中文的方式發布的種族主義言論並不能減輕問題的嚴重性。為此，對當時的聽眾說幾句：當你們大笑時，我哭著走了。在我為中國留學生寫出這樣的煽動種族主義的劇本而悲哀時，我卻發現劇作者是我的一個"朋友"，本校東亞文化系08級的郭瑞(音譯： Guo Rui)。

哥大是世界聞名的大學，她的確需要加強校園內的種族兼容。去年哥大校園內就有多起"憎恨"犯罪，只有幾起得到校方注意，很失望又一起出現了。

哥大的中國學生會（CUCSSA）成員們請記住，這裡也有非裔學生，還有從黑人區非洲移民的後代。請你們給與尊重，停止種族主義！！！！！！！

Lillian Okoye

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黑人學生代表致哥倫比亞大學CSSA的一封信（原文）

To the Members of the Columbia University Chinese Scholars and Students Association (CUCSSA), and to those it may concern:

I am writing this note in response to the performanceof "尋找李偉 (Finding Li Wei)," a Chinese drama (spoken in Mandarin) held on the night of Saturday,April 26th, 2008 at Teacher's College, ColumbiaUniversity. This was one of the most hurtful anddisappointing experiences for me during my time hereat Columbia University in the City of New York. I was so devastated to hear the racism and the racist slursagainst Black people in the show itself. Specifically, there was a racist comment made by one of the characters in the show and it was targeted towards Blacks in Harlem. I went home crying after hearing oneof the characters saying, "I feel like Americans arequite nice, but actually no, except for those Black people in Harlem. I'm terrified by Black people!" which was followed by an uproar of laughter in the audience. Not only did the character's words hurt me, but so too did the outburst of laughter by nearly 99％ of the people in the audience, who are Chinese students at Columbia University.

I am deeply upset and saddened that Columbia Chinese Scholars and Students Association would be associated with and originally produce and write something soracist, especially at a time when the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, an event that people from all acrossthe globe and people of all races will be traveling to China to see. As a black Columbia student and East Asian Studies major, I have dedicated so much of myenergy to learning about Chinese language and culture, and even spent quite some time in China for study abroad. I am so saddened that this act of racism occurred on my campus and in such a public, blatant manner, in a play that was written and produced by the Columbia University Chinese Scholars and Students Association (CUCSSA). In recent weeks, I too have been coping with the loss of fellow student, Minghui Yu of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, who was also an active member of the CUCSSA. Although I realize that the physical harassment and death he endured on April 4th, 2008 was at the hands of a West Harlem youth, the ethnic background of his assailant is not a justification for a generic attack on the entire African Diasporic community in Harlem.

Prior to the beginning of the show, I was so excited to attend and invited five of my friends to attendthis event. I was so excited to be there. Not only that, but I also cancelled an event last night that Iam group organizer and creator of, called the Columbia University Chinese Karaoke Group, since the event conflicted with yesterday's performance of "Finding Li Wei." To make a long story short, I sacrificed my own event to attend this one. In hindsight, I would have rather gone to karaoke.

This incident of racism insulted me and the entire African-American community at my own university and infront of my own eyes! This prejudice will not be tolerated. The fact that these racist comments were spoken in Chinese does NOT desensitize the issue. To my fellow audience members: I left crying while all of you kept laughing and snickering. I am so saddened that "Chinese scholars" would write a screenplay that would instigate racism in our Columbia community. I am also especially disappointed, hurt and overwhelmed by the fact that a "friend" of mine, Guo Rui SEAS '08 was the playwright.

Columbia University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and it really needs to enforce its supposed in tolerance of racist acts on campus. Within the past year alone, there have been many hate crimes on Columbia's campus, with only a few gaining attention by the administration. I am so saddened that yet another one occurred. Members of the CUCSSA, please remember that there are fellow students of the African Diaspora and from Harlem who attend the SAME University as you. Show respect, and STOP THE RACISM!!!!!!!

Lillian Okoye

(文章僅代表作者個人立場和觀點)

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