Student in anti-Asian rant says she'll leave UCLA

[March 19, 2011]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A student who posted an Internet video of her tirade against the Asian population at the University of California, Los Angeles, said Friday night that she is leaving the school, despite the university's decision not to discipline her.

In a statement to the Daily Bruin campus newspaper, Alexandra Wallace said she has chosen to no longer attend classes at UCLA because of what she called "the harassment of my family, the publishing of my personal information, death threats and being ostracized from an entire community" in the wake of the three-minute video.

"In an attempt to produce a humorous YouTube video, I have offended the UCLA community and the entire Asian culture," Wallace said in the statement, her second apology of the week. "Especially in the wake of the ongoing disaster in Japan, I would do anything to take back my insensitive words. I could write apology letters all day and night, but I know they wouldn't erase the video from your memory, nor would they act to reverse my inappropriate action."

Earlier Friday, university officials said they would not discipline Wallace because her video was an exercise of free speech, not hate speech, and it didn't violate the student code of conduct.

UCLA's vice chancellor for student affairs, Janina Montero, said in a statement that campus officials were "appalled and offended by the sentiments expressed in the video," but it did not seek to harm or threaten a specific person or group.

In the video, Wallace said her complaints aren't directed at any individual and people shouldn't take offense, but "the problem is these hordes of Asian people that UCLA accepts into our school every single year."

She says the numbers would be fine if Asian students would "use American manners" and goes on to complain about Asians frequently talking on their mobile phones while she tries to study. At one point she mocks them with gibberish.

Wallace suggests in the video that people calling to check on the fate of Japan's tsunami victims go outside so they won't freak people out if they get bad news.

Wallace took down the rant shortly after posting it Sunday, but it had already gone viral and sparked a strong reaction at UCLA, where at least 37 percent of the school's 26,000 undergraduates are Asian, 32 percent are white, 16 percent are Hispanic and 4 percent are black.

Wallace could not be reached for further comment.

[Associated Press]

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