University Instructor Under Fire After Tweeting Photo of Himself as an ‘Asian Man’
By Carl Samson
A white instructor has been met with a storm of criticism after sharing a picture of himself mockingly posing as an Asian man on Twitter.
Matthew De Starkey, who reportedly teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, tweeted the photo on July 11, which was posted with the caption “when your crush says she only dates Asians.”
The instructor posted a photo of himself squinting, wearing an IKEA bowl as a makeshift straw hat and putting his hands together in “prayer.”
De Starkey’s tweet immediately sparked outrage among Asian users, one of which replied with a picture of his middle finger.
To this, the instructor commented “short a** finger,” referencing the stereotype that Asian men have smaller penises.
Quick Twitter users managed to save De Starkey’s photo and comment before his account became unavailable.
Attorney Kas Lee, who has been active in the Asian American community for two decades, wrote an article about the matter and called for action.
“What can you do? In the case of Matthew De Starkey, reach out to the Chancellor Beverly Kopper of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater who, incidentally, sits on the Governing Board of the Wisconsin Alliance for Minority Participation.
“Ask yourselves if a mere public statement denouncing the tweets is sufficient to deal with this racist instructor. Commit to confronting those making racial remarks. Demand change. Leverage our power. Boycott. Write to other organizations in which they serve. Demand real consequences.”
Asian men shared their thoughts:
A discussion also sprang on Reddit, where users speculated that De Starkey may be a student tutor:
What do you think?
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