Vietnamese Eat Rats and Are Aggressive, Stanford Professor Says in Article, Triggering Online Uproar
An article penned by a Stanford University professor that alleges Vietnam's "aggressive tendencies" are tied to its penchant for eating meat -- particularly rats, birds and dogs -- has triggered a social media backlash from Vietnamese and others around the world.
The opinion piece -- "Despite increasing prosperity, Vietnam's appetites remain unique" -- was written by Joel Brinkley, a Pulitzer Prize-winning former foreign correspondent for The New York Times and posted Tuesday on the Chicago Tribune's website. Describing a trip he made to Vietnam, Brinkley said he observed a dearth of squirrels, birds and rats. He also said the "World Wildlife Fund describes the state as the world's greatest wildlife malefactor."
began his article this way: "You don't have to spend much time in Vietnam before you notice something unusual. You hear no birds singing, see no squirrels scrambling up trees or rats scurrying among the garbage. No dogs out for a walk.
"In fact, you see almost no wild or domesticated animals at all. Where'd they all go? You might be surprised to know: Most have been eaten."
The article triggered an angry reaction from Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese, some of whom said the article included generalizations bordering on racism. Late Friday, Tribune Media Services issued a statement saying that the column did not meet its journalistic standards and that all its required editing steps "did not occur. "We regret that this happened,
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
An article penned by a Stanford University professor that alleges Vietnam's "aggressive tendencies" are tied to its penchant for eating meat -- particularly rats, birds and dogs -- has triggered a social media backlash from Vietnamese and others around the world.
The opinion piece -- "Despite increasing prosperity, Vietnam's appetites remain unique" -- was written by Joel Brinkley, a Pulitzer Prize-winning former foreign correspondent for The New York Times and posted Tuesday on the Chicago Tribune's website. Describing a trip he made to Vietnam, Brinkley said he observed a dearth of squirrels, birds and rats. He also said the "World Wildlife Fund describes the state as the world's greatest wildlife malefactor."
began his article this way: "You don't have to spend much time in Vietnam before you notice something unusual. You hear no birds singing, see no squirrels scrambling up trees or rats scurrying among the garbage. No dogs out for a walk.
"In fact, you see almost no wild or domesticated animals at all. Where'd they all go? You might be surprised to know: Most have been eaten."
The article triggered an angry reaction from Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese, some of whom said the article included generalizations bordering on racism. Late Friday, Tribune Media Services issued a statement saying that the column did not meet its journalistic standards and that all its required editing steps "did not occur. "We regret that this happened,
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...