A public discussion will be held in Peabody Hall today about an offensive poster that’s drawing attention across campus.
The poster, supposedly from Happy Fortune Buffet, offered up to $50 in exchange for unwanted dogs. The restaurant and phone number accompanying the offer are fake, but Asian-American students say the racism is real.
The discussion will be held in Room P411 at 12:50 p.m. Alexander Cena, director of the Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs, will lead the forum.
Cena said he began tearing down the posters after students brought them to his attention. He turned in five posters to UPD, filed a formal complaint and contacted UF’s Office of Student Affairs. The posters have been spotted at Little Hall, Turlington Plaza, Weimer Hall and Carleton Auditorium.
“Words are very powerful. We sometimes forget the weight of the words we say and the impact they will have on other people,” he said. “The weight of the words on the fliers caused a lot of people great harm regardless of if it was intentional or not.”
Cena posted on the APIA Facebook page stating he received anonymous emails apologizing for the poster at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
He said he hopes to speak with the students responsible so he can change their viewpoints about Asian Americans and help prevent other similar incidents.
Andrew Sun, a 21-year-old UF political science senior and first-generation Chinese American, said he first saw the posters while he walked out of class on Wednesday. The mock advertisements were taped to Turlington Plaza’s cement tables.
“It’s just a shocking thing to see,” Sun said. “It’s really confusing to me, and I’m really disappointed at whoever did it and thought it was OK.”
Sun, who is also an ambassador for UF’s APIA, said the ad was posted to Instagram by students who thought it was funny.
“I don’t understand why anyone would waste their time thinking it’s funny,” he said.
Anna Shao, a 19-year-old UF biochemistry sophomore, said she couldn’t believe something so offensive could be posted at a university known for its diversity and acceptance of minorities.
Shao said the jab hit especially hard because her parents run a Chinese restaurant in Jacksonville.
“I’ve had my fair share of prank phone calls where they ask stupid questions like that,” she said. “It’s disrespectful.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 2/28/2014 under the headline "UF students to discuss racist flier posted on campus"]
