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POWs Waiting for Apologies (in National News) API Advisory Commission Visits S.F. (in Bay Area News) Asian Food Markets in the Bay Area (in Business) Lampo Leong's Forces • Contemplation (in A&E) Reasons to Celebrate (in Opinion) Letters to the Editor Lesbians Left Out of AsianWeek Dear Editor: I’m proud to see that your magazine chose to do a cover article on gay Asian Americans (“The Gay Asian Male—Struggling to Find an Identity,” June 22). But why did you single out gay men? Asian lesbians could have easily been included in the article. They are just as important as men. As an Asian American lesbian, I al-so have the uphill struggle of facing sexism, which is as rampant in the gay community as it is in the straight community. I ask that you remember there are two genders in the gay community. Don’t forget that we have played half the role in fighting homophobia. Kim Cohane via e-mail Disturbed by Voices Dear Editor: I am deeply troubled after reading David Bernstein’s article, “Lessons from the Jewish Experience” (June 22). He calls for the rejection of the original European narrative that called upon ethnic communities to assimilate into an American “melting pot.” He promotes preservation of cultures as expressed in his concern that the Jewish community suffers from the twin curses of high inter-marriage and low birth rate. He wrote that unless the tide turns the Jewish community may not be able to sustain its broad array of communal institutions. It is reasonable to assume that his rejection of the “melting pot” is really for the preservation of the Jewish community. That is not a surprising assumption according to the documentation present in An Evolutionary Analysis of Jewish Involvement in Twentieth Century Intellectual and Political Movements by Kevin MacDonald. MacDonald asserts that Jewish individuals and politicians worked for 100 years to amend our immigration laws to benefit Jewish interest without regard to the devastating effects upon European Americans. According to MacDonald, fear of anti-Semitism was a motivating factor in their successful influence in amending our immigration laws in 1965 to bring about a reduction in the number of European Americans in the population in the interest of the Jewish community. It appears that fear is also behind their efforts to promote competing racial-ethnic groups in the United States by endorsing and promoting separate cultures rather than the “outmoded” European narrative of assimilation into a “melting pot.” Just what blueprint is he asking Asian Americans to follow? Has he been to the campus of U.C. Berkeley lately, where under the banner of “multiculturalism” we are creating much wider racial-ethnic divisions in an us-versus-them society. Is that that what all Americans really want? It is imperative that European Americans be included in meaningful dialogue on all social issues, but our leaders seem to lack the courage to make that possible. Louis Calabro European American Issues Forum San Bruno, Calif. More Anger Over Animal Rights’ Activist Dear Editor: In responding to the June 15 letter, “Cruel Customs Should Be Stopped,” by Wilhelm Winter, I must say it is obvious that underneath his frog and crab hugging image, lies an ignorant racist. Winter finds it more convenient to slander other people who are different from him, than to accept differences. Winter wants us all to believe that hard-working shop keepers in Chinatown, who are providers for the community, have nothing better to do than to go out of their way to torture these animals, as if it is in their Asian blood to be cruel to animals. Loi Vo San Quentin State Prison Complacency in the Chinese Community Dear Editor: M. Kevin Tutor’s letter (“Anti-Live Food Activists are Racists,” June 22), deserves a response. He objects to the notion that “people like us (animal rights’ activists) are good; people different than us are bad.” If “different” denotes license to recklessly abuse helpless creatures at will, it is bad indeed. I am particularly offended at any ethnic group’s presumption of immunity from criticism, lest critics wish to be accused of racism. If speaking out for abused animals makes us racists, I shall be proud to become one. Tutor quite accurately points out that countless animals are being mistreated elsewhere. Since when do two wrongs make a right? He may be interested to know that I have devoted decades to the prevention of cruelty to animals worldwide, long before Chinese markets acquired their reputation. One significant cultural difference begs to be pointed out: Whenever gross atrocities against animals are brought to the public’s attention, they are usually followed by outrage and strong opposition, as Chinese merchants must have surely noticed. This kind of response appears to be sadly absent among the Chinese community. Instead, complacency is the usual response, while mistreatment of animals is not only tolerated, but vigorously defended. I was taught that compassion is a virtue. Wilhelm Winter Oakland, Calif. Covering the Ethnic Beat Dear Editor: I would like to offer a warm thanks for all the great issues you publish each week. I am of both Asian and black heritage so it’s very welcoming to find a publication that treats race and ethnicity with a hundred percent fairness and honesty. The Opinion section is always great to read. Other magazines are fine, but I can think of no other publication that I look forward to each week as your newspaper. Please keep up the excellent work and continue to speak well of all people and views. J. Edwards Burlingame, Calif. Do you have something to say? Send a letter to the editor via e-mail (to asianweek@asianweek.com)! AsianWeek welcomes letters commenting on our coverage and other topics of interes to Asian Pacific Americans. Please keep letters as brief as possible (we reserve the right to edit letters for length and style), and include your name and a daytime telephone number for verification. For letters by conventional mail, address to: AsianWeek, 809 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, California 94108, U.S.A.