As an active member of the Yale Asian American alumni community, I can attest to the fact that Asian American Yalies, both current students and alumni, have been very active with this matter since Annie Le's disappearance was first known.

Asian American students organizations were active during the search, and they have been a part of the mourning process on campus as well.  Assistant Dean Saveena Dhall, who works with the Asian American student community, has also been working hard during this difficult time.

The Association of Asian American Yale Alumni's e-mail list has been very active on this topic for the past week.  Members of the group have and are working on a number of ways to reach out and respond on this tragedy, but I don't want to go into any specifics yet out of respect for Ms. Le's family.  At the appropriate time, I know that many of us are ready to help in any way we can.

It is an unfortunate fact that the Asian American community on and off campus does not get much coverage in the traditional media.  Luckily, the situation on campus and among alumni is quite different, and I'm confident that other Yalies understand what this means to our community.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was an Asian fetish element.  Looks like Mr. Clark was a member of the "Asian Awareness Club" in high school.  I didn't have any such club in my high school but it does point in the direction of an interest in Asian culture (from someone who I don't think ever went to college).

Thanks for raising these very real questions and concerns which I'm sure are emerging in everyday conversations among diverse crowds. The same questions went through my mind as I was googling for articles related to Annie Le's case.  One of the first things I heard about Annie was that she had attended an undergraduate institution in my hometown of Rochester, NY.  The second thing that struck me was the insidiousness of her sudden disappearance. But it was impossible to overlook the pattern-forming descriptions of Annie as the "perfect" student/daughter/future wife/minority.  Someone who was clearly admired and thus whose death deserved mass media coverage.  Your question about which cases grab the spotlight and why is an important one.  It's worth thinking about media framing of young Asian American women AND men.  Intuitively, I wouldn't compare this story with other recent stories that have reported on 'Asian Americans and Violence', like the Binghamton shooting rampage and the Virginia Tech shooting, but the critical scholar in me is compelled to think about how the language and discourse surrounding these stories proliferate deep-seated fears and stereotypes that are gendered, racialized and sexualized.  The Asian woman as quietly compliant, high-achieving, sacrificing, sexually vulnerable, mysterious.  The Asian male as inscrutable, socially awkward, asexual, scheming, and now violent.  It behooves us to be aware and sensitive to these portrayals; from a psychological perspective, actively critiquing such representation is an important way of resisting the slow internalization of such misconceptions.  I could go on about this, but I'll "pass the conch"!  Oh, and I'm also curious to hear statements from local Asian American groups and residents in New Haven and at Yale.  So many other puzzles surround Annie's murder. I'm not sure what to make of the 'Asian Fetish' angle which is not an unreasonable speculation; additional evidence will hopefully clarify this and other issues. 

Wasn't Ms. Le's fiance also white? Was Ms. Le's engagement to her fiance a result of an Asian fetish. Why do people automatically think in their heads: oh he's white, he must have an Asian fetish?

I'm not going to defend Asian fetishes. But, without knowing more about Mr. Clark, aren't you simply jumping to conclusions? Of course, I'm not an Asian American woman and I cannot imagine the experience an Asian American woman might have. Though, evidenced by the large number of Asian American women who date non-Asians, there are bound to be non-Asians who do it for "the right reasons" -- whatever those may be.

As an Asian American man, I wonder about white males who pursue Asian females with romantic intentions. But in doing so, I participate and engage in a form of profiling. I'm making assumptions as well. Maybe because I'm profiling the dominant race that it is okay, but is it?

On top of that, we aren't even sure Mr. Clark is the one that did it.

"Wasn't Ms. Le's fiance also white?"

I think he's half-white, half-Asian.  At least that's what it looks like from the pictures.

I'm going to withhold judgment on this guy, but I'll also say that in my experience, female intuition is usually correct in matters like this.

They said on the news just now that the murder suspect (Clark) was part of the Asian American club in high school but he's obviously white.  it does look like he did have an asian fetish.

Guys, thats a REALLY unfair assumption that a white person in an Asian intrest club has a fetish.  As President of such an organization, Asians and nonAsians alike are welcome and most of them are normal, well adjusted individuals.

As for this guy, remember what happened to Richard Jewell, or the Duke Lacross team for that matter.  Right now all the evidence is not decisive enough for his arrest.  Until there is such evidence, we should probably aviod painting this as a fetish thing or a hate crime.  If the emails were his motive then race would have nothing to do with this.

@Eugene:

The reason why people don't assume that the white fiance had a fetish is because from all accounts he was someone who saw her as a full human being and supported her ambitions, her career (That in itself is rare amongst many young men today).  Meanwhile, this Raymond Clark, was clearly someone who dehumanized her most likely on the basis of gender (misogyny) and ethnicity (racism). 

When any man kills a woman because of so-called unrequited "love," you know misogynistic bigotry is at play since killing is the ultimate way of controlling someone.  Women have killed the men in their lives but they overwhelmingly do it to get rid of them, while men kill to keep.  When it's a white man who kills an Asian woman, and knowing the history of how these men's attidudes, it's reasonable to think: fetish.

A similar attitude of misogyny plus racism can be seen in how white men view Latinas, for example.  They, in particular, have been the sexualized targets of violent hate for many white men (see: porn!).

@Anonymous Coward:

I wouldn't make such broad generalizations as you do. I do not deny that patriarchy and misogyny can play a role when a man kills a woman due to unrequited love. I think you miss the point.

I put out the question about the fiance only because I don't know him well-enough. The question was a rhetorical one. I don't know him and haven't read enough information about the fiance. My point was only that people are jumping to conclusions about him. It may turn out that your "gut feelings" and "intuitions" are right about Mr. Clark, but I would like to think that he is innocent until proven guilty.

If you believe that the media is providing you with a complete and accurate account of both individuals, then your conclusions make sense. I, unfortunately, do not believe everything I have read via the media.

Question for Spam Fried Rice:

Do you get physically disgusted at the site of a Hapa?

@anonymous coward: No, I do not get physically disgusted at the site of a Hapa. I'm not sure whom in this incident is Hapa though. So I'm not sure about the relevance of this question at all.

@Eugene: I knew her fiance is White.  I don't know what the relationship between Annie and her fiance was like either. So I didn't comment on it. 

I do want to clarify that Richard Clark has not been charged with any crimes at this point. And I did mention that my gut reactions may be completely off base.  But these were questions I wanted to engage people in over this tragedy.  i think a lot of people out there have been thinking the same things I've been thinking "Is there a 'fetish' involved?" but not really talking about it.

@Calvin: Is the high school information evidence that Clark had a fetish and this was motivation? Not necessariily.

But it's still got my "FETISH!" flag up really high, making me reflect on the general violence on Asian American women in society.  And the coverage in the mainstream media makes me wonder if they care because Annie fits the archetype of a successful Asian American woman - model minority, if you will.

Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I don't think there have been any declarative claims based on unequivocal evidence about the role of the 'Asian Fetish' in this case. The author did however voice honestly a "gut feeling" about its role.  This statement merely opened up space for us to reflect on fetishization, specifically in the context of the Annie Le murder, and more generally, as a phenomenon that has enduring relevance to many situations in which an APIA woman have been and are being sexually violated. 

Regarding the last post: I think that making the jump from a critical discussion of fetishization to the topic of Hapa identity isn't a "given" (at least not to me) and deserves clarification.

One other thought that came to mind is: How does one ever "prove" that fetishization has played a role in a case of sexual assault or murder? There really is no language for fetishization in court litigation, is there? So as much as we search for evidence, or claim that there is none, all we seem to be left with is our "gut feelings"... which is problematic. Because while Asian female fetishization is not a contributing factor to ALL violence against APIA women, it can't be entirely dismissed in all cases. So I guess my question is, is it possible for this issue to be viewed as something that is not just in our heads, or just a gut feeling.  As long as it remains a "gut feeling", the argument that fetishization HARMS is destined to fail. What can we do about that?

I guess I understand why people are so emotionally invested in either legitimating or invalidating claims around fetishization, but I'm also wondering why people who have posted seem so uninterested in commenting about the other aspects of this case (e.g., model-minority positioning, sexual violence against APIA women, media framing, etc.).  These other issues are important, too. 

I think Vickie Nam posted a good thoughtful comment.

Spam fried Rice fails to see several points:

1. Virginia Tech in January 2009, a Chinese man beheaded a Chinese woman when she resisted his advancements, was this man any less evil than Mr. Clark; why did Spam friedrice not post anything on this.

http://a11news.com/1340/virginia-tech-beheading/

2. University of Colorado 1999, a Hmong gang kidnapped and gang raped a white female college student as part of gang initiation.

3. Any crime statistic is going to show you that most sexual violence is within the race and that which is interracial, is most likely black men raping white women.

4. Spam fried rice gives evidence of this being a racial fetish murder to the fact that Mr. Clark joined an organization to advance Asian awareness, does this mean that any white person who is interested in Asian American culture has shady motives?  In High School, I ran cross Country, I hope that is never used against me.

The bottom line is that this is a heartbreaking story for Ms. Le's loved ones.  I wish Spamfried Rice would address that.

Thanks

asian women in america are raped at an extremely high rate.  just looked what happened to those 4 japanese women in seattle who were sodomized by that white guy or those 3 cambodian girls raped in california by some sick freak with an asian fetish or the american soldiers who raped women and girls during the vietnam and korean war.

I'm glad spamfriedrice has posted this article. It brings to light many interesting issues. Thank you for sharing.

The question about why the media is so interested in this story is a good question. I think the fact that she has been so successful and so hardworking is a reason for the media's interest.

Whoever is guilty of the crime, this story is tragic. And moreover, it is sad that so many Asian American women have faced so much violence.

One possible reason this story has received so much national attention may be because it touches on a fear all parents have when they see their children going off to college.  You may recall the national attention that  Audrey Seiler's fake disappearance recieved in the Spring of 2004 at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The authorities estimated that this fake story costed police about $96,000.  The cost to so many media organizations to cover the story for days may have been equal that or more.  Thakfully, she was found alive.  We were all hoping the same would be true for Annie Marie Le. The more we learn about this person, the more there is to appreciate. This could also fuel the attention of the press. 

One possible reason this story has received so much national attention may be because it touches on a fear all parents have when they see their children going off to college.  You may recall the national attention that  Audrey Seiler's fake disappearance recieved in the Spring of 2004 at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The authorities estimated that this fake story costed police about $96,000.  The cost to so many media organizations to cover the story for days may have been equal that or more.  Thakfully, she was found alive.  We were all hoping the same would be true for Annie Marie Le. The more we learn about this person, the more there is to appreciate. This could also fuel the attention of the press. 

This is my first time reading this blog, and I find it very informative.  The Asian fetish issue triggered a memory for me of how black men were portrayed in the film Birth of a Nation as having raging fetishes for white women.  I saw the film for the first time in the sixties as a black female attending  a large state university in the South. We were shown the film as a homecoming event.  Afterwards, all except the three black females in the otherwise white audience marched out of the audiitorium to "go get em.".  A cross was burned on the campus that night, and a black male student was forced to run for his life.  I was very disturbed by the film event and its aftermath for a variety of reasons, one of which was the defamation of black men.  We have yet to confirm whether Ms. Le's murder  was the result of an Asian fetish, but do need to keep in mind that there are wierdos in all ethnic and racial groups with a wide range of fetishes.  Most men and women are just trying to survive.   May Ms. Le rest in peace.

Buddy, do some research.  Clark raped another Asian woman in high school.   That says a lot.

Then do some research.  His previous rape victim in high school was an Asian female.  Maybe we need to do some more investigation into other times he's raped other women?  Perhaps determine their ethnicity.

Can you reveal the sources of this research? None of the media outlets I've read have said anything about rape.

I think they are referring to the article published today which cites him as having harrassed an ex-girlfriend in high school.  It would appear that the relation retained "benefits" after the breakup so its hard to determine if any forced sex took place.

Either way, he was just arrested but the FBI and New Haven police aren't saying much aside from the fact that it was "workplace violence".

Adding my two cents to this fetish thing, although the "black male, white female" statistic may be true, Asian women are typically the target of SERIAL rapists.  It involves not just forced sex but also harrasment.  What comes to my mind is the Rutgers student who was caught cutting the hair of Asian female students and pouring his seed into thier drinks.  Additionally, there are probably numerous serial rapists and perverts that fit this description, particularly in the Bay Area and other parts of California.

you can't "profile" the dominant race--profiling is a form of systemic oppression of a group that doesn't receive privilege from that system, like whites. i don't think the post is nitpicking at the details of Ms. Le's relationships to white men but rather, does an excellent job of broadening the conversation to talk about violence against Asian women. As an Asian American man, how about you focus on that instead?

i don't know if Clark's gf in high school was Asian or not. I haven't read that anywhere yet.

As for the guy who was cutting Asian women's hair and leving his "seed" in their drinks... that's Michael Lohman at Princeton, not Rutgers. I link that story in my post.

It makes me sad to see how this rich conversation about a glaring issue in the Asian community, violence against women, is in spiralling into a stupid conversation that Eugene is trying to dominant with irrelevant observations. As APIAs we should know  the inaccuracy of stats around violence by/against people in our community and other POC communities. @jitsu, @spamfriedrice, and @vickie nam and are presenting real information and strong analyses on a collective experience of disproportionate victimization of Asian women by men of any race. We should listen.

@Alison:

I think @spamfriedrice presented many good issues in addition to the issue about violence against Asian women. Thus, how is it that I'm "taking over the conversation?" If you want to talk about the issue about violence against Asian American women, please do so. I would love to see journal articles that back up your statements as well.

Also, this is an Internet forum, and as such, will bring in diverse views and opinions. I didn't know that making a point about reserving judgement would be met with such acrimony.

I don't appreciate the patronizing tone that you take in your comments: "As APIAs, we should...", "As an Asian American man, why don't you..?"

I believe there is a real issue involving violence against Asian American women, but I don't know enough about the topic. It sounds like you know a lot more. Maybe you're tired of pointing people to find the right resources to learn more instead of berating people for being ignorant. I am the first to admit that I am ignorant.

Her fiance is not half asian. She likes white guys. get over it.  He was a good looking white guy. He would  not stalk ugly asian chick annie le

The press is paying attention because there is no white girl missing. The honorary white is the Asian girl or a white looking Hispanic girl. Nancy Grace seems to have all the sympathy. But, as a southern white female, she will be disgusted if her son brought home an Asian girl..dont believe me...try Singapore! There are plenty of white expats from the US living and working there, who will not allow their sons or daughters to bring a local home, however, well off he or she may be!

@spamfried my bad.

Here's the golden question.  What is influencing these men (and some women too) to pay such specific attention to Asian women?  Is it society or it its something else?

On a sidenote, "I LOVE ASIAN WOMEN" has been carved into the wall in the men's bathroom of the Lecture Hall at my college for the longest while.  What motivates people to take this obsession to the level where they're defacing property and cutting people's hair?

Lastly, the fetish goes both way.  We all know at least one (or many) Asian women that date exclusivly white men.  Is it fair to then say that the man in that relationship has a fetish? (rhetorical question)

Eugene and Calvin

Let's be clear on the "logical" construct.  We have a man who was taken in for DNA testing and has subsequently been arrested.  No one is saying that (a) because you belong to an asian awareness club that (b) you have an Asian fetish.

What is being said is (a) you have a suspect of interest in (b) the death of an Asian co-worker.  What is the potential motivation?  You have a high school educated man with a fiancee being implicated in the murder of a co-worker who happens to be Asian.  Why would you kill her in a high security building the week before she's getting married?  Now it just happens that this man has an interest in Asian cultures.  Well, that provides an insight into motivation.  Correct?  Or do we have to be deliberately obtuse and pretend that it doesn't?

You do know that's how the police develop a case?  It's not profiling when you take a suspect and analyze his background.  It's profiling when you take a background and then attempt to shoehorn in a suspect.  Try to understand the difference.

Here's another plausible scenario.  Clark took care of the rats they were testing, cleaned thier cages and whatnot.  He sent emails to Le regarding her work with those animals, something about not following protocol.  Now what if, through his daily contact with the animals he became an animal's rights activist.  Sunday, he snaps, angry at Le's using the animals for testing.  Suddenly, in blind rage, posibly while confronting her over that breach of protocol he kills her, then in panic hides the body in the animal room.

In that scenario, Le's ethnicity has nothing to do with the murder.  Has anyone considered that scenario.  Everytime an Asian woman is murdered, fetish isnt the first place we need to go.  I'll believe the fetish story when smthg more solid than "he likes asian stuff" is presented.

Thie senseless destruction of an amazing person like Annie Le will bring out strong emotions in all of us.  Hopefully we will be inspired to be more like Annie in her deep caring for people and treat eachother more kindly, patiently and forgivingly while we continue to do our best to improve ourselves to be our best. I do not blame anyone for speaking out of anger over this tragedy in an effort to seek justice for all.   It is right to openly discuss all of the questions presented in this article and to bring greater awareness to these issues.

Well, we all know what racially motivated murder is.  This tragic event blurs the distinction between RACIALLY MOTIVATED MURDER AND "RACIALLY MOTIVATED LOVE".

In sociology circles, there is a term called Hypergamy.  Look it up on google scholar and prepare to get jaded.

of course there is a racial element to this. whether it risees to the level of the asian fetish syndrome, is unclear, but everyone sees other individuals through the lens of race - it cannot be denied.

also, let's be honest. asian-awareness clubs and the like are of interest to white men only because of the opportunity to meet asian women. ok ? there is no other reason. that's ok, but just don't deny it and pretend that white men are there to learn how to make egg rolls or give a crap about asian culture or american asian culture.

@Bill, there are probably lots of individuals like that but at the same time, the average American teenager has seen at least one (most likely more) Japanese anime on TV.  Additionally, Asian cuisine such as sushi is really popular now.  My point is, it is very possible for a non-Asian to be interested in Asian culture without having a carnal motive. Afterall, that line of reasoning dies when it comes to explaining why nonAsian women join Asian intrest clubs.

In short, its irresponsible to throw around blanket statements like "all white men join asian intrest clubs to get with asian women" [paraphrasing]

Right, except you neglected the fact that he forced himself upon a member of the Asian Awareness Club.  Sounds like he's been out for a fetish for much of his life.  Seems a bit too convenient to ignore that, dontcha think?

"Another question that I've been pondering with friends is: Why so much national attention to this murder?"

Not to discount other explanations (media storms seldom have just one cause), but the timing and circumstances of the crime is part of it, I would think. A young bride disappearing from her lab (and presumed murdered) a few days before her wedding is just a heartbreaking story.

Also, like others, when I saw the suspect was white, my mind jumped right to FETISH.  Which on one hand I feel guilty about (I feel it's wrong to jump to such a conclusion based nothing on the race of the people involved), but on the other... there are guys like that.  Maybe not as many as our instincts say, but enough for an awful lot of people to share the same instincts.

Trust me, you are NOT wrong for thinking that way.  I didn't jump to any conclusions other than that this Asian female was clearly more vulnerable as a target because of her stature.  The fact that Clark indeed raped a young Asian female back in high school brought me to a properly supported conclusion that indeed the murder was based on a fetish.

despite the fetishes and racism from white guys in our society, still 40% of asian american women marry white men. 40%!! even higher percentage dating or living together.  its almost a silent genocide of Asian people in this country if you think about it.  In a few generations, Asians would have blended in and disappeared within the majority.  A culture and peoples would have vanished just like that, just because Asian women just jump at any chance to go to the white man.....seriously what the fuck is wrong with our asian women?  white women don't sell out, black women don't sell out, latin women don't sell out, indian women don't sell out, muslim women don't sell out....you know what, I wouldn't even be angry if they dated other races in equal numbers, ie. black or latinos but all you see is them is with white men exclusively.  Of course, we all hear this many times come out of Asian women's mouth directly.

Asian Women Wake the fuck up!  you are an sexual fetish object for white men.  Stop being so gullible and stop selling out so willingly.  Have respect and dignity for yourself, your culture, your race and your family and where you come from.

Of course its society!  look how asians women vs asian men are portrayed in popular culture. in tv shows, movies, magazines,etc etc.. this has a HUGE affect on our psyche.

we all know the popular stereotypes for both men and women, and someone growing up in this country is constantly bombarded with these images of course are going internalise this within themselves and how they view people and the world around them.  The thing is alot of Asian women PLAY up to these stereotypes to fit in with the white majority whilst at the same time shunning their own.

i'm feel sorry for annie's family for this tragdey,i'm aiso angry at those stereotypes on asian women and ray clark for killing annie le because he had asian fetish and kill her for that.!

asian fetish is too addicting for white men,i feel sorry for annie le's family for what happened.

Replying to: Asian women wake up ffs

Buddy, I won't disagree with you.  But these days interracial marriages happen often with Latino women and especially Indian women.  Indian women no offense are "selling out" as well.  It's sad but it's happening.

Trust me, things are getting better here in America.  Perceptions of Asian men are improving.  But...the part that disappoints me is that Asian men AND women don't have solidarity.  Go travel midwest or go to the eastcoast and spend time in a town where you have very few Asians.  Those few Asians are often so white-washed they don't want to be associated with being Asian.  As a result, they will avoid ever talking to you.  It's sad, but it's a fact of life.  Asians don't strong cultural backgrounds to hold onto.  Their culture gets purged.

Calvin, your line of thinking is similarly in that you seem to assume that non-Asian women aren't interested in Asian men.

There are a growing number of non-Asian women who like Asian men. Those non-Asian women could very well be joining to meet Asian men.

Absolutely, however there is still a stark disparity between the two.

I had meant to similarly FAULTY...

but anyway, yes, there is a difference between the two in that namely more white men (and men of other races as well) do express a fetish for Asian women.

There are many individuals infatuated with Asian women, and while, yes, not every single guy joins a club to get women, most guys, in general, do things to get women. It's not too much of a stretch to say a white guy joins an Asian Awareness club to meet Asian women.

Maybe he is the exception, maybe an Asian fetish and a dehumanization of Asian women didn't play a part. But Asians are looked down upon in American society, and while some stereotypes may seem positive (Asians are good at school, good at math, etc. etc), there are far more obviously negative and racist ones out there, largely perpetuated on American TV, radio and in movies.

Hollywood utters racist garbage about Asians that they wouldn't dare do, now, against Blacks or Latinos. Just as the stereotype of the Black criminal is always making the rounds, so too is the stereotype of the weak Asian man. The emasculated, even gay, Asian man, there to be laughed AT by non-Asian audiences.

Having grown up seeing white men and their unhealthy Asian fetishes (and now seeing other races jumping in), I can't see most white guys joining an Asian Awareness club solely with their mind on learning about Asian history and experiences. There's enough evidence out to make me believe this Clark has a fetish for Asian women and believes in that submissive, obedient stereotype.

For another perspective on stereotypes check out this post.

For those who are advocating Asian men date and marry Asian women only, ask yourselves if for instance you were a Chinese male: would your parents be happy if you brought home a Filipina female or would they be happy if you brought home a Japanese or Korean female? Or would they be happy if you brought home a white female? My guess is they would want you to marry a Chinese woman, and if that is not possible to marry a white. I know at least two families where kids were disowned for marrying an Asian of different ethnicity although another kid in the family who married a white was accepted. Two Chinese sisters..one marrying a Filipino was disowned and the other marrying a white got all the inheritance. What is wrong with Asian women is the wrong question. What is wrong with the Asians is the right question. Tragically more white men marry Filipinas and contribute to the browning of this country than Asian American men of Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese origin..tragic but true!

An observation: News sources continue to run the photo of the victim which includes the low-cut outfit.  Why?  Why not crop the image as done at at top of this entry?  This seems to promote the fetish of this case.  (Not to mention that low-cut outfits sells newspapers.)  I find the continued use of the photo discomforting and sleezy.