Asset | Economics responds to accusations

Study association Asset | Economics has reacted surprised to the accusations of Xu Cheng, who wrote a blog in which she blamed a co-student of racist remarks.

The comments were supposedly made during the study trip of Asset | Economics in 2011. The student was accused of saying “Chinees…Spleetogen”, which translates to “Chinese…slanted eyes”. Before the blog was posted, Cheng had posted a message on her Facebook in which she told about her negative experiences.

Anne van de Vorst, chair of Asset | Economics, regrets the state of affairs. “In the first place I’d like to say that we never, ever approve of racism. After Cheng posted her first Facebook message we have sought contact with her. We then had a frank conversation about the situation and we agreed upon discussing it with the students as soon as possible.

A few hours later, however, Cheng e-mailed the study association that she did not agree with the arrangements.  One day later, she posted her blog. Van der Vorst: “The slander against  Asset | Economics is not justified. We are an internationally-minded association with many international students. If anything, we want to form an environment that makes them feel secure.”

According to Van de Vorst, her association cannot take responsibility for what participants of these trips say or do, “but we do want to find a solution for this”. Asset | Economics is now trying to act as an intermediate between Cheng and Leeffers. The two students will first have a conversation with the International Office.

The student, who is accused in the blog of the racist remarks and wishes to remain anonymous, says that the indictment came as a total surprise. “I never spoke a word with Cheng herself. Moreover, I am an ESN mentor myself. I’m friends with a lot of international students, and was recently awarded as the best mentor of the semester. I’m no racist by any standard.”

The student cannot remember anything about the alleged remark. “I do remember the conversation that Cheng refers to. I was discussing something with a fellow student after a night out, in a friendly environment. If indeed I said anything like this, it was completely taken out of context. It was never my intention to hurt anyone’s feelings. Nevertheless I would have preferred it if she had come to talk to me about it.” The student would like to resolve the situation together with Cheng. “But I’d rather have done that in a personal manner. The way in which I’m claimed to be a racist is unacceptable.”