AAU: Get on the bus! Tell Casino mogul that targeting Asians won’t go unanswered!

Dear Colleagues:

If there’s any question about how predatory and exploitive the gambling industry is toward Asian communities, take a look at some of Steve Wynn’s recent comments in an investor call he made last week about coming to Philadelphia:

·          The Vietnamese are part of the group he calls his “old friends” who like to “shoot craps and gamble”;
·          He loves his proximity to “these people” and the Philadelphia neighborhoods overall;
·          He called his Asian workforce in Macau “totally delicious.”

As he puts it, in his own words:
“I love the proximity to these people. I love the proximity to the Vietnamese neighborhood. And I’m gonna put in a beautiful Vietnamese restaurant for them.”

When it was announced that a casino would be built on the edge of Philadelphia Chinatown in September 2008, Asian Americans United and many of you rose to fight off one of the most powerful monied and politically-connected industries in the nation. In the process, we became politicized about the exploitive and predatory nature of the casino industry, an industry that uses everything within its power to boost its bottom line through exploiting vulnerable Asian communities, particularly our seniors, recent immigrants and young people.

We’re not alone as targets – the industry loves college kids, neighbors and “every stripe of ethnic group” that loves to gamble, as Wynn puts it.

But Wynn’s comments and casino industry practices should make it clear, we’re in their sights.

On Wed. March 3rd, we’re headed to Harrisburg to make sure Steve Wynn hears from Asian communities who aren’t playing to stereotypes and seeking to exploit our people for their profit. We’re coming to Steve Wynn tomorrow not because he’ll offer us food and ply us with “pretty colors” and noxious and bizarre labels. We’re coming to Steve Wynn because these are our communities, these are our children and we’re standing up to say he’s not entitled to them.

SIGN UP HERE!

JOIN ASIAN AMERICANS UNITED in Harrisburg! Buses leave at 7:15 a.m. from 30th Street Station and return mid-afternoon. $25 pp or contact AAU at 215-925-1538. If you can’t make it, pass it along to someone you think might be interested and please help us spread the word!

Helen

Helen Gym
Asian Americans United
1023 Callowhill Street; Philadelphia, PA 19123
www.aaunited.org
215-925-1538 (o); aau@aaunited.org

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal