“Are There ‘Too Many Asians’?” reinforced anti-immigrant and anti-asian sentiment.
There was massive backlash against the Wall Street Journal’s article, “Are There ‘Too Many Asians’?” The article, which talked about previous Western attitudes toward population control in China and China’s current population decrease, brought into question whether the Wall Street Journal supports the Asian American community, especially in the wake of the shootings aimed at Asian communities in California days before the article’s release.
The article’s title was, overall, insensitive to Asian Americans, especially when considering that many people were on edge because of the Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shootings. The release of the article contributed to the rising visibility of anti-Asian hatred. In addition, its content revealed the author’s positive opinions concerning China’s population decline within a global context. The title was based on a book released in 1959 titled “Too Many Asians,” which stated that Western societies needed to prevent Asian societies from having more children in order to control the global population and handle their resources. The article, originally titled “Are There ‘Too Many Asians’?” adds to the active hatred against the Asian community.
The article was written by The Wall Street Journal’s Chief Editorial Editor, William McGurn. The article attempted to link the previous decade’s overpopulation and poverty issues to previous Chinese population growth.
In the end, McGurn states that there were many factors in the Chinese population decline and that it should have happened decades ago, stating, “If only that were the message being sent 50 years ago — when it might have made a difference.” He argued this by linking previous world leaders and organizations’ views — from the 1960s to the 1970s — on overpopulation and poverty to Western groups pushing population…
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