Racial Profiling in Reporting

By Mark Grubbs

The Korea Times article, ``Immigration Office Lax in Screening Drug Users,'' on May 8, 2009, by staff reporter Kang Shin-who, is yet another reminder of how immigration must crack down on foreign workers who use illegal drugs, especially when teaching children.

While I fully agree that anyone working in any job should not be using illegal drugs while working, I would like to see the media place race or country of origin in the broader context of Korean societal drug use (``3.3 percent of 'all' crimes reported so far this year involved illegal drug distribution, consumption and production, with proportion on the increase in recent years.")

Statements like, ``… immigration authorities [need] to intensify visa screening procedures in order to reduce the number of drug-using foreign teachers," seem to infer, in the wider context of Mr. Kang's article, that of the 3.3 percent mentioned above, foreigners are the main culprits.

I find this sort of reporting as racially biased and fear mongering. This sort of reporting serves neither the public good nor ultimately protects children, as is evidenced by this article. The issue is illegal drug use in Korea, and specifically, in schools, which is multifaceted. Singling out foreigners in reporting of the problem is almost racial profiling. I call for balanced reporting of the entire scope of drug crimes.

I would like to see articles that cover stories about ``anyone" using illegal drugs while teaching children, foreign or Korean. Is the journalistic audience uninterested in the drug problem in the society as a whole? I find it unnecessary for Kang to include, ``Six foreign English teachers ― three Canadians, two Americans and a New Zealander ― were arrested Friday..." in his article.

What relevance does the national origin of the offenders have in the illegal drug use? This type of reporting almost approaches racial profiling. Further indicating this notion is ``Kim Ki-young, a senior policeman dealing with drug crime, said the immigration authorities need to intensify visa screening procedures in order to reduce the number of drug-using foreign teachers."

Am I to infer that, in the context of the whole article, that Kang reports that a rise in foreigner drug use is indicative of a significant portion of the above-cited 3.3 percent? I fail to see another reason why he would quote it.

Finally, to protest the racially biased reporting of illegal drug use, I see an inherent illogic in the proposed solution to the problem (assuming foreigners are the main cause of drug-related crime). ``The Korea Immigration Service (KIS) initially planned to conduct 'cannabinoids' tests on E-2 visa applicants, but the idea was scrapped in March last year due to a lack of equipped hospitals…"

Are we foreigners now to be medically tested by immigration officials who are non-health professionals? Apparently, the police think so (``But police believe immigration authorities need to conduct cannabinoids tests in order to reduce drug convictions among foreign teachers.").

I would like to see the media report on the problem of drug use as a multi-dimensional societal issue, including drug-using Korean and foreign teachers of Korean children. Interestingly, ignored in Korea and other nations are many workers who use legal addictive drugs daily that alter behavior and brain function.

Why does much of the world care so much about ``illegal" drugs, but seem to turn a blind eye to abuse of mind-altering, body-damaging alcohol, nicotine (one of the top most addictive substances in the world), and caffeine? Should we not also be concerned about these in any teacher's body while teaching children?

The writer is a full-time lecturer at Hanyang University. He has been teaching English in Korea since Sept, 2000, and can be reached at mgrubbs221@yahoo.com.

[출처 : 코리아타임스]