Chinese-American Job Seeker Responds After Employer’s Racist “Me Love You Long Time” Email
By: Leanna Feng
Tags: Racism, Race, Asian American, Social Justice, Life And Culture

Chinese-American Job Seeker Responds After Employer’s Racist “Me Love You Long Time” Email

Connie Cheung, HR and Operations Coordinator at Chinese Mutual Aid Association / Photo: Leanna Feng

“One dolla, five dolla…” taunted the other kids at school. Connie Cheung, 28, grew up in Jacksonville, Florida with parents who immigrated to the United States from China. Her peers at school knew her family owned a restaurant and would make fun of how some Asian Americans spoke. These included the classic Bruce Lee and Mulan jokes.

Cheung attended the University of Iowa and later taught English in both Korea and China. She applied for a position with the Chicago Search Group this summer and was shocked by the email she received in response to her application.

“Me love you long time…” wrote James McMahon in a previous thread to his boss, Brian Haugh. When arranging a phone interview with Cheung, Haugh accidentally forwarded this phrase to her.

The phrase originates from the 1987 movie “Full Metal Jacket,” used by a Vietnamese sex worker to an American soldier. Although Cheung has never seen the movie, the phrase was thrown as a racial and sexual slur toward her in high school.

She immediately called Haugh. “Was this a racial and sexual joke because I’m Asian?” Cheung asked. Haugh originally denied the existence of the email. So Cheung took action, posting about this situation on Facebook. This post caught momentum and media attention.

McMahon later spoke to BlockClub Chicago on the defense that the comment was meant for Haugh’s eyes only. The business partners had watched “Full Metal Jacket” together, he said.

For Cheung and many Asian-American women, the phrase isn’t just a movie quote. “It’s a racial slur because it makes fun of how stereotypical Asians speak and is linked to sexual imitation,” Cheung said. “I’m Asian, and it’s not a coincidence that this phrase was attached to my resume.”

Dennis Mondero, Executive Director of the Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA), reached out to Cheung after hearing her story and offered her a position. This week marks Connie Cheung’s third month working at CMAA, a non-profit that serves low-income immigrants and refugees in the Chicago-land area.

The skills required in her new position came naturally to Cheung, as she grew up helping her family translate bills and immigration documents written in English into Cantonese. “I now have the opportunity to help other people with things that I was unofficially doing at home for my family,” Cheung said.

Cheung never spoke up in high school because she believed that she could bear the burden of the racism herself. But this time, speaking up was something she had a responsibility to do.

“The Asian-American community needs to speak out when things like this happen,” Cheung said. “Other minorities are often shocked to hear things like this because of stereotypes that all Asians are successful doctors and lawyers. There are people struggling with their English and simply struggling to get by.”