Jesse Jackson calls on Asian automakers to diversify
Last year, we reported how civil rights activist Jesse Jackson asked General Motors to provided emergency funding for minority dealers while the automaker was culling its dealerships in light of its market share.Now Jackson is calling on Asian automakers to increase the number of ethnic minorities among their staff and management. He points to how Honda, Hyundai, and Kia currently have very few blacks and latinos among their U.S. executives, saying that the companies should be as sensitive to employment practices as Ford and General Motors. While there has been no official response from Honda and Kia at the time of this post, Hyundai responded to Jackson's statement, arguing that it does have minority executives.
[Source: Bloomberg via Detroit Free Press]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Snapping Turtle 7:27AM (5/15/2006)
Give me a break.
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Koba 7:28AM (5/15/2006)
While I'm all for diversity, especially in corporate America, this guy is a JOKE. He serves no purpose but to rant and rave, gaining himself a high profile at the expense of the civil rights community as a whole.
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JB 7:33AM (5/15/2006)
Is this guy still around? Is it 1987? Companies should be free to hire the best and brightest for the position, regardless of the wrapper. One of the big problems saddling the Big 2.5 is that they have been forced to hire people because of their wrapper, and promote them above others who may be more qualified - in a vain attempt to have the company "look like America". The problem is, with the Asian automakers is that their people are generally better educated than Americans of any wrapper. The only thing they don't get is how to interact in a Western culture, but is hasn't been a big problem, has it? Look at engineering classes in US Universities - lots of Asians above all. Even the Spelling Bee has a lot of Asians. Just seems to be higher than their population percentage - so what are they doing? Stressing education, not pie-in-sky dreams of playing pro sports that non-Asian families fixate on. These are all generalities, of course, but seems to be a trend. I don't mind being passed over for a promotion if I know the best person got the job - I want the company to succeed, so we all do well.
You can bet if that Japanese exec was sexually harassing a minority, that Jesse and Co. would be on the first bus to picket in front of their HQ. Hypocrites, all of them. Not concerned about a woman's rights (if indeed the facts are true - innocent until proven guilty) if she is Asian - not the "right" kind of minority.
Jesse - shouldn't you be fathering another child somewhere? Maybe we could trade you to Libya for future considerations. It's not that I don't like you as a person, Jesse, I just don't like you as a public figure.
Whew! I feel better now. That's a lot for a Monday morning.
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dennis headrick 8:11AM (5/15/2006)
this man has no credibility! i wish that all media persons would turn their backs to him and turn off the cameras and microphones when he appears, this would ensure the end of jessee jackson.
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G. Snyder 8:19AM (5/15/2006)
"...He serves no purpose but to rant and rave, gaining himself a high profile at the expense of the civil rights community as a whole."
Well, he is also an extortionist. His 'Rainbow Coalition' front will usually back down magically once large donations are made. The irony is that he is part of the reason the stereotypes that he allegedly is fighting exist int he first place.
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yvo 8:26AM (5/15/2006)
if their asian automakers i would presume that the majority of their top executives would be asian. last time i checked, asians were still a minority in the United States.
as JB stated, the best person for the job should get the job, regardless of their ethnic background.
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DH 8:35AM (5/15/2006)
Another shakedown tour by the Reverend. I'm sure once the "Asian automakers" make a significant contribution to the Rainbow Coalition all will be forgotten. Amen!
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Meek 8:38AM (5/15/2006)
Good point yvo. Asians are a minority. The Asian automakers should ask how many asians are on the rainbow coalition board.
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Brian Bastyr 9:06AM (5/15/2006)
Is Jesse trying to squeeze another dealership for his sons, like he did last time. And let's not forget the beer distributorship for his family.
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Rob Lowe 9:48AM (5/15/2006)
He's probably interested in securing a Toyota dealership for his latest mistress.
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Ben 9:57AM (5/15/2006)
Great!!!
Yes!!!
That'll throw a wrench in Toyota until GM can catch up.
Wow!
That was a brilliant idea: setting Jesse Jackson on them!
Welcome to America!
I wonder if Ford and Wagoner had anything to do with this?
That is way "brillianter" than any comeback plan I have heard from either manufacturer.
Bold moves indeed.
Sic' em Jesse!!
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Alice 9:59AM (5/15/2006)
But look how many Toyota fans are turning against him (yet would vote for him in a heartbeat).
Come on guys, cut him some slack. Aren't you liberal democrats too?
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Ferguson McSqueege 10:15AM (5/15/2006)
Actually, because the Asian ethnicity as a whole is the most successful minority (highest median household income, highest percentage of Bachelor's Degrees, highest average IQ, highest math SAT scores, lowest total arrest rates, etc.) they really aren't considered a "minority."
That's why you'll find the racist Jesse Jackson fighting against Asians...they've succeeded despite being a minority. How can Jesse Jackson complain about how the white man is keeping the black man down, when the Asians have shown that it is possible to rise from a persecuted beginning to become a successful ethnicity in America. Asians discredit most of the things that Jesse Jackson proclaims, so of course he isn't going support them!
Remember, it wasn't long ago (during WWII) that we were throwing Asian-Americans into "internment camps."
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Alice 10:15AM (5/15/2006)
I think this was a brilliant collaboration between the Big 3 and Jesse Jackson to give Toyota some American-style obstacles to business.
This alone should retard Toyota's growth until GM and Ford have turned around.
Welcome to America, Toyota.
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Corey W. 10:25AM (5/15/2006)
Alice,
I hope you're joking, connecting him to all liberal Democrats would be ignorant.
Ok, everybody, let keep this REAL!! That "best person" for the job is BULLSH*T... I work in corporate IT and still see the "good ole'boy network" crap everyday, and if you think it's still not a problem your a blind gnome living in some fairy land....
Concerning Jesse, untill he has some tanagable proof of unethical practices at (US divisions) he should probably be quiet.
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Cody Peterson 10:27AM (5/15/2006)
Oh God.... Jesse Jackson.....
First of all, why is he a "reverend"? Did he go to seminary? nooooo
I'm tired of this dudes policy of pointing figers at everyone and then sitting back and doing the opposite.
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Corey W 10:34AM (5/15/2006)
#10
Are you comparing the "camps" Asians were put into druing WWII to the institution of Slavery?? Oh that good one!!
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matt 11:16AM (5/15/2006)
Corey, I believe the point was that african americans arent they only ones that faced discrimination. Asians, like other groups were treated very poorly when they arrived in the white dominated america. But they, and many of the others have overcome it.
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John B 11:39AM (5/15/2006)
Sounds to me like another Jesse Jackson shakedown is in the works. Does anyonw know what the Japanese and Korean words for "piss off" are?
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Slinger 11:42AM (5/15/2006)
Ferguson McSqueege (#11): Most excellent post ever. Thank you for that genius post.
I'll just make it short: You can praise a race or you can discriminate them, but in the end it is Racism either way. This bastard, including many others like him still draw a line where good "Racism" is good, and bad racism is illegal.
Liberal hippie douchebags like this idiot make democrats look bad in general. This won't even make the evening news, much less CNN.
Yep, the White man keeping us all down. I'm Loving It!
-From an Asian :D
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