Duke University
The Kappa Sigma Fraternity at Duke University in Durham, N.C., was suspended by its parent organization after throwing an Asian-themed party — replete with conical hats, geisha outfits and intentional misspellings — sparking protests by Asian students on campus.
According to the school’s newspaper, the Duke Chronicle, the university’s Asian American Alliance organized the Wednesday-afternoon rally, which more than 900 people said they would attend, in order to highlight anti-Asian prejudice at Duke.
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The Feb. 1 event, initially called Kappa Sigma Asia Prime, was announced via e-mail invitations that included stereotypical misspellings like herro and chank you and an image from the film Team America: World Police, according to Yahoo! News.
The off-campus party was later renamed International Relations after a report was filed with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life at the university, Gawker reported.
Several photos from the party, which the Asian American Alliance dubbed the “racist rager,” were posted on Facebook and used in fliers around campus on Monday in protest. However, Kappa Sigma members had removed most of posters by late afternoon, according to Gawker.
The fraternity is being investigated to determine the status of its charter. In the meantime, all activities and events at the fraternity have been prohibited until the investigation is complete and the findings of the probe are reviewed, according to the Associated Press.
According to the Duke Chronicle, the university formally recognized Kappa Sigma last year after a 10-year hiatus; the fraternity dissolved and moved off campus in the face of sanctions from the national organization in 2002.