Asian Studies at UC Irvine

* Your banner-headlined article (“UCI’s Only Asian Department Chair May Leave,” Sept. 9) about Dr. Pauline Yu’s departure from Irvine only fuels the preoccupation with race that affects so many universities.

The fact that she is merely switching campuses, for a Deanship at UCLA, spotlights that this is only an inter-university bidding war to beef up their numbers of the preferred racial groups.

These efforts--and your article--do little for the true cause of racial equality, least of all for individual academics who wish to be judged on their merits rather than their race or sex.

In fact, the 10% figure of Asian faculty at UCI is already higher than their statewide or countywide ratios.

Yu’s efforts in the East Asian language and literature department are laudable, but I am sure UCI will find an able replacement, who will hopefully be judged on qualification rather than skin color.

CHRIS NORBY

Fullerton

* I was disturbed by the headlines over your recent article concerning my colleague at the University of California Irvine, Prof. Pauline Yu. These headlines referred to Professor Yu as an “Asian Department Chair” and “Asian Professor.” Surely in a region as heterogeneous as greater Los Angeles, an American of Asian ancestry is to be considered just as much an American as anyone else.

SUE PIPER DUCKLES

Irvine