Haitian-Americans
for Human Rights, the Haitian Centers Council, the Haitian community at large,
and other concerned citizens have come together to denounce a violent and racist
video game that dehumanizes Haitian ethnicity and promotes hate crimes. Rockstar
Games, Inc., the maker of “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City”, and its parent company
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. advocate the killing of Haitians as entertainment.
Players are instructed to “kill all Haitians,” who, in the video game, are stereotyped
as thugs, thieves and drug dealers. According to Dr. Henry Frank, Executive Director
of the Haitian Centers Council, “this is a cultural attack on the millions of
Haitians living in the United States.” A recent online Gallup poll conducted by
the National Institute on Media and the Family, found that more than 70 percent
of teenage boys have played “Grand Theft Auto” video games. The
Haitian Centers Council, together with an alliance of community organizations,
plans to hold a press conference on November 25, 2003 at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall,
in New York City, to announce actions that will be taken against Rockstar Games,
Inc. and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Members of the Haitian community
and friends will be steadfast and boisterous until satisfactory resolutions are
met. The Council plans to exercise all available social, economic and legal options
to bring about the necessary changes. We will outline our strategy at the press
conference.
Haitian Centers Council is a consortium of eight community-based organizations
nationwide. Haitian
CentersCouncil 50
Court Street Suite 1010 Brooklyn,
New York 11201
Dr. Henry Frank, Executive Director (718)
855-7318 (o) (718) 852-5377 (f) info@haitiancenterscouncil.org
Haitian-Americans
for Human Rights John
Alexis (516) 395-5435 jpalexis@aol.com F red
Fabien (347) 256-6658 fabienfred@aol.com Yvon
Rosemond, Community Advocate (718) 855-7275 (o) YvonRosemond@hotmail.com
|
See also: Grand
Theft Auto "vice city" : Kill all Haitians |
In a recent
“Shame on You” news edition broadcasted on November 6, 2003, CBS reporter
Arnold Diaz revealed that Rockstar Games, a prominent publishing division of Take-Two
Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO), made several controversial remarks propagating
the hate and killing of all Haitians with its most popular video game "Grand
Theft Auto-Vice City". "My
mission in the game is to kill the Haitians! I hate these Haitians! We'll take
them out. We'll take these Haitians down…" says Difenderfer, one of
the characters in the video game
Sadly, the “Grand Theft Auto" video game incident underlines the reality
of today's society. However, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it unlawful to
subject people to differential treatment based on race, color, national origin,
nationality, ancestry, age, sex preferences, and mental or physical disability,
and AIDS and HIV status. As
an ethnic group, Haitians are often faced with many kinds of disadvantages and
discrimination in the United States. Whether it is done by Hollywood or certain
members of the American media, and or business group; Haitians are often portrayed
as boat people, voodoo worshippers, and HIV carriers. These cultural attacks often
dehumanize Haitians and give rise to widespread stereotypes and racism. Notice
Read about the first
general meeting held at St. Francis College on Friday, November 14, 2003 . What
we plan to do and more .. End of Notice
It is very important that you let Rockstar
Games (646-536-2842 ext 8457 or 212-334-6633 or email chris@rockstargames.com)
know that these types of behavior or insensitive racial comments will not be tolerated
by the Haitian community. The company needs to remove the game 'Grand Theft Auto'
from the market and issue an official letter of apology to the Haitian community....Full
text |
