Stop Predatory Gambling

Racial profiling, casino-style

by spgadmin

East Coast casinos are intensifying their targeting of Asian-Americans in an effort to get them to lose more money. They are hiring directors of Asian-American player development, expanding dining areas and menus, and spending money on foreign-language advertising in newspapers and on billboards.

“The fundamental thing is that these businesses are predatory,” said Ellen Somekawa, executive director of Asian Americans United, a Philadelphia advocacy group that has been fighting plans to build a casino near the city’s Chinatown neighborhood. “We’re concerned that it will have a harmful effect on the Asian-American community and all the communities in Philadelphia.”

Ms. Somekawa continues to be a persuasive and passionate leader against the predatory gambling trade. We applaud the work she and other Asian-American leaders are doing to end the exploitation of their community.