Letter to the Editor, Gangbanger Crack Suggests Profiling

July 5, 2007 by Maya Harris, San Jose Mercury News

It is troubling that San Jose council member Nancy Pyle made the statement, "Don't look like a gangbanger if you don't want to be picked up for being connected with a gang" (Page 3B, July 1). It certainly begs the question, "What does a gangbanger look like?"

We hope that she is not referring to the baggy pants, baseball caps and other clothes associated with the hip-hop culture that thousands of law-abiding residents routinely wear - especially kids of color. At a time when questions have been raised about racial disparities in rates of arrest and use of force in San Jose, it is disconcerting an elected official would make a statement that sounds like a justification for racial profiling. We need more sunshine on police records and accountability - not stereotyping.

Richard Konda, Executive director, Asian Law Alliance

Rick Callender, President, SJ/SV NAACP

Maya Harris, Executive director, ACLU of Northern California

Victor Garza, Chair, La Raza Roundtable

San Jose