The Ugly American
A Korean-American who holds a top position at the US Embassy shouted invectives at a young Filipino woman whom he nearly bumped with his car last Friday.
Dean I. Chang, the American Embassy’s second secretary, cursed Princess Cordova, 22, after he got out of his Toyota Forerunner car with a Korean-looking woman, apparently his wife.
“You’re a bitch, you’re a bitch!,” Chang was heard shouting at the shocked Cordova who was crossing the driveway of a Korean restaurant on Jupiter Street, Barangay Bel-Air, Makati City.
Chang and his wife were apparently in such a hurry to get into Kaya Restaurant and nearly ran over Cordova, who was also entering the same restaurant with a female friend.
When Cordova told her uncle, Dindo Danao, an advertising executive, about the incident outside with Chang, Danao told her to go to Chang’s table to apologize.
Danao, who was waiting for Cordova inside the restaurant, told his niece she was probably at fault and that’s why the man was angry.
Even if she knew she was not, Cordova nevertheless obeyed Danao and went to Chang to apologize.
She got another mouthful from a man who’s supposed to act like a gentleman since he’s a diplomat.
“Next time I’ll run you over if you get in my way,” Chang shouted at Cordova.
When Danao protested the shabby treatment his niece got from the Korean-American, Chang reportedly challenged him to a fight.
“You wanna square off with me?” Chang said.
Danao called the police.
Chang was arrogant with responding policemen. He wouldn’t show his ID, but gave his name and his position at the US Embassy.
Chang’s identity was confirmed when the head of the responding team, Insp.Rico Ramos, checked with the US Embassy through the numbers Chang gave him.
Ramos told Danao they couldn’t hold Chang as he has diplomatic immunity.
Danao called this columnist who asked to talk to Ramos.
I said that Ramos could hold Chang for a while until members of the media came.
Ramos said he couldn’t do that, but didn’t prevent Danao from barricading Chang’s car.
Chang refused to talk to the media and went back to the restaurant with another US Embassy official who came after he phoned for help.
While Chang, his wife and the other American diplomat talked inside the restaurant, I took down the plate and windshield sticker of Chang’s car.
I surmise that based on his car stickers, Chang is a US serviceman.
One sticker reads: Dept of Defense, B6B 3C3, West Point, New York.
Another sticker says: New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 20-6-12, No. 0806947.
He has a temporary plate: 097 Diplomatic.
* * *
This is probably the first time a ranking US diplomat quarreled with a Filipino outside the embassy grounds, and a young woman at that.
At the risk of generalizing, in Korea, home of Chang’s forebears, most men have a very low regard for women.
A joke goes that during the Korean War, an American soldier at a checkpoint noticed a man walking some distance behind his wife.
When the American GI asked the Korean man why he walked far behind his wife, the Korean said: “She step on land mine, me safe.”
* * *
Chang is not alone.
The US ambassador, Harry Thomas, is so different from his predecessor, Kristie Kenney.
He once said that foreign tourists came to Manila for sex.
These “diplomats” remind us of that 1960s movie “The Ugly American,” based on a novel by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer about Americans in Southeas Asia.
I’m not referring to their looks, but their character .
An incident clearly shows how unfortunate it is to have mediocre diplomats in the foreign service, no doubt about it. What's really sad in the end is that the thread turns into some sort of flame war against the Americans in general.
People are pretty naive about certain things, the only difference between this guy and many other diplomats, from many different countries is that he is getting exposed. Unfortunately, diplomatic immunity gives rights and privileges to these foreigners and it is delicate when they misrepresent their countries in such a stupid way.
All I am trying to say is that we should start showing a little bit of balance and that WE are the better persons, judging all Americans and turning this thread into a Hate-Gringo subject shows that in the end we're all the same crap but with different smell.
You don't fight unfairness with discrimination. If you're a true Muslim, Christian, or whatever your religion is, show your faith's true values, be compassionate and stop making a fool out of yourself.
the blogger, a Qler who stays now in the US with her family mentioned it's a joke, whether stupid or not, she mentioned the word "joke".
Azi, it happend in our country, in Jupiter street in Bel-Air MAkati in front of a famous Korean Restaurant, Kaya.
If we will just be observant, there is no generalization about the Americans or Koreans here in the story. The generalization was on the movie of the same title.
What is just to highlight here is that this person, an American of Korean descent (an official of the US embassy in MAnila) bad manner in dealing with a local lady and invoke his diplomatic immunity.
He even dared to challenged someone into a fight? He's lucky no one accepted his challenge, maybe all people there are full of patience. But his luck will definitely run and when it does, he'll find himself crawling while exiting a restaurant (hope he can still crawl).
Americans are disgusting, just look at a recent video broadcasted by numbers of channels and posted here by GOJ.
Thanks GOJ, for sharing civilized americans.
This is probably the first time a ranking US diplomat quarreled with a Filipino outside the embassy grounds, and a young woman at that.
At the risk of generalizing, in Korea, home of Chang’s forebears, most men have a very low regard for women.
A joke goes that during the Korean War, an American soldier at a checkpoint noticed a man walking some distance behind his wife.
When the American GI asked the Korean man why he walked far behind his wife, the Korean said: “She step on land mine, me safe.”
Flor1212, he made a stupid joke about Koreans towards the end of the post. If it was truly just about Americans, why not just call him "American", not "Korean-American".
In the Philippines or in the US?
Video shows U.S. Marines urinating on bodies
Washington (CNN) -- A number of websites including TMZ and YouTube posted a video Wednesday showing four men dressed in U.S. Marine Corps combat gear urinating on the apparently dead bodies of three men sprawled on the ground in front of them.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/11/us/video-marines-urinating/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
of Korean descent! And the fact that he is invoking diplomatic immunity, then he is an official employee of US of A.
So have we concluded yet if he is Korean or American?
No, it's not MIKE and PP. It's PP and MIKE! Lol!
If Filipine government has not taken any action like expelling this guy, then you can't really blame him for acting like an ass.
Not exactly, he was just trying to know who I was. Then started by provoking and creating useless threads. He should try harder or start messing with idiots of his own caliber.
Is he sending you abusive PM's as well then Mike?
Prince Planet, sorry so your intentions behind all private messages is only this? LoL what a low piece of crap you are!
for the sake of arguments. At 50, you need to make your mind challenge and always feel the heat. I just don't know about the other party! Lol!
And mind you, I am now very selective on my postings. I don't go on boring topics, only the thread where the "good and best Qlers" are there! But lucky you, you can still post in the vernacular but there's no excitement there anymore! Wonder what happened there! Hope they are fine!
you know how it is here on QL...do the "ignore" mode if you dont like it....
it's just an exchange of views. If they stay on the topic, it will remain civil.
I'm not :)
the guy is Korean American who is an official of the US embassy in MAnila. Is he not an American? The generalization is about the movie! Read again!
What a horrible generalization. From the context, the title should be the ugly Korean.
People with diplomatic immunity abuse their power all over the world. I have heard horrid cases of murder and rape (from non-American diplomats) who get off scott-free because they are diplomats.
This has nothing to do with Americans. I see this behavior all the time with local and non local drivers.
answer that useless accusation. What's her next question?
Wow Azi thanks,...Something learned every day I guess!
he is invoking his diplomatic immunity, meaning even when eating in a public place, he is on "official" duty. So he should be wary about his action. And to think that the other party is a lady! And a local person of the country he is a guest! This guy must be crazy!
This is disgraceful behaviour, but let us remember this is just one individual and not a whole nation.
and the generalization is about the movie. WAit I'll read the thread again.
Well I really don't know why are you reacting like that, Nomerci! Read again. I think you're the one who wants to start something!
Dindo is a nickname for Fernando or just plain Dindo.
The Cordovas and Danao families are well-known clan from the South part of the Philippines.
In regards to the names...you'll be amazed what other names the Filipinos name their kids. Very much like the famous movie actors and actresses name their kids....lol
An example of persona non-grata:
Someone who could be considered "unbearable" even by his own people. LOL!
Some how the names listed in this writeup looks fake Dindo Dano, Princess Cordova ?...a philipina? DeanI.Chang?What are these ?Stage names?and so the whole story sounds fake....
yes it is.
nm, isnt that what happens everyday in QL?
My post is about generalizing...bit over some people's head, is it? lol
The americans are not known for being smart people. Its hard for them to realize that other countries in the world have caught up with them and are moving ahead of them. There was this case of the the well trained and highly qualified american immigration staff deporting their own citizen and that too a young lady to Columbia thinking she was a illegal immigrant
"persona non-grata". He is a guest and should exercise due courtesy in all his action as he is an official of a foreign embassy!
The story behind here is that a woman who's not at fault took the high road & apologized to a government official but still get a mouthful of arrogant response. Respect is better than abusive power of authority. It's news of course it needs detail & the icing of the cake would be the soldier story but I think that part was unnecessary.
Wow! Great Americans!
Dindo Danao.. hahaha sorry that's all I got out of that story!!!
here did not read the story and just relied on the title,hmmm. Read before you rant.So what is with the filipina story that you want to tell,same old Filipina bashing for sure.You and your pathetic mind.
beside the story posted, i love the two lawyers.
That is pathetic behavior and comparing that to some filipina is even more pathetic.
@flor...(for a change) I agree with the first sentence of your post...:)
not an ordinary employee. They represent US in a foreign soil. Now if that is not disgusting, I rest my case.
I remember the "customer service" thread here, generalizing the whole sector for a few isolated case of noisy people here.
And here an OFFICIAL of the great US embassy doing such arrogance in PUBLIC in a foreign soil, WOW!
for many a year!
Now at last, as a resident of Qatar, I can get a good nights sleep having heard the news about a single case of ungentlemanly conduct by a Korean-American to a Filipina Princess in the Phillipines.
What a weight off my mind!
Thanks for the story!
I feel reborn!
Shall I now tell a story how a Filipina behaves when a potential cash cow is around, and then say it's not about their looks it's about "their " character?
No, that would be putting myself on your level...
Ah, "their" character....not generalizing much, are we?