Monona Yin speaks at Campaign v. Marky Mark & CK press conference in Times Square

Monona Yin speaks at Campaign v. Marky Mark & CK press conference in Times Square

Mark Wahlberg, a prominent American movie star, has a history of racism. In 1986, he harassed a group of African and Asian American teenagers, and in 1988, he assaulted two Vietnamese Americans, including army veteran Johnny Trinh. Wahlberg was convicted for the latter incident and served only 45 days in jail. By 1993, he was building his Hollywood career as a serious actor and sex symbol, famously appearing in a Calvin Klein ad in his underwear with a provocative, animalistic look. A massive billboard featuring him was displayed in Times Square.

CAAAV highlighted the link between Wahlberg's career and his past hate crimes against African and Asian Americans. They argued that as a Hollywood star, Wahlberg should not be allowed to progress in his career without addressing his past. CAAAV plastered the city with stickers reading "Marky Mark: Convicted Racist" and held a press conference in Times Square. This event compelled Wahlberg to issue a public apology and brought attention to hate crimes against Asian Americans. Monona Yin is a co-founder and former staff member of CAAAV.

Sources:

CAAAV Voice, Spring 1993
CAAAV Voice, Fall 1993

February 11-18, 1993

Cynthia Zhang

Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities.

Photograph

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