EDISON — The two Board of Education candidates displayed on the offensive postcard mailing that was anonymously distributed to township homes last week hope those who are responsible for the flier are held accountable.
In a joint statement, Jerry Shi, who is running for reelection in the upcoming election on Nov. 7, and Falguni Patel, who is seeking her first term, said they will not be distracted by the “unfortunate attacks.”
“[The postcard fliers] are un-American and not the Edison we know,” the two candidates said. “Those who are responsible for these actions should be held accountable.”
The silly season took an offensive tone when a flier was distributed by mailing on Oct. 31 with the faces of the two candidates, who are of Asian descent.
The flier states “Make Edison Great Again” with the faces of Shi and Patel. Underneath each of their photos is the word “Deport”.
The flier further states that the “Chinese and Indians are taking over the town” and to “stop overcrowding, stop taking over our sports fields, stop the McMansions, stop the multiple families living in one house, stop wasting school holidays and stop the outsiders.”
The source of the flier is not known. Former Edison Board of Education member Veena Iyer said there was no bulk mail permit found.
“[The person[s] responsible for the flier] either had a stamp or were run through a postage machine,” she said.
In the joint statement, Shi and Patel said they decided to run for the Edison Board of Education to improve educational opportunities for all the students of Edison.
“Edison is a wonderful community full of amazing people of all backgrounds, this is our strength,” the candidates said.
As the fliers made a buzz around social media and news outlets, many officials and organizations spoke out strongly against them.
Mayor Thomas Lankey called the fliers “vile” and “racist”.
“Our community proudly embraces our ethnic, cultural and religious diversity,” he said. “My administration, in keeping with our progressive Democratic principles, has supported and encouraged our newest residents to get involved in public affairs, to run for elected office, to work in public service, and to hold appointed posts on local boards and commissions.”
Lankey said his administration will do everything possible to expose the shameful people behind the postcard fliers.
“We referred all documents to our Police Chief and the Middlesex County Prosecutor for action that they deem appropriate,” he said. “As mayor, my top priority is to protect the safety of all residents. Rest assured, Edison will react swiftly to any potential threats that result from this flyer being disseminated in my community.”
Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said the “racist message [on the postcard flier] shocks the conscience and is highly offensive.”
“In order to support the community, our detectives, along with those from the Edison Police Department and other agencies, are examining the facts surrounding the mailing,” he said. “It has yet to be determined as whether or not a chargeable bias or other crime has been committed.”
Keith Hahn, who is the Republican candidate for mayor in Edison, called the flier “shameful and disgraceful.”
Middlesex County Democratic Chairman Kevin McCabe said he was profoundly disgusted by the racist campaign flyer that circulated in Edison.
“This kind of disgraceful message has absolutely no place in Middlesex County or in New Jersey,” he said. “It is absolutely antithetical to everything we stand for as New Jerseyans and as Americans.”
McCabe said he calls on every single candidate running in the November election in Edison, regardless of party, to immediately denounce the flyer.
Assemblyman Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) said Middlesex County is one of the most diverse, vibrant counties in what is one of the most diverse, vibrant states in the nation.
“Edison, our largest city, has always prided itself on being a welcoming community to every single person who wants to live there, regardless of race or religion,” he said. “That is why the anonymous flyer circulated in Edison this week is so repulsive. Whoever issued it is a coward who spouts hate speech but hides behind anonymity. That person does not speak for his community, our county or our state and all of us should disavow his or her hateful message.”
Inspiring South Asian American Women (ISAAW), a New Brunswick-based non-partisan organization seeking to empower and educate South Asian American Women to have a greater voice in their communities, strongly condemned the flier.
“No one deserves this treatment when they stand up and want to serve their community,” Torah Patel, of ISAAW, said. “This mailer represents hate speech and as Americans and residents of the great state of New Jersey, we are appalled at the use of such hate speech in the political process.”
The New Jersey Asian American Law Enforcement Officers Association (NJAALEOA), based in Old Bridge, condemned the flier.
“We are proud that the Asian American community continues to meaningfully participate and contribute to every aspect of society,” said Robert May, president and founder of NJAALEOA. “Asian Americans are represented in business, the military, government, law enforcement and in the schools. The community at large in Edison and in this state is made better by Asian American participation and contribution rather than their exclusion. We are all made better by our diversity.”
The Edison Township Education Association (ETEA) also condemned the mailing.
“The strength of our community lies in its diversity,” ETEA President Jeffrey Bowden said. “There’s no room in our town for hate and divisiveness. A school board election should be a dialogue about issues, not a forum for personal despicable attacks on hard-working, well-intentioned candidates. We support the Edison police and are confident they will bring the cowards behind this hate crime to justice.”
ETEA has publicly endorsed four other candidates for the board in the November election. There are nine candidates vying for the three, three-year term seats available on the Board of Education.
“While we didn’t endorse Mr. Shi and Mrs. Patel, we respect them and appreciate their willingness to make a positive difference in the community,” Bowden said.
Other organizations that condemned the flier included The American Civil Liberties Union-New Jersey (ACLU-NJ), the League of Women Voters of New Jersey (League), and the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (Institute).
Aqib Virani and Ruchika Juneja, who are seeking their first terms on the Board of Education, against Shi and Patel, denounced the fliers and said they stand united with their fellow Asian board candidates.