LOS ANGELES — Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ) said it is “outraged by the blatant, racist and offensive stereotypes of Chinese Americans portrayed in a recent Fox News segment during The O’Reilly Factor.”
The largest Asian American civil rights organization in the U.S. also demanded a formal apology from Fox News.
AAAJ stated in a statement issued Wednesday that the fact that O’Reilly termed this as “gentle fun” and Watters believed it was “all in good fun” only demonstrates a complete lack of a moral compass.
“It is unconscionable that a news organization would sanction a segment that laughs at a community of people, including Watters ridiculing elderly Chinese Americans who were limited English proficient,” the statement said.
Although The O’Reilly Factor may believe this was “all in good fun,” the segment does nothing more than play up every offensive stereotype of Asian Americans that the community has fought against for decades, the statement said.
What they should have done is to talk about the important role that Asian Americans can play in this upcoming election, said AAAJ.
According to AAAJ, there are more than 9.3 million newly eligible voters this year, and 37% of Asian American respondents in the 2016 Voter Survey identify themselves as independents.
“Our community stands to play an important role in this election and the future of politics as the fastest growing racial group in the United States. We demand a formal apology from Fox News and The O’Reilly Factor for airing such an offensive segment. We, as a community, refuse to be mocked and trivialized,” the statement concluded.