People are outraged at a Fox News segment in New Yorkâs Chinatown, calling it racist. The segment, in which people are asked about the election, aired as a part of Tuesdayâs OâReilly Factor. Racist bits in the segment included asking men if they know karate and "jokes" like âDo they call Chinese food in China just food?â
OâReilly correspondent Jesse Watters set out to Chinatown for his âWatters Worldâ segment, armed with hard-hitting questions about Donald Trump and Chinaâs relationship with the U.S. In between questions, a clip of Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid was shown. Miyagi was played by Pat Morita who was Japanese American, not Chinese. When Watters isnât putting people on blast for not speaking English, or for not speaking English with an American accent, the host is saying things like, âTell me what's not made in China.â
Watters has since tweeted the segment was meant to be âlightâ and âtongue-in-cheekâ but added, âI regret if anyone found offense.â
As a political humorist, the Chinatown segment was intended to be a light piece, as all Watters World segments are.
My man-on-the-street interviews are meant to be taken as tongue-in-cheek and I regret if anyone found offense.
The Asian American Journalists Association asked for an apology for the segment it described as ârude, offensive, mocking, derogatory and damaging.â In a statement AAJA said, âItâs 2016. We should be far beyond tired, racist stereotypes and targeting an ethnic group for humiliation and objectification on the basis of their race. Sadly, Fox News proves it has a long way to go in reporting on communities of color in a respectful and fair manner." The organization added, âFox missed a real opportunity to investigate the Asian American vote, a topic not often covered in mainstream news.â
This is far from the only recent controversy about Asian representation on television. Earlier this year, Chris Rock made a joke about Asians at the Oscars, bringing three Asian children to the stage and introducing them as the accountants that helped count Oscar ballots. Â