Assemblyman Ron Kim (Flushing) this weekend led fellow lawmakers Congresswoman Grace Meng (West, Central & Northeast Queens), Councilman Peter Koo (Flushing, Queensboro Hill, Mitchell Gardens, Kissena Park, Harding Heights, Auburndale, and part of Whitestone), and Lower Manhattan lawmakers City Councilwoman Margaret Chin, and Assemblywoman Yuh-line in decrying Steve Harvey, comedian and host of the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey show for making racist and and sexist comments on his program.
Harvey’s bit ridiculed little-known self-help books, including “How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men.” Harvey claimed that such a book should be only one page long, consisting of no more than “‘Excuse me, do you like Asian men?’…’No, thank you.’”
Then he went on to assert the same for black women, stating it would be “one page too!…’You like Asian men?’ ‘I don’t even like Chinese food. It don’t stay with you no time…I don’t eat what I can’t pronounce.’” A link to the segment can be found here.
The segment drew immediate condemnation from community groups and online viewers, who decried its racist and sexist content. The aforementioned lawmakers wrote a joint letter to the show’s producer and distributor, demanding a public apology and retraction of the clip in question. A copy of the letter can be found here.
“I found Steve Harvey’s comments offensive and disappointing,” said Kim “Like other recent media segments mocking minorities, this clip crossed the line. It was insulting to not only Asian Americans but women of all races. We are calling on Mr. Harvey and the show’s producers to issue an official apology for this content and remove it once and for all. As fellow Americans, I believe we have an obligation to denounce prejudiced remarks and views like these whenever and wherever they appear, and thank my colleagues in government for standing together on this issue.”
Meng stated: “Shame on Steve Harvey for making racist jokes about Asian men. Once again, a national television personality attempts to be funny at the expense of Asian Americans. His offensive and disrespectful comments are certainly not in line with NBC Universal’s stated value of “champion[ing] an inclusive culture,” and they only feed into the negative stereotypes about Asian Americans; depictions that the Asian American community continues to fight against. Steve Harvey must immediately apologize.”
“Instead of making us laugh, Steve Harvey insulted Asian Americans, white women and black women in one incredibly offensive segment,” said Chin. “Skits like Steve Harvey’s not only reinforce negative stereotypes about Asian Americans, they denigrate the contributions these hardworking Americans have made through the generations. I am proud to join my Asian American colleagues in government to denounce Steve Harvey’s actions and to urge him to apologize to our community, which he has so shockingly mocked and degraded.”
Koo stated: “What makes Steve Harvey’s ridiculous diatribe even worse is that NBC apparently found nothing wrong with disparaging an entire race of people. Asian Americans are sick and tired of defending themselves from this sort of public ridicule, and networks need to wake up and recognize that such bullying tactics are unacceptable.”
Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou stated: “Like decent men and women everywhere, I am appalled by Steve Harvey’s statements. As public figures, our words have far greater reach and impact on public discourse. Regardless of intent, Steve Harvey’s words normalize a history of discrimination and marginalization of Asian-Americans. In these divisive times, public figures should work to bridge divides instead of diminishing the relationships we have worked so hard to build. Such stereotypes harm all of our communities and have no place in our country.”
