National Council of Asian Pacific Americans Denounces Racist Segment on The O’Reilly Factor

The O'Reilly Factor recently aired an offensive segment filled with stereotypes about Asian Americans, as correspondent Jesse Watters mocked people in Chinatown, including some with limited English proficiency, with racist, xenophobic, and insensitive questions. The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) is outraged by the segment and demands an honest apology from Fox News.

NCAPA National Director Christopher Kang issued the following statement:

“This is a racist and offensive segment, and attempts by Jesse Watters and Bill O’Reilly to excuse it as ‘all in good fun’ or ‘gentle fun’ demonstrate a shocking level of callousness and lack of decency. It is not ‘all in good fun’ to perpetuate racist stereotypes about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and it certainly is not ‘gentle fun’ to target or mock people who are not fluent in English. No person should be used as a prop in such a heartless manner.

Also troubling is Bill O’Reilly’s surprise that Asian Americans are engaged in the presidential election—perpetuating yet another fallacy about our community. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing electorate in the nation. We are registering to vote in record numbers, and in many races this November, the AAPI vote will be the margin of victory.

The political discourse has been filled with so much racist and derogatory rhetoric, but that should not lower the bar for what is acceptable—we should demand to raise it. The Asian American and Pacific Islander community deserves better, and all Americans deserve better.”

The following NCAPA members issused statements calling out Fox News for this racist segment:

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation, which includes NCAPA member Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
• Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)
• Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)
• National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)
• OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates

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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 35 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.