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OCA Condemns Power 105.1 FM Radio Segment as Racist
Seeks station meeting, apology for "Are You
Smarter than an Asian?" segment
Release by the Organization of
Chinese Americans
April 14, 2007 - Today, the four New York City metropolitan area
Organization of Chinese American Chapters - New York, New Jersey, Long
Island and Westchester condemned the recent segment aired on radio
station 105.1FM, "Are You Smarter Than An Asian" as racist and is asking
executives at 105.1FM for an on-air apology and a meeting with Asian
American community leaders.
Close to 9am on Wednesday, April 11, the Ed Lover Show with Egypt and
Ashy aired "Are You Smarter Than An Asian" where an "Asian" male named
Mr. Hung Lo spoke with a stereotypical Chinese accent broken English,
and Kung Fu fighting music in the background. A call-in listener then
competed with "Mr. Lo" to answer extremely insulting questions, such as
"How does an Asian pronounce 'fried rice?'"
In a letter to Power 105.1 FM Programming Director, the OCA Chapters
writes, "As a leading radio station in the most diverse city with the
fasted growing immigrant population coming from Asian countries, your
segment was...very ignorant of the community in which you service... it
was a throw back to the era when Asian Americans were grossly
stereotyped in American media...it is sad that your station chose to go
backwards rather than move forwards."
Ms. Vicki Shu Smolin, President of OCA-New York: "It is disconcerting
that immigrant and ethnic communities are the target of so-called
'humor' on the radio just to get ratings. As news spreads of this
incident, the nearly 1 million Asian Pacific Americans living in New
York City will not be listening to Power 105.1. Its executives, along
with Ed Lover and his co-hosts must apologize on air."
Ms. Florence Chen, President, OCA-New Jersey: "Asian Americans are
constantly having to prove ourselves as 'Americans.' OCA will not stand
for this type of broadcasting. We were successful in getting NJ Radio
Station 101.5FM to fire the Jersey Boys for hate media. Unless there is
an on-air apology coupled with a community meeting, we will do all we
can to ensure this will not happen again.
Ms. Jeannette Wang, President, OCA-Westchester: "This segment made a
mockery of the many contributions of Asian Americans to the United
States, right before the month of May, which is Asian American Heritage
Month, when people all over the country celebrate the contributions of
Asian Americans to United States' history, economics and culture.
Mr. John Tandana, OCA-Long Island: "The executives of Power 105.1FM are
completely out of touch with its community. This type of stereotyping
subjects Asian American children to racial taunting and hate crimes. We
hope Don Imus' fall will serve as a catalyst for change and we all
should learn from this bitter lesson. Degrading and mocking other people
will only harm our civil society"
Readings of Related Interest
-
There Must Still be Something Out of Kilter
By Lloyd Williams
Commentary: Either it’s ovah for Imus, or,
as sister Sojourner Truth said so many years ago, there must still
be something out of kilter.
-
Asian Americans Take Action against Offensive Radio Remarks in
Toledo, Ohio
By Theresa J. Mah, Ph.D., Department of
Ethnic Studies, Bowling Green State University
Coalition seeks removal of DJ "Lucus" on Tower 98.3 FM for prank
call segments ridiculing Asians
- N.J.
Radio Station Hosts Accused of Hate, Anti-Asian Sentiment
By LYNDA LIN, Assistant Editor, Pacific
Citizen
Among other comments, 101.5 FM’s ‘Jersey Boys’ call APAs ‘fringe
people’ and stir up debate about free speech and hate media
- HOT 97’s Miss Info’s Future
Still Unknown
By the Pacific Citizen
Staff
March 2005- The Asian American radio host who objected to the
tsunami parody song says she will not return to hostile work
environment
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