Asian PersuAsian

KATHERINE ONG
Staff Writer

It’s a shame to realize that M.I.A.’s finger “mishap” scandal completely overshadowed Michigan Senator Pete Hoekstra’s racially insensitive campaign commercial in the aftermath of the 2012 Super Bowl.
The ad, which only ran statewide in Michigan but managed to garner a nationwide response, opens to a view of rice paddies and the sound of Oriental gongs. An Asian woman on a bicycle, played by 2012 Miss Napa Valley Lisa Chan, thanks current Michigan senator Debbie “SpendItNow” Stabenow in stereotypical, grammatically incorrect ”Engrish” for borrowing American money from China, making the American economy “get very weak” while her country “get very good [so] we take your jobs,” criticizing Stabenow and her platform, which supposedly supports China in lieu of American economic growth.
The rampant blatant stereotyping almost seems like a joke—an insulting one. The Asian stereotypes are a broad spectrum and apply to the Asian race rather than the Chinese population. Hoekstra disregards that an Asian American can be as easily offended by the racial remarks in the ad as a person from China. American culture is influenced by many races and ethnic heritages—numerous Asian cultures contribute to our holistic “salad bowl” culture.
Hoekstra’s attempt at portraying Stabenow as China’s villainess accomplice could be easily misconstrued as Asians in general being the enemy. Despite criticisms, Hoekstra has not apologized for his insensitivity and instead has pronounced continuously full support for his commercial. His support may not be enough to keep his campaign alive after insulting an entire race that is integral to the American population. Unintentional stereotyping is distasteful yet forgivable, but blatant mockery is an unquestionably bad call.