The chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), blasted an editor for sports giant ESPN over a controversial racial reference in an article on Asian American basketball sensation Jeremy Lin.
ESPN editor Anthony Federico was fired Sunday for using the phrase "chink in the armor" in a headline about the NBA star. Federico, who has since apologized, said the racial reference was unintentional and that he had used the expression in the past.
The California congresswoman, however, said she didn't believe the former editor's choice of words was a mistake.
"The use of the term is appalling and offensive. The ‘c-word’ is for Asian Americans like the ‘n-word’ is for African Americans and if he was using it all those times that is extremely sad," Chu said on MSNBC's "Jansing & Co." Monday.
"I think people need to look at Jeremy Lin's true record. What he has been doing is truly amazing and he stands on his own," said Chu.
"This had nothing to do with me being cute or punny," Federico said, after his dismissal from ESPN, to the Daily News. "I'm so sorry that I offended people. I'm so sorry if I offended Jeremy."
In the wake of Lin’s success with the New York Knicks, media and lawmakers have praised the basketball phenom using joking references to "Linsanity and "Linning." But more racially charged themes have also arisen in the wake of Lin’s fame.
Chu told MSNBC that boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. was "totally ignoring the true record" of Lin when he commented on Lin's Taiwanese background last week on Twitter.
“Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise," said Mayweather in a tweet last Monday.
"I think Floyd Mayweather is the heavyweight champion of insensitive remarks," Chu said. "Not only is he insensitive, but he's also ignorant."
Even President Obama has taken note of Lin’s rise. White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters that the president was "very impressed" with the point guard's play last Wednesday.
"As you know, the President is an avid sports fan, and a particularly avid basketball fan, and we were speaking about Jeremy Lin on Marine One as we flew here — to Andrews Air Force Base this morning. If anybody caught the highlights from last night, they were pretty breathtaking," Carney said in reference to Lin's late-second heroics, which secured a win for his team over the Toronto Raptors.
