During a presentation about the racial inequality, a Oklahoma GOP lawmaker called Asian Americans "yellow".
"Well, into your presentation did you visit yellow families?" State Sen. David Rader questioned the presenter.
Damion Shade, a policy analyst, corrected Rader about his use of the term. It has been used historically as a slur.
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After a Wednesday presentation on racism, a Republican state senator from Oklahoma was the target of backlash.
State Senator David Rader, who is serving in the state Senate from 2016, made these comments during an exchange with Damion Shade (a policy analyst at Oklahoma Policy Institute), who had just finished a presentation about the history of racism in America and how it has led to the racial inequality.
The Oklahoma Senate uploaded video of the exchange. It shows Shade questioning Rader after his presentation.
"Well, how far into your presentation did it go to yellow families?" Rader asked.
He said, "You left yellow families out of your home for quite some time."
Shade quickly corrected Rader's use of the term.
"Do you mean Asian Americans?" Shade replied.
Rader replied, "You use Black term," Shade retorted, reminding Rader once more of the correct term.
NPR's Code Switch in 2018 noted that the term "yellow", a slur, has been used historically to oppress Asians and those of Asian descent.
"Asian distraction. Rader stated that their experience was different from others who have arrived over. Rader made the apparent reference to the myth of the "model minority" myth, which holds that every person who identifies with the Asian American community is successful, hardworking, and wealthy. Sarah Kim explained this previously for Insider.
Rader then shifted to a line de questioning about the rates of poverty among Black Americans over the time. He claimed that the "Black family was more intact and more able be together in 1960", before the Civil Rights Act, Rolling Stone first reported.
Rader did not immediately respond to Insider's Saturday request for comment.
His use of the term elicited swift and negative reactions.
KFOR was told by Alicia Andrews that although it was troubling that he had said it, it was troubling that he doubled-down." "The study was about race inequities, and we are here talking about his misuses of language.
Rep. Cyndi MUNSON, an Asian American representative, said to KFOR that she was especially upset by the increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the coronavirus epidemic began last year.
Munson stated that he recalled people asking him if my father had yellow fever. "My mother is Korean." Munson spoke to the local news outlet. "Although it might not have been intentional, that doesn’t mean harm hasn’t been caused."
