AP: Boycott Over Limbaugh's Mockery Of Chinese Language Gains Steam

by Media Matters staff

Rush Limbaugh has become the subject of increasing criticism from the Chinese-American community following his mockery of Chinese language and culture. California state Sen. Leland Yee has launcheda petition calling on Limbaugh to apologize for his remarks and asking his advertisers to drop their commercials from his radio program. Today, the Associated Press reported that Yee's efforts are picking up steam as Asian-American leaders nationwide denounce Limbaugh's remarks:

Rush Limbaugh's imitation of the Chinese language during a recent speech made by Chinese President Hu Jintao has stirred a backlash among Asian-American lawmakers in California and nationally.

California state Sen. Leland Yee, a Democrat from San Francisco, is leading a fight in demanding an apology from the radio talk show host for what he and others view as racist and derogatory remarks against the Chinese people.

In recent days, the state lawmaker has rallied civil rights groups in a boycott of companies like Pro Flowers, Sleep Train and Domino's Pizza that advertise on Limbaugh's national talk radio show.

"The comments that he made - the mimicking of the Chinese language - harkens back to when I was a little boy growing up in San Francisco and those were hard days, rather insensitive days," Yee said in an interview Thursday. "You think you've arrived and all of a sudden get shot back to the reality that you're a second-class citizen."

[...]

Yee has been joined by Asian-American state and federal lawmakers who say Limbaugh's comments are inciting hate and intolerance amid a polarized atmosphere. A number of civil rights groups, including Chinese for Affirmative Action, Japanese American Citizens League and the California National Organization for Women, have joined Yee in calling on sponsors to pull advertisements from Limbaugh's program.

An online petition has been created on Yee's website.

"I want an apology at the very least," said New York Assemblywoman Grace Meng, a Queens Democrat. "Making fun of any country's leader is just very disrespectful for someone who says he is a proud American."

She added: "He was, in his own way, trying to attack the leader of another country, and that's his prerogative as well, but at the same time he offended 13 percent of New York City's population."

For more on the growing backlash against Limbaugh's statements, as well as information on recent threats received by Yee following his call for a boycott, check out the full AP article.

California Lawmaker Receives Racist Death Threat Warning ‘Rush Limbaugh Will Kick Your Ch-nk Ass’

By Alex Seitz-Wald

Last week, California State Sen. Leland Yee (D) called on right-wing hate radio host Rush Limbaugh to apologize for mocking Chinese President Hu Jintao and the Chinese language by speaking gibberish “ching chong chang” Chinese on his radio program. Yee, who is Chinese-American and chairs the state Senate Select Committee on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, said Limbaugh owes the Chinese-American community an apology for his “pointless and ugly offense.” Naturally, Limbaugh did not apologize, and instead railed against Yee the following day on his radio, calling him out repeatedly by name.

Yee’s call for civility did not sit well with one Limbaugh fan, who responded by sending several racist death threats to Yee’s office this week. “Rush Limbaugh will kick your chink ass and expose you for the fool you are,” the faxes read, threatening him with “death” (warning, contains racial expletives):

As the San Francisco Chronicle notes, “The faxes include a drawing of a U.S. flag-adorned pickup truck towing a noose that is looped around what appears to be a caricature head of President Barack Obama.”

The state Senate sergeant-at-arms and the California state police are investigating the threats. And yesterday, Yee called for an advertising boycott of Limbaugh’s show.

The faxes contained “similar graphics and language” as faxes Yee received in April, after he sought to expose how much former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) was being paid to speak at a state university and whether tax-payer dollars were being used to pay her fee.

UPDATEAsked about the seriousness of the threat, Yee spokesperson Adam Keigwi told ThinkProgress today that while the state senator's office has been targeted before, "in light of what of what happened in Arizona, we have to take these things seriously now." Yee has begun an online petition to support Limbaugh boycott effort, and has already attracted over 500 signatures. Keigwi also forwarded an extremely offensive voicemail left at Yee's office strewn with racial slurs and expletives in response to Yee's boycott call. Listen here (warning: contains very graphic language):