Steve Harvey Creates Racist Controversy With Jokes About Asian Men — Some Asian American Lawmakers Are Demanding An Apology

Steve Harvey recently made headlines when Donald Trump decided to add him to his already questionable cabinet. It turns out that Harvey may have more in common with Trump than previously thought. The misogynistic comedian and talk show host recently upset a group of Asian lawmakers from New York when he presented a comedy bit that made Asian men the butt of his joke. Now there are calls for Harvey to apologize.

The offensive commentary aired on Steve Harvey’s talk show on January 6. The comedian started off by claiming to have found a book titled, “How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men.” Harvey took that book and made it into a huge joke that he found so funny, he could barely hold back his laughter.

Harvey told the audience that this particular book only needs two sentences.

“Excuse me, do you like Asian men? No, thank you,” Harvey quipped.

Then Steve Harvey suggested another book that he felt should be titled, “How to Date a Black Woman: A Practical Guide (for) Asian Men.”

“That’s one page too!” Harvey exclaimed. “You like Asian men? I don’t even like Chinese food. It don’t stay with you no time…I don’t eat what I can’t pronounce.”

The Steve Harvey Show segment immediately created a backlash, angering a group of Asian lawmakers from New York who have already written the entertainer a scathing letter according to the New York Daily News.

“We are writing to demand an immediate public apology for your offensive, classless comments on a recent segment of Steve Harvey,” the letter reads.

“In just one short clip, you and your producers managed to insult Asian men, white women, and black women with a single skit. Your statements were racist, sexist, and completely inappropriate for a public figure on a show broadcast to millions.”

The letter to Steve Harvey was reportedly signed by the following politicians, Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Queens), Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens), Councilman Peter Koo (D-Queens), Councilwoman Margaret Chin (D-Manhattan) and Rep. Yuh-line Niou (D-Manhattan).

Peter Koo didn’t just stop with a letter to Steve Harvey. He also directed his ire at NBC, the network that houses the Steve Harvey Show.

“What makes Steve Harvey’s ridiculous diatribe even worse is that NBC apparently found nothing wrong with disparaging an entire race of people,” Koo said in a statement directed at the network.

“Asian Americans are sick and tired of defending themselves from this sort of public ridicule, and networks need to wake up and recognize that such bullying tactics are unacceptable.”

Although Steve Harvey himself has failed to comment on the outrage after his skit aired, his rep did speak up on his behalf. In the half-hearted defense-apology, they claimed that he meant no offense. Real the official response below.

“Steve Harvey was poking fun at unusual book titles in a comedic segment from Friday’s show. His comments were never meant to demean the Asian community and the show sincerely apologizes to anyone who was offended.”

So basically “the show” apologized, but no word from Steve Harvey. In any case, what Harvey said was offensive and people were offended by it. It doesn’t seem to matter if his jokes come from the titles of books or not. That joke he made about black women wasn’t an already published book. Instead, Harvey made that tasteless joke up to continue poking fun at Asian men based on the first book.

Do you think Steve Harvey’s segment from January 6 was offensive to Asian men? If so, should he just go ahead and apologize? Tell us what you think of this latest controversy in the comments section below.

[Featured Image by Jacopo Raule/Getty Images]