A Michigan state representative apologized Thursday for her use of racial slurs to describe her Asian-American former Democratic primary opponent for state senate.
Rep. Bettie Cook Scott, a black state lawmaker, was accused of referring to Rep. Stephanie Chang as “ching-chang” and “the ching-chong” outside a number of different precincts in Detroit before the polls closed last Tuesday, and is said to have called a volunteer supporting Chang an “immigrant” and said they “don’t belong here,” according to a report in the city’s Metro Times.
Scott also allegedly told Chang’s husband, Sean Gray, who is black, it was disgusting to see “black people holding signs for these Asians and not supporting their own people.”
“These comments are offensive to all Asian-Americans,” Chang said to the Metro Times. “It isn’t about me. It’s about an elected official disrespecting entire populations, whether they be Asian-American, immigrant, or residents of Sen. District 1 or [Cook’s] own current house district.”
Scott issued a statement Thursday apologizing for the remarks. “Those are not the kinds of comments that should be made nor are they the kind of comments I would normally make,” Scott said in a statement, reported the Detroit News. “I humbly apologize to Rep. Chang and to her husband, Mr. Gray, and to the broader Asian American community.”
She also said she wanted to apologize to Chang directly.
“We live in a time of increasing divisiveness,” she said. “As a state representative, I should never do anything to contribute to an atmosphere of divisiveness and for that, I am terribly sorry.”
Almost two dozen advocacy groups, such as Michigan’s chapter of Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote, had called on Scott to apologize.
Chang won Tuesday’s primary and will now compete with Republican contender Pauline Montie in the general election. Scott finished third in their race.
