The chancellor of Purdue University Northwest apologizes after being criticized for racist Asian language impression on stage at the school’s winter commencement ceremony.
Keon, who wrote in his statement that he “did not intend to be hurtful,” added that he would be meeting with members of the student government as well as directing new diversity initiative, PNW Respecting Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, to understand and address issues of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
Keon’s apology comes after a clip of his remarks went viral Wednesday. Richard Lee, a professor at the University of Minnesota, who posted the video to Twitter on Tuesday, said he initially saw the clip of the commencement on a former student’s Facebook page. Lee, who is also the director of his school’s Asian American studies program, told NBC News that the remarks were not only racist, but also an example of an “abuse of power.
Lee added that Keon’s description of the language he was impersonating as “Asian” shows that he essentially perceives Asian Americans as “all the same.”
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