A host on CNBC is apologizing for comments he made about Indian Americans which offended many viewers.
According to the NY Daily News, CNBC’s Joe Kernen made remarks like “Are they good at 7-Eleven?” when talking about India’s currency on the show Squawk Box.
Fellow host Becky Quick tried to stop him, but Kernen continued. Before making his 7-Eleven remark, he spoke of Gandhi in a bad Indian accent.
He concluded by saying “Alright, I’m sorry, I take it back. I apologize, before I have to.”
In a statement issued by CNBC and sent to the Media Watch committee of the Asian American Journalists Association, Kernen said “I apologize for any offense it caused. ”
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But Media Watch is doubting the sincerity of the apology.
“His remarks today were a start, although it isn’t clear if Mr. Kernen actually believes he was being offensive,” said Paul Cheung, President of AAJA. “We hope Mr. Kernen will be counseled, if not already, as to why his words were so demeaning, and we urge CNBC to encourage its employees to learn more about the diverse communities they cover.”
“As we have seen in recent days, particularly after the crowning of an Indian American as the new Miss America, there continues to be a lack of understanding, awareness and sensitivity when it comes to race, ethnicity and culture. We can all do better, and our newsrooms need to work harder to be sure that our communities are treated with the respect they deserve. We’ve prepared a stylebook to help.
