Coverage of the recent gaffe by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has drawn a sharp rebuke from the Asian American Journalists Association.
The AAJA is concerned in covering the controversy, some media outlets are making the same mistake made by Reid himself.
In his piece for Real Politics, Tom Bevan used the tired phrase “two wongs do not make a right.” Others have used the same phrase in its headlines.
AAJA called the use of the “long-worn phrase” unfortunate and unimaginative.
In its statement, AAJA wrote:
“The phrase is based on a common mispronunciation of R’s and W’s by non-native-English speakers from Asia. It originated from Australian politician Arthur Calwell, who told Parliament in 1947 that “Two Wongs don’t make a White.” Calwell was an advocate of the White Australia Policy, which favors immigrants from European countries.”
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You can read AAJA’s entire statement here.
