San Antonio AAPI groups have condemned a racist slur used by Trish DeBerry, who is running for Bexar County Judge in Texas, in reference to her opponent Judge Peter Sakai.
Earlier this year, Bexar County Judge Nelon Wolff announced that he was retiring. Sakai, a Democrat, and DeBerry, a Republican, are both vying for his seat. According to KSAT, DeBerry is a former television journalist and owner of a multi-million dollar marketing company. Sakai is a judge with over 25 years of experience.
The San Antonio Current reports that during a forum on October 10 DeBerry referred to Sakai as “Dr. No.” Dr. No is a half-Chinese, half-German character from a 1958 James Bond book. The character is considered to be a racist depiction of Asian people today.
During the forum, Sakai asked DeBerry why she had called him Dr. No. DeBerry claimed it was because he had objected to moving a jail.
“But this is about dignity and respect,” Sakai said as DeBerry tried to move on. “And this is what I bring: dignity and respect to the conversation, not name calling. I take offense to ‘Dr. No.’”
DeBerry refused to back down, saying she would continue to use the name.
“You’re not respecting people who live in poverty on the West Side and have for 40 years,” DeBerry continued, raising her voice. “You say ‘no’ to economic development, you say ‘no’ to pulling people out of poverty and you say ‘no’ to bridging the wage gap, so that’s why I’ll refer to you as Dr. No. It’s unacceptable.”
DeBerry campaign advisor Greg Brockhouse told the San Antonio Current that the name-calling had nothing to do with race.
“It hasn’t got anything to do with anything racist or anything of the sort,” Brockhouse said.
San Antonio AAPI organizations disagree.
“From our perspective, [DeBerry’s use of the nickname] was unequivocally deplorable and a racist statement,” Genaline Escalante, president of the Asian American Alliance of San Antonio (AAASA), told the San Antonio Current.
Sakai’s parents and grandparents were incarcerated during World War II because they were Japanese Americans. Myra Dumapias, founder and community advisor for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Justice, told the San Antonio Current, said the name remind her of that experience.
“Her calling Judge Sakai ‘Dr. No’ twice … recalls for me a novel by John Okada called No-No Boy, the title of which is based on two questions incarcerees in the Japanese American incarceration camps had to answer to proclaim their loyalty to the U.S.,” she said. “DeBerry’s use of ‘Dr. No’ sends a message that it should be normal to use this racist language.”
Elections will be held on November 8. According to the San Antonio Report, current county judge Wolff has endorsed Sakai.
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