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Councilman Liu: Texas Lawmaker Must Apologize
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 10, 2009
Modified Apr 10, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 10, 2009
Modified Apr 10, 2009
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City Councilman John Liu wants an apology from Texas State Rep. Betty Brown for her comments earlier this week. Austinist, with video, explains that an advocate was explaining different Asian Americans might have problem voting under a proposed policy partly due to "confusion over differences between their transliterated names... and their 'common' English name," Brown cut in, "Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese — I understand it’s a rather difficult language — do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?" Liu posted his letter to Brown on his campaign (for City Comptroller) website: "It's outrageous and insulting for you to suggest it would 'behoove' us to adopt another name, to give up our birthright and a part of our own identity, in order to exercise our right to vote" and suggest she resign if she doesn't apologize. Brown said she doesn't think Chinese Americans should Americanize her names—she "didn't choose my words very well"— and that she apologized to the advocate.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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