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Jay Leno’s Apology to the Asian Community
The other night, as I was scrolling through my social media feeds, I started seeing stories coming in that comedian and former late-night talk show host Jay Leno had made a public statement apologizing for the jokes he directed towards Asians. He confessed knowing it was in poor taste, but he didn’t realize how harmful and hurtful it was in perpetuating Asian stereotypes. According to a press release from the advocacy group, Leno recently met with the Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) to discuss how his past comments have been harmful to the Asian community. Leno seemed grateful, stating that, “MANAA has graciously accepted my apology.”
Later, I was surprised to see several posts from bloggers and influencers in the Asian community angry with Leno saying his apology was lame and he should pay. I certainly can’t speak on behalf of all Asians. I can only speak for myself and as a life coach. I’m glad to hear that MANAA accepted his apology. I personally appreciate Jay’s gesture in coming forward to help in the healing of Asian hate. Anyone who has ever apologized, especially publicly, knows it’s not an easy task.
We’re mad. We want people to be accountable. We say we want an apology. And then when someone does apologize, we say, “Too little…
