A former New Britain mayor’s comment on social media is drawing criticism for allegedly being offensive to the Asian community.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle are already condemning former mayor Tim Stewart’s words.
“This constant racist commentary is one that I've heard over and over again in my life,” Jenny Heikkila Díaz, co-chair of the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC), said.
Díaz was angered by Facebook comments made by Stewart. In a screenshot provided by New Britain Democrats, the former mayor responds to a post about the Trump campaign’s allegations of Haitian immigrants eating house pets in Ohio.
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After the original poster writes, “So far they are leaving the dogs alone," Stewart replies, “Need to bring in some Asians for that” with a laughing emoji.
Díaz said this only reinforces a harmful stereotype of Asian Americans being seen as perpetual foreigners.
“It's part of this continuous history of us being othered, marginalized, excluded, dehumanized,” she said.
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Mike Keo, of West Hartford, said this rhetoric cuts deep for so many in the Asian community with bullying at school.
“I was called a dog eater. This is a reality that many of us have grown up with,” he said.
A number of local and state Democrats condemned the comment, calling for Stewart to apologize and step down from the city’s school building committee.
"As a representative of New Britain’s diverse community, I am appalled by the racist rhetoric expressed by Mr. Stewart. His behavior is unacceptable, and he must take responsibility for his actions. He should step down from his role on the School Building Committee immediately," Rep. Manny Sanchez (D-New Britain) said in a statement.
Republican Senator Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield) said the comment was offensive to Asian Americans and marginalized groups.
“Particularly dangerous and impactful are the potential proliferation of demeaning stereotypes and baiting in this day and age of misinformation, social media and fake news. It sets a dangerous and repugnant path towards danger and harmful behavior,” he said.
Stewart responded to NBC Connecticut, saying he had “no comment” on the Facebook post.
This isn’t the first time the former mayor got backlash for his Facebook comments. In 2019, while replying to a photo of women in Congress wearing white, he wrote a comment criticized as misogynistic.
Mayor Erin Stewart called out her father at the time, tweeting, “To all of those asking; I’m embarrassed and mortified.”
Díaz said aside from the ex-mayor’s post, the allegations about Haitian immigrants eating pets are equally as offensive and harmful.
Mayor Erin Stewart and the New Britain GOP town committee did not respond to requests for comment.
