REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CHICAGO -- About 400 Chinese scholars, students and Chinese Americans gathered on Thursday in front of the building of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) Chicago Branch to protest against its rhetoric of racial discrimination.
Protesters held placards reading "Stop Racism," "Don't let kids grow up in hatred," "Teach kids love, not kill," "Killing can never be a joke," and demanded an official and sincere apology from the ABC network.
Hu Xiaojun, chairman of Chinese American Association of Greater Chicago, urged immediate resignation of Jimmy Kimmel, the host of an improper talk show skit in which a kid suggested Americans " kill everyone in China" as a way to solve U.S. debt problem.
Hu also demanded a sincere apology from ABC president or senior executive and ABC taking appropriate measures to prevent the broadcasting of contents of racial discrimination.
In ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show aired on Oct. 16, a boy shouted, "Kill everyone in China!" when Kimmel asked how the United States should do about the 1.3 trillion U.S. dollars debt owed to China. Kimmel laughed and said, "That's an interesting idea."
Critics said that Kimmel was wrong for not stopping the comment and failing to explain to the children that it was not the right idea. Even worse, ABC failed to remove the comment from the show, which was taped before it went on air.
"ABC is spreading hatred, fascism" in its program, said Wang Xingwu, vice chairman of Chinese American Association of Greater Chicago.
Wang Lei, chairman of University of Chicago Chinese Students and Scholars Association, said Kimmel's and ABC's apology "is not sincere."
"Apology is not enough, we need action," Qiu Chaolian, honorary chairman of Chinese American Association of Greater Chicago, told Xinhua.
Michael and Julie Chinchirillo, an Illinois couple who were shopping in Chicago, said they decided to "get involved for a little bit, let the voice be known."
Michael believed that "someone in Jimmy Kimmel's position should not be making a statement like this." "He is in a position where people listen to him, believe in him, he just has to be careful for what he says."
Julie said, "This is not a joke, even if he is making a joke, it's not a joke."
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