Joe Biden Refers to Asia as 'The Orient' - East Idaho News
News

Joe Biden Refers to Asia as ‘The Orient’

  Published at

022113 JoeBiden?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1410995161381Official White House Photo by David Lieneman(DES MOINES, Iowa) — Vice President Joe Biden described Asia as “the Orient’ in a speech in Iowa on Wednesday, hours after he apologized for using a word that could be perceived as anti-Semitic.

“You know, on the way back from Mumbai to go meet with President Xi in China, I stopped in Singapore to meet with a guy named Lee Kuan Yew, who most foreign policy experts around the world say is the wisest man in the Orient,” Biden said at the kickoff for the “Nuns on the Bus” tour.

The word “Orient” is considered widely outdated and could be perceived as offensive, or insensitive, especially when used in reference to people.

The Republican National Committee jumped on the remark, with its Asian-American spokesman Ninio Fetalvo saying in a statement, “Vice President Joe Biden’s insensitive remarks are offensive to both Asian-Americans and our Asian allies abroad.”

“His comment is not only disrespectful but also uses unacceptable imperialist undertones. It’s time for the vice president to apologize and to understand that his comments embarrass our country,” Fetalvo added.

Meanwhile, Biden apologized earlier Wednesday, saying he made a “poor choice of words” when he used the word “Shylock” to describe bankers who take advantage of U.S. troops returning from serving overseas. The word can be perceived as an anti-Semitic term.


More ABC news videos | Latest world news


Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION