Sanchez Under Fire for Ethnic Remarks
September 24, 2010,
By REBECCA CATHCART
thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com
LOS ANGELES – Loretta Sanchez, a Democrat, is attracting criticism for a remark to a television reporter that, “the Vietnamese and the Republicans” were “trying to take away” her seat representing California’s 47th Congressional District.
Though the interview with Ms. Sanchez aired on Univisión on Sept. 12, her remarks drew widespread attention this week after a report appeared in Orange County Weekly and were mentioned on the air by Roger Hedgecock, a nationally-syndicated conservative radio commenter. The comments sparked anger among residents of Santa Ana, home to one of the country’s oldest and largest Vietnamese communities, and threatened to further tighten her race against State Assemblyman Van Tran, a Republican.
“She’s involved in the toughest re-election fight she’s had to deal with,” said Chip Hanlon, an Orange County resident and editor of Red Country, a conservative political blog. “Her lead is within the margin of error. If she’s still within the margin on election day, I think she will lose.”
In the same televised interview on the Spanish-language show, Al Punto, Ms. Sanchez called Mr. Tran, “anti-immigrant” and “anti-Latino.” Mr. Tran has demanded Ms. Sanchez issue an apology.
“I was shocked that a senior member of Congress would speak that way about me and about her own constituents,” Mr. Tran said Friday. “What’s ironic is that I have more in common with the Latino community as a first generation immigrant than she does, having been born here.”
Ms. Sanchez released a statement Thursday saying her words referred only to, “those in the Vietnamese community who are supporting her opponent.” Ms. Sanchez’s spokeswoman did not respond to calls or e-mails Friday. |
