US' first Sikh-American Attorney racially targeted over his turban

Image
Press Trust of India New York
Last Updated : Jul 26 2018 | 10:20 PM IST

America's first Sikh-American Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has been racially targeted by two radio hosts who repeatedly called him the "turban man" on air, drawing severe criticism from politicians and netizens over their "xenophobic and racist" comments.

Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco, who host the "Dennis and Judi Show" on the radio show NJ 101.5FM, were talking about Grewal's decision to suspend marjiuana prosecutions in New Jersey when they began calling him the "turban man".

"You know the attorney general guy? I'm never going to know his name, I'm just gonna say the guy with the turban," Malloy said.

"Turban man!" Franco repeated in a sing-song tone. "If it offends you, then don't wear the turban, man, and I'll remember your name," Malloy said, as both the hosts laughed.

"But Turban Man -- is that highly offensive?"
He also posted a link to an address he gave in May at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies
He recalled the day he was nominated to become the 61st Attorney General of New Jersey, a commentator had asked where will Grewal "park" his "elephant."
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, also a Sikh-American who wears the turban, tweeted, "Hey "Racist Man" @DennisandJudi : I'm a Jersey guy, born & raised, and so is NewJerseyOAG Grewal - this type of racist garbage has no place in Jersey. Get with the program! #RacistManDennis #jerseypride #educateyourself."
The clip quickly garnered attention on Twitter and civil rights advocacy group ACLU of New Jersey tweeted a link with an audio pronunciation of Grewal's name, saying "Turban man? Is that offensive?' Yep. (If you have to ask...). Racism isn't cute. It's just racist."
Twitter users too slammed the racist remarks saying there is no place for such language. Amardeep Singh, ACLU NJ Board Member and co-founder of rights group Sikh Coalition tweeted "let's go after the advertisers of the show as well."
City of Hoboken's Deputy Chief of Staff Jason Freeman tweeted that racism has no place in the "New Jersey that we live in."

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 26 2018 | 10:20 PM IST

Next Story