AAPI Vote 2018: Racist flyers pop up against Asian American in New Jersey congressional race

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Congressional candidate Andy Kim, a former Obama White House staffer, on the campaign trail in New Jersey.

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A POLITICAL MAILER in New Jersey which uses the chop suey font when referencing an Asian American opponent and uses imagery of fish markets common in Chinatown is being blasted as racist, reports Think Progress.

Democrat Andy Kim is in a tight race against incumbent Republican Tom MacArthur in New Jersey’s 3rd District. Kim is currently two points ahead of MacArthur in the latest polls.

The mailer is captioned “something is real fishy about Andy Kim. It is put out by the New Jersey Republican State Committee.

The New Jersey Globe broke down the ad and said there’s nothing racist about imagery of fish, but concluded the use of the chop suey font is an attempt to connote “orientalness” and resurrect a font that dates back to the yellow peril days of U.S. history.

“Congressional Republicans like Tom MacArthur can’t run on their record, because their only legislative accomplishment is a tax cut for billionaires and big corporations that screwed middle class taxpayers in New Jersey,” Currie said to the Globe. “So they’re left with the kind of racist, dog whistle politics that this mailer demonstrates, trying to make a distinguished public servant like Andy Kim into an ‘other.’”

Republicans charge the attack by Democrats is an attempt to move the conversation away from news stories about Kim lying about his resume.

“False cries of racism are a sign that the Kim campaign is coming unhinged down the stretch. Let’s not forget that Tom MacArthur has two Korean children.”

Racist mailers are nothing new to New Jersey politics. The word “deport” were stamped across photos of school board candidates Jerry Shi & Falguni Patel in Edison, NJ. Both ended up winning.

Anti-Ravi Bhalla mailers in Hoboken included the words “Don’t let TERRORISM” take over our town. Bhalla went on to win the mayoral race.

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