In a disturbing incident, correspondent/anchor Amara Walker, who is of Asian American descent, tweeted that she was harassed and intimidated, not once, but three times, at Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport (MSY) by both citizens and security. Walker tweeted that first, a person of color spoke to her, saying “Ni Hao. Ching Chong.” Ching Chong is a common racial slur.
then said to me “Ni Hao. Ching Chong.” Ni hao means hello in Chinese. “Ching Chong” is a racial slur that has been used to mock us, Asian Americans for many decades. It brought me back to the days at my elementary school playground, (3/15)
— Amara Walker (@AmaraCNN) October 30, 2020
Subsequently, another person got in her face, without a mask, asking whether she speaks English, and then proceeded to yell and curse at her while her producer alerted security. Good Samaritans came to her aid, as well, but the man continued to escalate his harassment.
Then he started to speak incoherently in what sounded like a fabricated Asian language. I told him to leave, repeatedly. My producer, who was in disbelief over these encounters, also demanded that the stranger leave me alone. He refused and started yelling obscenities. (8/15)
— Amara Walker (@AmaraCNN) October 30, 2020
When security came, instead of assisting her, they proceeded to berate and intimidate her instead, with her tweeting that he got in her producer’s face and said, “That was not racist! Ok? Asking if she speaks English is not racist, ok?”
“that guy was using racial slurs, and it made us uncomfortable.” Then, unbelievably, the police officer put his face very close to my producer’s, and vehemently disputed his account loudly declaring “That was not racist! Ok? Asking if she speaks English is not racist, ok?(11/15)
— Amara Walker (@AmaraCNN) October 30, 2020
Both Mayor Cantrell and the New Orleans Airport administration tweeted their concerns and apologies for the incident, and stressed that it is under investigation.
.@AmaraCNN We are very sorry to hear you had this experience at MSY. New Orleans is a welcoming city, and we do not condone racial discrimination of any kind. We have notified the appropriate agency, and they are investigating this incident. https://t.co/fqi5XIMvej
— New Orleans Airport (@flyneworleans) October 31, 2020
More information as it becomes available.
