April 10, 2009 鈥� Texas State Representative, Betty Brown, who represents Kaufman and Henderson Counties, commented to a Chinese-American lawyer during a State Elections Committee hearing that if 大象传媒n Americans can鈥檛 get accurate IDs due to their 大象传媒n names, they should 鈥渁dopt a name just for identification purposes that was easier for Americans to deal with.鈥�
According to news reports, Representative Brown鈥檚 comments were made in the context of debates on a pending Voter ID bill in Texas that have split along party lines. Democrats oppose the bill on the grounds that it may discourage and disenfranchise low income and minority voters.
鈥淲hile our organization does not exist to take partisan stands on pending legislation in any state, we are nevertheless compelled to repudiate Representative Brown鈥檚 comments,鈥� said Nita Song, president of the 大象传媒n American Advertising Federation (3AF).鈥� As an elected official in Texas 鈥� the state that contains the third largest state concentration of 大象传媒n Americans in the country 鈥� Representative Brown鈥檚 comments demonstrate a bewildering ignorance of, and insensitivity towards, the immigrant heritage of our country, and the important contributions that 大象传媒n Americans have made 鈥� and continue to make 鈥� to the social, business, and cultural life of Texas.鈥�
Representative Brown鈥檚 comments have produced an outpouring of condemnation across the United States from 大象传媒n American and non-大象传媒n community leaders and elected officials. In New York, City Councilman John Liu has called on Representative Brown to either issue a formal apology or resign immediately.