U.S. Senator and potential presidential candidate (D-Delaware) just said the following on C-Span about Indian-Americans (thanks, RSN):

‘You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent’

– Sen. Joseph Biden

In thanking a young Indian-American man for the support of his Indian-American group, Sen. Biden touts how Indians are the fastest growing immigrant group in Delaware and says, “You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.” [Link]

The full quote (watch clip):

“Manish, how you doin’? Well, good to see ya! As you know, I’ve got a lot of support from this Indian side. No, I’ve got a great relationship… In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. To fully… I’m not joking! Oh, gigantic.”

To state the obvious, Indian entrepreneurs’ retail success is admirable. But this line is like associating all Chinese-Americans with laundries — his comment invokes the most common and insulting ethnic stereotype about Indians in the U.S., the Apu of the Simpsons/7-Eleven stereotype.

I thoroughly enjoyed Biden’s steel-toothed grilling of Condi Rice during the 9/11 hearings. He’s known for his salty one-liners:

Biden indicated that while he thinks he could be an effective chief executive, as far as the job itself goes, he could take it or leave it. “I’d rather be at home making love to my wife while my children are asleep,” he said. [Link]

But this one treads too close to Hillary Clinton territory:

‘[Mahatma Gandhi] ran a gas station down in St. Louis’

–Sen. Hillary Clinton

Clinton introduced a quote from Gandhi by saying, “He ran a gas station down in St. Louis.” After laughter from many in the crowd of at least 200 subsided, the former first lady continued, “No, Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader of the 20th century.” [Link]

You don’t expect such stereotyping from American politicians. You expect them from an Indian tabloid, like this eyebrow-raising Mid-Day Mumbai headline on Italy’s World Cup semis win:

(There’s a chance this is a reference to a racist taunt by German fans, but it’s more likely an original.)

Update: Also check out the Sepia Mutiny comments.

Update 2: Biden backpedaled:

”I was making the point that up until now in my state, we’ve had a strong Indian community made up of leading scientists and researchers and engineers,” Biden said. [Link]

Which in the clip isn’t what he was saying at all. Then he tried to clarify:

”We’re having middle-class people move to Delaware, take over Dunkin’ Donuts, take over businesses, just like other immigrant groups have, and I was saying that … they’re growing, it’s moving.”

”I could have said that 40 years ago about walking into a delicatessen and saying an Italian accent in my state,” Biden added. [Link]

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