Yesterday, Jeb Bush traveled to the Mexican border where he tried and failed to clarify his use of the offensive term “anchor babies.” In his remarks, Bush offended not one, but two ethnic groups when he said that the term “anchor babies” is “more related to Asian people.”
Jeb Bush may be behind Donald Trump in the latest polls, but it won’t help him to use offensive and insensitive terms in reference to American citizens.
Here’s how the media covered Jeb Bush’s comments:
Washington Post Opinion: Linda Sanchez: When it comes to the politics of immigration, the GOP’s candidates are sinvergüenzas — shameless
“The ‘anchor baby’ narrative is politics at its worst — serving mostly as a Republican dog-whistle, tapping into an implicit racial sentiment that suggests children of color are less than fully American or they’re just a vehicle for gaming the system. It accomplishes nothing other than stoking the unwarranted fear that too many Americans continue to hold about our country’s changing demographics.”
Slate: Jeb Tries to Explain “Anchor Babies” Remark: “Frankly, It’s More Related to Asian People”
“Bush’s defiant use of such inflammatory slang was so striking in the moment because, in a GOP nominating contest currently dominated by anti-immigrant belligerence, Jeb has tried to present himself as the levelheaded, compassionate adult. Meanwhile, the Hispanic Leadership Network, a center-right group that he helped found and remains connected with, was already on the record urging politicians not to use the term. The fact that Bush used it while defending birthright citizenship only made things even more bizarre.”
MSNBC: Jeb makes ‘anchor babies’ mess even worse
“But just as important is the fact that the GOP candidate, while trying to put out one fire, may well have started another. […] The percentage of Asian-American voters doubled in the United States between 1996 and 2012. Why Republicans would take steps to alienate them on purpose is a bit of a mystery.”
Bloomberg: Jeb Bush Brings Asian Immigrants Into ‘Anchor Baby’ Debate
“Michael Kwan, president of OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates, said Bush was unfairly ‘castigating’ and entire group of people. […] ’Our immigrant communities have consistently been painted as an invasion force and the use of the term ‘anchor baby’ is a clear example of this,’ Kwan said in a statement to Bloomberg.”
Vox: Jeb Bush: Don’t worry, I wasn’t calling Latinos “anchor babies” — I meant Asians
“So Bush is trying to have it both ways here. He’s trying to use the phrase ‘anchor babies’ to reassure the base that Donald Trump isn’t the only one who knows the downsides of birthright citizenship. But he’s trying to tie it to a policy issue that actually does exist, rather than one that (to all appearances) does not.”
Huffington Post: Jeb Bush Clarifies That He’s Concerned About Asian ‘Anchor Babies,’ Not Hispanic Ones
“In continuing to shrug off his use of the term, he said that people should ‘chill out,’ and accused his opponents and the media of waging a war on political correctness and taking his comments out of context, even though ‘anchor baby’ is typically used as a derogatory description of the children of undocumented immigrants.”
Washington Post: Jeb Bush: People should ‘chill out’ on the ‘anchor baby’ controversy
“Former Florida governor Jeb Bush on Monday dismissed the controversy surrounding his use of the term ‘anchor baby,’ saying during a visit to this U.S.-Mexico border town that he merely used the term to describe instances in which non-Americans abuse the law to gain citizenship for their children, and that it is more prevalent among Asians.”
New York Magazine: Jeb Bush’s Risky Plan to Take on Donald Trump
“After sparring with Donald Trump during the first GOP presidential debate this month, Rand Paul switched his strategy: While he initially ignored the reality star, in recent weeks Paul repeatedly attacked him. ‘What do you do to a bully? You stand up to him,’ Paul explained. That plan makes sense for Paul, who needs the Trump-related media attention and knows a thing or two about trolling. However, now Jeb Bush is trying the same strategy, and the initial results aren’t promising. The Trump jabs Bush made during his appearance in New Hampshire last week didn’t get much attention, but the media noticed that he picked up the term ‘anchor baby’ from his rival. And on Monday Bush made the gaffe worse by explaining that it’s Asians, not Latinos, who should be offended.”
The Hill: Trump: ‘Asians are very offended’ by Bush’s ‘anchor babies’ remark
“In a clumsy move to get out of his ‘anchor babies’ dilemma, where he signed that he would not use the term and now uses it, he blamed ASIANS
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2015
“Asians are very offended that JEB said that anchor babies applies to them as a way to be more politically correct to hispanics. A mess!”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2015