Chef suspended for making racist eye gesture against Koreans

By Jung Min-ho

A celebrity chef beloved by many Mexicans has been suspended indefinitely by Telemundo, an American Spanish-speaking network, after using racist gestures against Koreans.

James Tahhan, better known as “Chef James,” the co-host of Telemundo's morning show Un Nuevo Dia and another co-cost Janice Bencosme have been suspended for making slant-eye gestures on air.

They did so after Korea's World Cup team beat Germany, which helped Mexico advance to the knockout stage. Following the contest, the show hosts celebrated together, making the gestures and sharing a laugh.

In a statement to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday (local time), Telemundo said the behavior was “contrary to our values and standards.”

“We are extremely disappointed with our morning show contributors James Tahhan and Janice Bencosme's gestures referring to the South Korean national soccer team … As a result, both James Tahhan and Janice Bencosme have been placed on an indefinite suspension,” Telemundo said.

“Our company takes this type of inappropriate behavior very seriously as it is contrary to our values and standards.”

After the issue came to the fore, many Koreans, Americans and Mexicans found his behavior offensive and voiced their anger.

“Such gestures feed into the stereotypes of Asians being inferior and labeling Asians always as 'the other.' People around the world use verbal and nonverbal gestures to put all Asians in a box,” Gina Dawson, a Korean-American who lives in Denver, told The Korea Times.

“Many people dismiss Chef James's slanted eye gesture as a joke, ignorance and/or they say how Koreans are also racist. One does not justify the other. All racist and micro-aggressions need to be addressed and we've got to start somewhere.”

This is, unfortunately, not the first time Koreans have been a target of a racist gesture during this World Cup in Russia.

Argentina's football legend Diego Maradona was also caught up in a racism controversy about two weeks ago when he made a racist gesture toward young Korean fans who were shouting and waving at him in joy.

But he later denied the racism accusations, saying he was just showing his gratitude to the fans.