stone. LOUIS (AP) – Michelle Li, a former morning anchor for KING 5 in Seattle, criticized her for being “very Asian” and told her to “keep herself Korean” after an audience member. Since then, it has received a lot of support from all over the world.
Michelle Li, now an anchor for KSDK-TV in St. Louis, Missouri, did a 30-second segment on New Year’s Day about what people eat during the holiday season. In the end, she off-the-cuff commented that she eats dumpling soup like many Koreans do.
One viewer left a message saying she was “a little offended” by the comment for suggesting that a white anchor would be fired for talking about what white people eat on New Years.
Lee is of Korean descent and raised by white parents in Missouri. In a KSDK post, she said she reconnected with her Korean family in 1998 and has incorporated Korean culture into her life since then.
She posted the woman’s message on social media and received thousands of messages of support, including from former NBA player Rex Chapman, comedian Margaret Cho and Boston Mayor Sylvia Wu.
On January 4, Lee announced that she and Gia Vang, a Hmong anchor at KARE in Minneapolis, will be offering a line of merchandise featuring the “Very Asian” logo for a limited time, with proceeds going to the Asian American Journalists Association.
Li did not immediately respond to a message on KSDK seeking comment.
In a post on her radio website, Lee said the racist post turned out to be a gift because it led to many people sharing family photos and stories on social media.
“There are more good things than bad things,” she said.
KSDK said in a statement that it fully supports Li.
“At KSDK, we embrace diversity in the people we hire, the stories we tell, and our local communities. We will continue to support Michelle and celebrate diversity and inclusion,” the station said.
