Gigi Hadid, the top supermodel, Vogue covergirl, Victoria’s Secret Angel and Tommy Hilfiger brand ambassador, was seen making squinty eyes next to a Buddha-shaped cookie last week via her sister Bella Hadid’s Instagram story.
Not familiar with Hadid? She’s an influential figure with 29.2 million followers to her name on the social media platform. Bella’s, on which the story appeared, has 10.5 million followers.
Asian American actress Chloe Bennet, who leads the ABC series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” wrote a letter to Hadid on her Instagram Wednesday:
“As a kid, (and frankly as an adult) people would make fun of me for being Chinese. For having “Asian eyes.” I would laugh it off because it was always a ‘joke,’ and if I didn’t I was being ‘too sensitive.’ But in reality it made me feel horrible. Like just being me was a joke that was not meant to be taken seriously. I was embarrassed of who I was.
…
It hurts my heart to see someone like you, a beautiful young woman with so much influence, act in this inconsiderate way. This does not make you a bad person or racist, however, it does make you ignorant to the pain that your actions can cause others. No matter how unintentional those actions are. And even if it was just ‘a joke.’”
Through Hadid, who has not apologized for the since-deleted story, the long history of the caricature of the “squinty-eyed,” broken English-speaking Asian — from Marlon Brando and Mickey Rooney in yellowface to more recent butcherings by reality TV stars and, yes, even our current president — continues.
Zayn Malik, Hadid’s boyfriend and former One Direction member, responded to a critic on Twitter by writing, “Trust me…she likes asians ;),” when asked, “Being of Asian descent, how do you feel about your girlfriend making fun of Asian people?”
“To the young Asian men and women who are used to laughing off others’ ignorance, even though deep down you are hurting: I hear you. … Who you are is not ‘funny,’” Bennet wrote. She blasted Steve Harvey (who last year made malicious and disrespectful statements about Asian men, despite an insincere apology from his team) as well. “While I’m at it, Asian men are super sexy. So with all due respect, f—k you Steve Harvey.”
