Vahan Jerry Ounjian, a dentist based in California, is being accused of racism after posting a video on his Instagram that mocks an Asian American lawyer, reports NextShark
In a video posted to his 13,000 followers, Ounjian is heard laughing at a billboard promoting the lawyer, saying “Would you hire this child? … no.” He also blatantly uses a stereotypical Asian accent as he read the ad.
Many people immediately called out his racist remarks. “Yes I said it, you are a RACIST. Spelled it out for you,” said one of the responses Ounjian received in his direct message on Instagram. Qunjian at first did not show any remorse despite the public outrage. He countered the angry responses with pictures of him with his Asian friends.
Ounjian has also received comments that directly racial profiles him. One assumption describes him as “mostly caucasian” and a “privileged White male.” In response , Ounjian said that he is 100 percent Armenian and a proud American.
Ounjian has since taken down the posts, privatized his Instagram account and formally apologized to the Asian American community. In a statement to Next Shark, Ounjian said that “I had posted a story on Instagram about a billboard picture which I thought was funny due to how young the male attorney looked. I found humor in that and that alone… It was not geared to make fun of him for being Asian. However, I now see that it can be misconstrued as being insensitive. I am far from a racist and would like to formally apologize to the gentleman on the billboard as well as the Asian community for my actions.”
James Wang is an immigrant from Taiwan who has at least 12 years of trial experience. According to Next Shark, Wang said that “It’s unfortunate that this type of ignorance still exists in 2019.”
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