Lawmakers Urge FOX News Host To Resign Over 'Chinamen' Remarks

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Southland lawmakers Monday were calling for the resignation of a FOX News host for racially-charged comments about Chinese people.

State Senator Ted Lieu ( D-Redondo Beach) and Assemblymember Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) issued statements in response to comments made by Bob Beckel during during a recent broadcast of "The Five", a roundtable-style forum where guests discuss current political issues and pop culture.

On last Thursday's broadcast while discussing national security issues regarding China, co-host Beckel used the term "Chinamen" and said "the Chinese are the single biggest threat to the national security of the United States".

"As usual, we bring 'em over here and we teach a bunch of Chinamen – err, Chinese people – how to do computers, they go back to China and they hack into us," Beckel said during the broadcast.

In a broadcast of "The Five" last February, Beckel was criticized for commenting that after he went swimming, his "eyes blew up" and made him "look Oriental."

Chau said in a statement that Beckel "must immediately issue a public apology and submit his resignation to ensure that it never happens again to any ethnic community."

"Not only were Mr. Beckel's comments a slap in the face of many Asian Americans that have worked tirelessly to promote a positive image of their community and heritage, but can also lead to physical acts of violence and discrimination, especially when spoken in the context of national security," said Chau.

Last week, Lieu condemned Beckel's "extreme racist and xenophobic views" and demanded his resignation.

"His ignorant views are dangerous because it is precisely those types of extreme xenophobic and racist views that caused our government to massively violate constitutional rights during World War II and force more than 100,000 Americans into internment camps," said Lieu.

There was no immediate reaction from Beckel or FOX News.