By RODNEY J. JALECO
ABS-CBN North America News Bureau WASHINGTON D.C. - A top executive of TV conglomerate ABC described it as a "first step" – reaching out to the Fil-Am community - but the controversy over a perceived racial slur in the top-rating ABC program "Desperate Housewives" simply refuses to die down.
Though Disney-ABC TV Group senior vice president for diversity Bob Mendez would not say it openly, the outreach was an offshoot of the indignation triggered by something Teri Hatcher’s character said in last year’s season opener of "Desperate Housewives". The one-liner questioned the qualifications of doctors who graduated from Philippine medical schools.
"As part of an ongoing conversation between ABC and NAFFAA (National Federation of Filipino-American Associations), we agreed to establish a partnership that would allow us to explore ways of addressing the problems of stereotyping and racial bias in mainstream media," NAFAA communications director Jon Melegrito explained.
He stressed that their objective was long term and intended to stop "those practices that are offensive to minorities and people of color."
"Change that takes place within, through dialogue and critical engagement, may actually lead to more substantive gains," Melegrito added.
"We do a lot of outreach in the course of the year," Mendez tells ABS-CBN’s Balitang America during the outreach program at the Capitol Hilton here.
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