(KCRA)
She’s only been in the race for Barbara Boxer’s US Senate seat for three days now, but Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez is making waves for what she said and what she has now done.
The candidate was explaining how she recently received an invitation from someone with the Indian American caucus.
“I’m going to his office, thinking I’m going to meet with … ” Sanchez then clapped her hand in front of her mouth and made a whooping sound.
She appeared to be making a joke about the difference between Indian-Americans and Native Americans.
The man who filmed Sanchez said several people in the room described the comments as insensitive and undemocratic.
“I was shocked and appalled that she’d make the disparaging comments about Native Americans that way,” said Uduak-Joe Ntuke of Long Beach.
Sanchez’s opponent, California Attorney General Kamala Harris (Democrat), said she was also shocked.
“You know, I don’t know what to say to that,” Harris said while laughing. “That’s shocking.”
“I think making a comment like that in a meeting is just disrespectful, disrespectful of the diversity which makes our country so great,” said Ken Johnson, a delegate from Manteca.
When KCRA 3’s David Bienick approached Sanchez for comment about the gesture, she ran away and slipped into a building.
Questioned later by reporters, Sanchez said American Indians have “a great presence in our country and many of them are supporting our election.”
Earlier in the day, Sanchez, the representative from Santa Ana, claimed she was a victim of pressure tactics from Democrats who didn’t want her to run for the U.S. Senate seat.
“Let’s just say there were plenty of phone calls asking me not to,” Sanchez said prior to being asked about her comment. “There were plenty of sort of threatening things,” she said.
Sanchez also declined to name any names in regards to the threats.
