By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

(Journal Group Link International)

Filipino-American Group Condemns Floyd’s Racist Rants as American Boxer Apologizes on YouTube

C HICAGO (jGLi) – The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) condemned Sunday (Sept. 5) the “blatantly racist and homophobic attacks” of boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. against the Filipinos and Filipino champion Manny Pacquiao who was called a “whore,” “a little yellow chump” and “midget” in a YouTube href="/">interview.

The undefeated American champion also said he will force Pacquiao to “make some sushi rolls and cook some rice” and “we’re going to cook him with some cats and dogs.”

NaFFAA’s national chair Greg Macabenta issued the statement even as Mayweather issued an href="/">apology also on YouTube Friday (Sept. 3rd) for the profanity-laced racist rants against the Mr. Pacquiao Thursday (Sept. 2nd)

Mr. Pacquiao refused to be drawn into an unparliamentary exchange with Mayweather, telling GMANews QTV that boxing and other sports celebrities should not be using “uneducated statements” and “trash talking” in public.

Congressman Pacquiao said that doing so would reflect poorly of him as a Filipino congressman. Mr. Pacquiao merely laughed off Mayweather rants, saying that he is more focused on his upcoming opponent former world champion Antonio Margarito.

Pacquiao is facing Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboy Stadium in Texas with the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) light-middleweight crown on the line.

Pacquiao had earlier challenged Mayweather to a fight in the ring, but so far Mayweather has refused. Instead, he has defamed and slandered Pacquiao with baseless accusations that he uses performance-enhancing drugs that prompted the Filipino champion to file a $5-million defamation suit that is now pending.

OUTRAGED OF REMARKS

“We are outraged by Mayweather’s racially offensive remarks,” says Mr. Macabenta. “This disgusting diatribe against Pacquiao is a racial slur against all Filipinos and Filipino Americans and an embarrassment not only to the boxing community but to all Americans.

”Talking trash may be common between boxing rivals, but Mayweather’s racially-laced profanities brazenly crossed the line of decency and respectability. Pacquiao, on the other hand, has taken the high road and acted like the gentleman that he is.

“We call on the national boxing associations (sanctioning Mayweather’s fight) and state athletic commissions to censure Mayweather for behavior that is both abhorrent and demeaning to boxing fans and to the whole world of sports.

“We also call on the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to reprimand the boxing star for insulting people of color. We are further asking all civil rights organizations to stand in solidarity with us in denouncing this racist and homophobic rant.

“Mayweather’s apology is unacceptable and he must be made accountable for his damaging statements.

“At a time when immigrant communities are being viewed with increasing suspicion and mistrust, Mayweather’s cruel, abusive and hurtful remarks can only stoke more hostility, derision and resentment against individuals who look foreign by virtue of their looks, their size or the sound of their names.

 
"Coming from a boxing celebrity with millions of fans around the world, Mayweather’s shameless and reckless conduct unfairly paints an entire racial and ethnic group with a broad brush and seriously undermines America’s core values of inclusivity and racial tolerance.”

“POOCH-EE-OW”

As Mayweather continued to mispronounce Pacquiao’s surname, repeatedly referring to him as “Pooch-ee-ow,” referring to a dog, Mayweather did not directly apologize to Pacquiao and the Filipino people either but merely to “everybody.”

“I do want to apologize for what happened the other night,” Mayweather said. “I want to apologize to everybody. They felt it was a racist comment that came from me. I don’t have a racist bone in my body, you know. I love everybody. Some of my guys are Muslims. Some of my guys are Jews. Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexicans, whites, it doesn’t matter. There is nothing but love in my heart, you know what I’m saying?

“I heard this from a few people. The only thing I want to say is, anybody who was offended by what I said the other day, I apologize as a man. I apologize. Forgive me for saying what I said. I was just having fun. I didn’t really mean it, nothing in a bad way. So let’s stay on this roller coaster ride and keep riding, baby. It’s all love.” # # #

Editor’s Note: To contact the author, please e-mail him at:  (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)