That's Not Racial': Marion Barry Seemingly Doubles Down on 'Dirty Asian' Remarks

Marion Barry, the former mayor of D.C., has been combating heavy charges of racism after his "dirty Asian" remarks earlier this month.

In a discussion about employment, Barry said that Asians have "dirty shops" and therefore "ought to go."

"But we need African-American business people to be able to take their place," he explained.

Unwilling to let the comments slide, Reason caught up with Barry and asked the city's former mayor why he needed to bring race into the issue.

"What racial?" he said.  "That's not racial."

"There's a cultural difference between a number of ethnic groups...because of our 'socialization,' because of segregation, discrimination, all of this adds to it, and affects every aspect of our life," he said.

The reporter pressed: "I understand, like, I don't want to go to a dirty restaurant, by what [do you have to] bring Asian into it?"

"Because the fact is that 95% of the [carry-outs] are owned and managed by Asians," he responded.

Some say that Barry's remarks contradict his apology to the Asian community earlier this month, where he maintained that he was taken out of context to be "disparaging [to the] entire Asian" business community."

Others ask whether a Republican would receive the same media treatment after making a similar slew of comments, or whether they would be shamed and removed from the public sphere immediately?