AP

Rep. Don Young said he meant "no disrespect" when he used the racial slur "wetbacks" in a recent radio interview.

The Alaska congressman, one of the most senior Republicans in the House, told Alaska's KRBD radio that when he was young, his father had "50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes" on their California farm. "Wetbacks" is a slur commonly used to refer to illegal Hispanic immigrants.

“My father had a ranch; we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes,” Young said in the interview. “It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It’s all done by machine.”

In a statement late Thursday, Young said the term was "commonly used during [his] days growing up" but knows it's "not used in the same way nowadays." Nevertheless, his remark comes at a crucial time when the Republican Party has struggled to connect with Latino voters.

“During a sit down interview with Ketchikan Public Radio this week, I used a term that was commonly used during my days growing up on a farm in Central California,” he said. “I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays and I meant no disrespect.”