Andrew Yang on healthcare during the Democratic Debate: 'I'm Asian, so I know a lot of doctors'
As the Democratic candidates for the 2020 presidential election offered their opinions and plans -- and took jabs at each other -- regarding health care, Andrew Yang invoked his Asian heritage.
While some members of the audience at Texas Southern University applauded and a moderator looked to ask a new question, Yang said, "I am Asian, so I know a lot of doctors, and they tell me that they spend a lot of time on paperwork, avoiding being sued and navigating the insurance bureaucracy.
"We have to change the incentive, so instead of revenue and activity, people are focused on our health and in the healthcare system."
He opened his statement with his business background.
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"As someone who has run a business, I know that our current healthcare system makes it harder to hire people," he said. "Makes it harder to give them benefits and treat them as full-time employees -- you instead pretend they're contractors. It's harder to change jobs, it's certainly harder to start a business.
"The pitch we have to make [to] the American people is, 'We will get the healthcare weight off of your backs and then unleash the hopes and dreams of the American people."
Yang bringing up the stereotype didn't sit well with all viewers. CNN senior national correspondent Kyung Lah, a native of South Korea, tweeted she was "annoyed."
"to a laughing room." I'm annoyed.
— Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) September 13, 2019
The comment, at the very least, got people talking.
Andrew Yang saying he’s Asian and knows a lot of doctors is a bit jarring. As an Asian American doctor, I’ve seen my share of model minority stereotypes. But seeing an Asian guy on the presidential debate stage is the biggest source of pride I’ve felt in a long time. #DemDebate
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) September 13, 2019
Wait...did Andrew Yang just say "I'm Asian, so I know a lot of doctors?"
I never heard that stereotype before.#DemDebate— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) September 13, 2019
“I am Asian, so I know a lot of doctors” 😂😂😂Okay @AndrewYang got points from me there #DemocraticDebate
— Esther Choo, MD MPH (@choo_ek) September 13, 2019
During the debate on July 31, Yang joked, "The opposite of Donald Trump is an Asian man who likes math."
Earlier in the debate, Yang revealed plans to give $1,000 a month to 10 families for a year -- another debate moment that sparked instant reaction on social media.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democratic debate: Yang: 'I'm Asian, so I know a lot of doctors'