U.S. Vice-Consul Maureen Chao told Indian students that her "skin became dark and dirty like the Tamilians" -- the people from the southern state of Tamil Nadu -- after a 24-hour train trip from Delhi to Orissa. Yeah, she went there. The U.S. Consulate issued an apology the next day:
"During the speech Ms. Chao made an inappropriate comment. Ms. Chao deeply regrets if her unfortunate remarks offended anyone, as that was certainly not her intent," the US Consulate said on its website.Chao's comments, and the subsequent statement of apology, did not go over well with officials in India, including the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, who accused Chao of racism. More here: U.S. apologises after diplomat tells Indian school children train journey made her look 'dirty and dark' like them.
The American diplomat was describing "positive memories from her own study experiences in India 23 years ago," the US consulate said.
"As US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently noted, the US-India partnership is based on our shared values of democracy, liberty, and respect for religious and cultural diversity," the US consulate added.