PhotoThe actor who portrays Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the thickly accented convenience store owner on “The Simpsons,” said Tuesday that he would be “perfectly willing and happy to step aside” as the voice of the character. For nearly 30 years, Hank Azaria has been the voice behind the stingy Indian-American owner of the high-priced Kwik-E-Mart in Springfield, the show’s fictional town. Mr. Azaria, who is white, gave Apu a pronounced Indian accent, which, along with the character itself, has come under intense criticism in recent months as a racist stereotype. “I’ve given this a lot of thought, really a lot of thought,” Mr. Azaria said in the interview. Apu’s significance and influence, the documentary said, contributed to years of negative racial stereotypes that have been used to mock or bully Asian-American children.

Source: New York Times April 25, 2018 15:38 UTC