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Academy Chief’s Apology for Jokes at Oscars Riles Asian Members

Chris Rock, the host of the Oscars, joked that three children of Asian descent were the accountants from PricewaterhouseCoopers. About two dozen Asian members of the academy said they felt the joke was a slur.Credit...Chris Pizzello/Invision, via Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Another day in Hollywood, another awkward response to complaints of racial insensitivity by the academy.

On Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences came under attack from about two dozen Asian members — including Ang Lee, Sandra Oh and George Takei — who demanded an apology for what they called slurs at the Oscars ceremony. The telecast’s host, Chris Rock, and a presenter, Sacha Baron Cohen, made jokes at the expense of Asians that hinged on child labor and small genitalia.

“We’d like to know how such tasteless and offensive skits could have happened and what process you have in place to preclude such unconscious or outright bias and racism toward any group in future Oscars telecasts,” read a letter that was sent to the academy’s embattled chief executive, Dawn Hudson, and released publicly.

Ms. Hudson’s reply, sent by email on Tuesday afternoon, did not land well, with some describing it as resembling “a form letter.”

[ Read the academy members’ letter and Ms. Hudson’s response ]

“Academy Apology Letter for Lack of Sensitivity to Asians Fans More Flames,” read the headline on Deadline, a Hollywood trade news site. E! Online wrote on Twitter, “And the Oscar for best sorta apology after making Asian jokes goes to … The Academy.”

Mr. Takei, speaking by phone late Tuesday, said Ms. Hudson’s note was “patronizing” and infuriating. “It was a bland, corporate response,” he said. “The obliviousness was actually shocking. Doesn’t anyone over there have any sense?”

The academy had no immediate response to Mr. Takei’s criticism. (Ms. Hudson at least served up the A-word in her email to the letter signers, writing, “I apologize for any hurt the skits caused.”)

In a statement to the news media about the initial letter from the Asian members, the academy said: “The Academy appreciates the concerns stated, and regrets that any aspect of the Oscar telecast was offensive. We are committed to doing our best to ensure that material in future shows be more culturally sensitive.”

The latest back-and-forth came as the academy’s 51-member board met in a marathon meeting on Tuesday to figure out how to address the issues raised by another group of angry members. In late January, responding to outrage over the Oscars’ all-white roster of acting nominees for a second year running, the academy’s board made deep changes to the organization’s membership and core mechanisms.

But the secrecy and speed of the board’s action at the time dismayed many members; others were infuriated by plans to purge the voting rolls of older, inactive members. Some of the changes violated the academy’s own bylaws.

Roughly seven hours after Tuesday’s meeting concluded, the academy finally divulged its activities. The board reaffirmed its January resolution to take away voting privileges for inactive members, although the organization’s various branches will have some limited flexibility to determine the criteria for establishing what constitutes activity.

An appeals process for members who lose voting rights will be created.

The academy also decided to go forward with a plan to add three board seats earmarked for women and minorities. They will go to Reginald Hudlin, a producer of the most recent Oscars telecast; the screenwriter and director Gregory Nava, known for “Selena” and “El Norte”; and Jennifer Yuh Nelson, who directed “Kung Fu Panda 3.”

The academy also appointed more women and minorities to each of its six board committees.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section B, Page 6 of the New York edition with the headline: Apology for Jokes at the Oscars Riles Asian Academy Members. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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