The Detroit Free Press reports:

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U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra's Super Bowl Sunday ad has drawn criticism from Republicans, Democrats, ministers and Asian Americans.

The ad features an Asian woman riding a bike by a rice paddy and speaking broken English.

Black ministers in Detroit and the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote group’s Michigan chapter both called the ad racially insensitive. The other Republicans running for the Senate nomination said it proved that Hoekstra is not the best candidate to take on Stabenow in November. Democrats were united in their criticism and even some Republicans called the ad racist, xenophobic and “really, really dumb,” in social media postings.

The Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote’s Michigan chapter released a statement calling the ad very disturbing.

“No elected official or candidate for office, regardless of political affiliation, should use stereotypical imagery or language,” the statement said. “The use of these stereotypes is counter to the progress our country has made over past decades to encourage respect for all communities."

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