Miley Cyrus is in hot water with some activist groups who are claiming that a recent photo of the teen star is racially insensitive and degrading.
In a photo obtained by TMZ, Cyrus, 16, is shown sitting on her boyfriend Justin Gaston’s lap surrounded by a group of friends all making a stereotypical gesture by pulling their eyes into a slanted position. The gesture is commonly thought to be offensive to Asian Pacific Americans.
The OCA, an organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the U.S., has slammed Cyrus for the photo.
In a statement on its Web site, the OCA says: “The photography of Miley Cyrus and other individuals slanting their eyes currently circulating the Internet is offensive to the Asian Pacific American community and sets a terrible example for her many young fans. This image falls within a long and unfortunate history of people mocking and denigrating individuals of Asian decent.
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