‘Squinty eyes’ remark about Ed Lee draws rebukes

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - NOVEMBER 08: (FILE PHOTO) San Francisco mayor Ed Lee smiles as he campaigns in Chinatown on November 8, 2011 in San Francisco, California. Candidates for San Francisco mayor are making one last push to encourage people to vote as San Franciscans head to the polls to vote for a new mayor, district attorney and sheriff. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) less SAN FRANCISCO, CA - NOVEMBER 08: (FILE PHOTO) San Francisco mayor Ed Lee smiles as he campaigns in Chinatown on November 8, 2011 in San Francisco, California. Candidates for San Francisco mayor are making one ... more Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close ‘Squinty eyes’ remark about Ed Lee draws rebukes 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Two retired San Francisco judges told a Chinatown audience mourning former Mayor Ed Lee that they were dismayed that a speaker at Sunday’s City Hall memorial service referred to his “squinty eyes” when he laughed.

Lillian Sing and Julie Tang, both of whom are Chinese American, described the phrase as a racially insensitive stereotype of Asians.

“We felt uncomfortable when one person spoke about squinty eyes,” Sing, who retired from the Superior Court bench in 2015 after 30 years and is the co-founder of Chinese for Affirmative Action, told the audience of mourners Thursday in a flower-bedecked auditorium on Stockton Street.

Tang delivered similar remarks in Chinese. Later, she said in an interview that the phrase “really bothered me, ever since that day. It just nagged me. ... We have a mayor who’s Chinese American. Are we still having to fight these battles? But you know what, if we have to, we will fight.”

Although Sing and Tang did not identify the speaker by name, they were referring to comments by Charlotte Mailliard Shultz, the city’s chief of protocol. She planned the celebration of Lee’s life and took to the podium herself Sunday.

Shultz praised Lee, who died last week of a heart attack, and then talked about his well-known fondness for bad jokes. She said that when Lee laughed, his “squinty eyes” would light up.

“I was in the audience,” Tang said. “When I heard it, I said, is this real? Am I really hearing this? I was shocked.”

She said she wondered if she was being overly sensitive, but that after the service, several people came up to her and said they had heard it too and were upset. “It was like, it’s OK to be making fun of Chinese people.”

Responding in a statement, the Mayor’s Office of Protocol said Shultz “worked side by side with Mayor Lee for more than seven years strengthening San Francisco’s international relations.”

The statement added, “This has been a very difficult time for her. Mrs. Shultz apologizes if any of her comments regarding the mayor — which were intended to be heartfelt and warm — offended anyone. Mrs. Shultz loved Mayor Lee very much and will miss him dearly.”

Jason Fagone is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jason.fagone@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfagone