Andrew Yang joked about his Asian heritage and that he 'knows a lot of doctors'

He made the remark during the third Democrat presidential primary in Houston

Yang was answering questions on Medicare when he referenced the stereotype

His remarks angered some on social media, while others appreciated the joke

Presidential hopeful Andrew Yang has been criticized for joking about his Asian heritage and 'knowing a lot of doctors' during a Democrat debate last night.

The businessman and lawyer made the reference as he was being questioned over his Medicare plans during the 2020 Democratic primary in Houston, Texas.

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Yang began by saying he would try to control soaring costs that doctors had warned him against at the debate with nine other presidential hopefuls.

As some of the audience applauded his policies on Medicare for All and moderator, Linsey Davis, started to ask another question, Yang added: 'Now, I am Asian, so I know a lot of doctors.'

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang made a joke about being Asian and 'knowing a lot of doctors' at the 2020 Democratic presidential debate in Houston, Texas, last night

He went on to add: 'And they [doctors] tell me that they spend a lot of time on paperwork, avoiding being sued and navigating the insurance bureaucracy.

'We have to change the incentive, so instead of revenue and activity, people are focused on our health and in the healthcare system.'

He opened his statement describing his business background and the difficulties some employees face getting access to healthcare.

He said: 'As someone who has run a business, I know that our current healthcare system makes it harder to hire people.

'Makes it harder to give them benefits and treat them as full-time employees, you instead pretend they're contractors. It's harder to change jobs, it's certainly harder to start a business.

Democratic presidential candidates Senator Kamala Harris, former tech executive Andrew Yang (center, and former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke (right) on stage during the Democratic Presidential Debate last night

'The pitch we have to make to the American people is, ''we will get the healthcare weight off of your backs and then unleash the hopes and dreams of the American people''.'

Yang bringing up the stereotype of Asians as doctors infuriated many on social media.

Kyung Lah, who is a senior national correspondent at CNN and is South Korean-born, tweeted she was 'annoyed', especially as the room then laughed at the quip.

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Doctor Eugene Gu,said on Twitter that although the remark did not sit well with him, he felt proud Yang was on the presidential nomination stage.

He wrote: 'Andrew Yang saying he’s Asian and knows a lot of doctors is a bit jarring. As an Asian American doctor, I’ve seen my share of model minority stereotypes. But seeing an Asian guy on the presidential debate stage is the biggest source of pride I’ve felt in a long time.'

Andrew Yang was criticized for joking about an Asian stereotype at last night's Democratic Presidential Debate at Texas Southern University in Houston

Earlier in the debate, Yang revealed plans to give $1,000 a month to 10 randomly selected families for a year, which sparked instant reaction on social media.

Yang was the second-most tweeted about candidate in the debate, behind front-runner and former vice president Joe Biden.

Out of the 10 candidates on the debate stage, Yang won a Drudge internet poll with 14,975 votes (38 per cent).

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While political pundits found it difficult to determine a clear winner, it was the 44-year-old entrepreneur's promise to give away $120,000 to 10 lucky people that got voters in the #YangGang Twitter hashtag.

Yang is calling his initiative the Freedom Dividend Pilot Program, and will give money to 10 individuals from funds donated to his campaign.

Yang, who usually falls within the second-tier of the 20 candidates running in the Democratic primary, has engaged in several stunts - including crowd surfing - to increase his visibility in a crowded field.