Fairfax Native Says Allen's Words Stung

At one stop, the senator had even walked up and shaken Sidarth's hand. Allen asked him his name and what company he was from, evidently thinking that Sidarth was a supporter, Sidarth said.

"I said, 'I'm following you around,' " Sidarth said. "And he understood that."

On Aug. 11, Sidarth followed Allen's bus into Breaks, Va., a town near the Kentucky border, for a GOP meet-and-greet. It was there that Allen segued into the riff directed at Sidarth.

"This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca, or whatever his name is, he's with my opponent," Allen said.

"Macaca'' is the scientific name of a genus of monkeys, and it is used as a slur in some cultures. Allen called Sidarth this week to apologize.

Sidarth said he knew right away that the word "macaca" was a put-down. He felt its sting.

"I had an idea of what he was getting at -- that he was injecting some sort of derogatory comment toward me that had a racial bent to it. I knew that it meant 'monkey' and it was used toward immigrants," Sidarth said. "I realized that I had been insulted."

But he kept filming. Allen kept going.

"He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great. We're going to places all over Virginia, and he's having it on film, and it's great to have you here, and you show it to your opponent because he's never been there and probably will never come so it's good for him to see what it's like out here in the real world," Allen said.

There were big whoops from the crowd, and laughter.

"So welcome, let's give a welcome to Macaca here! Welcome to America, and the real world of Virginia!"

Back at school in Charlottesville now, Sidarth has taken his new, unwanted fame with him.

Larry J. Sabato, an oft-quoted political pundit who teaches a small, popular seminar on campaigns and elections, said he asked students to write an essay as part of the admission process. Eighty people applied for the course, including Sidarth. His essay was just three words long -- but it was enough to clinch one of the 20 coveted spots in the class.

"I am Macaca," he wrote.

Staff writer Michael D. Shear and staff researcher Rena Kirsch contributed to this report.