Do not make any changes - you have nothing to apologize for. Do not listen to these puritanical morons. You made a great game; leave it.
If I recall correctly, an Asian Lakitu called Rakitu. That's all it was. Hardly a thing, not even actually offensive outside of White People Countries because you gotta self flagellate these days, and actual Asians in their home country play on that known similarity all the time. I feel like the only sane person left in the world sometimes.
You're not missing out but it was utterly ridiculous that it was even changed to begin with and even more ridiculous that the creator grovelled about it. People have truly lost their minds.
Probably only white people or otherwise "white people country born" people who are sheltered from the real world being offended on behalf of other countries' people, too.