Shane Gillis has some explaining to do when he hosts "Saturday Night Live" ... according to Asian advocacy group reps who say it's not too late to make amends for his racist remarks.

The comedian is scheduled to host on February 24 ... this after Lorne Michaels fired him from the show in 2019 for making distasteful jokes directed at Asians.

Shane made the comments during a 2018 podcast, referring to noodles as "nooders" and using a derogatory term for Asians in an expletive-laden discussion about Chinatown. Many people remain outraged by Gillis' jokes .. but the comedian is now being offered a path forward if he wants to right a wrong.

Jo-Ann Yoo, the executive director of the Asian American Federation, tells TMZ ... Shane getting tapped to host is bad timing, considering the Asian community has been devastated by a wave of hate that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. She says people in the community don't need to be reminded of the type of rhetoric that caused that trend.

However ... if Shane's serious about making amends, Yoo invites him to cut a check to the org's Hope Against Hate campaign, and join their food tours for a real Asian cuisine experience.

Yoo says she's planning to tune in ... not for Shane, but rather for what she proudly calls the Bowen Yang Variety Hour. Of course, Bowen Yang is the first Asian-American hire at 'SNL.'

Over at The Asian American Foundation, CEO Norman Chen says he hopes Shane has learned from his experiences and expects him to issue a "genuine" apology on 'SNL.'

Chen tells us his org was "disheartened" to hear Shane was invited to host, saying ... "Asian Americans are not the punchline of a joke. While these jokes may result in cheap laughs, they also result in real-world, deadly consequences for Asian Americans."

Now, Shane did apologize on social media after his 'SNL' firing, saying ... "I'm a comedian who pushes boundaries. I sometimes miss. If you go through my 10 years of comedy, most of it bad, you're going to find a lot of bad misses. I'm happy to apologize to anyone who's actually offended by anything I've said. My intention is never to hurt anyone but I am trying to be the best comedian I can be and sometimes that requires risks."

However, Chen says that apology seems to be scrubbed from Shane's X (formerly Twitter) account, and his foundation wants to know if the apology still stands -- and, if so, a global stage like 'SNL' would be a great place to reaffirm it on camera.