https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/world/2018/1/12/16885546/trump-asian-american-intelligence-briefing Trump reportedly interrupted intel briefing to ask Korean American, “Where are you from?” He suggested the “pretty Korean lady,” who was talking about Pakistan, be reassigned to North Korea. By Zack Beauchamp on January 12, 2018 3:16 pm NBC News did a deep dive into Trump’s history of racist comments. The piece, published on Friday and written by Vivian Salama and Hallie Jackson, begins with an eye-opening anecdote about a White House intelligence briefing derailed by Trump’s racial issues: A career intelligence analyst who is an expert in hostage policy stood before President Donald Trump in the Oval Office last fall to brief him on the impending release of a family long held in Pakistan under uncertain circumstances. It was her first time meeting the president, and when she was done briefing, he had a question for her. ”Where are you from?” the president asked, according to two officials with direct knowledge of the exchange. New York, she replied. Trump was unsatisfied and asked again, the officials said. Referring to the president’s hometown, she offered that she, too, was from Manhattan. But that’s not what the president was after. He wanted to know where “your people” are from, according to the officials, who spoke off the record due to the nature of the internal discussions. After the analyst revealed that her parents are Korean, Trump turned to an adviser in the room and seemed to suggest her ethnicity should determine her career path, asking why the “pretty Korean lady” isn’t negotiating with North Korea on his administration’s behalf, the officials said. A few thoughts on this anecdote, sourced to “two officials with direct knowledge of the exchange”: Being interrogated about your background is a kind of ordinary racism that Asian Americans often have to face. One’s boss interrupting a really important work event to do it is, as the Washington Post’s Brian Fung tweeted, “every Asian-American’s worst employment nightmare.” Think carefully about what the president is saying here. By asking her “where are you from” and not accepting New York as an answer, he’s implying that children of Asian immigrants can never truly be “from” America. This isn’t just simple bigotry; it feels like a rejection of the classic American “melting pot” ideal altogether. Trump was so distracted by the question of his briefer’s ethnic background that he interrupted a briefing on hostages held by a terrorist group in Pakistan to interrogate her about it. This suggests he wasn’t really paying attention to what she was saying — that racism literally distracted him from doing his job. Trump’s racism seems to make him a truly terrible manager. There’s no reason that being of Korean descent means an intelligence expert on hostage situations should be reassigned to North Korea, let alone put in charge of nuclear negotiations. Let’s not sleep on the sexism of calling her a “pretty Korean lady,” reducing a professional woman to her physical appearance. The intelligence community lags behind the rest of the government on racial diversity and gender equity. It is 10 percentage points whiter than the US government average, per a 2016 survey, and about 5 percentage points more male. This woman probably had to overcome a lot to get to where she ended up, and this is where she landed. In sum: The president of the United States, the person who’s supposed to represent the best of the country, behaved in a fashion that would likely get a midlevel manager at a company fired. It’s just another day in the Trump White House.
Trump is the exact type of person who has asked me "where are you from" and I answer "the United States" and then they proceed to ask "no, where are you REALLY from?" and I respond with "the United States".
Wonder how those 6-7 generation Asians in California handle this stuff. Like at point is it ok to ask that question if your ancestors have been in the US longer than they have.
A ten second conversation with someone while hearing their dielect and accent should inform any reasonable person if they were at the very least raised in this country. I think people just don't know how to use the term 'ethnicity'. The question they are trying to ask is "what is your ethnicity?".
The Texan octogenarian members of my family have better sense than to talk with an Asian-looking person this way. Age and politics are no excuse for Two Scoops: he just wasn't raised well. He has no sense and no manners.
Not surprised at all. Although I guess I'm guilty because I do the same thing to other Asians and I don't accept Toronto as an answer.
I get asked by South Asian people all the time where I’m from, and they’re never satisfied when I say Houston, TX. Parental ancestry is a fascination for some people.
Clutchfans told me that there is no racism against Asians and Asians should never get offended by anything, so I'm siding with DJT here. I personally have tattooed "Korean" on my forehead so white folks don't have to fret.
I didn't even know this was a thing but I could see it. I have asked people where their families are from originally because I'm just genuinely curious and fascinated about other cultures, languages, and foods. Never knew I was being racist! Doh!
My wife gets that question a lot by people who are curious about her looks. she's from Philly. I knew a Canadian Indian Christian. She would get comments at church about coming to the faith. But her part of India has been Christian longer than Europe!
Basically unless you're white pretty much never. You can be 6th or 7th generation, but you're less American than the white immigrant from Norway.
Interestingly, I don't think anyone ever asked me that in Germany. I actually do that, too. I guess it's the intent that makes the difference.
Don't sweat it. I get asked constantly and don't care. You can tell most people are just curious and have no racist intent. Not everything in life has to be on egg shells hoping you aren't offending the person. As for Trump thinking a Korean lady should be the ambassador to Korea, that's certainly reasonable. What's racist is pigeon-holing her to only be the Korean ambassador. It's also racist to assume she's unqualified to be the ambassador to Pakistan because she's Korean. But if we're all honest with ourselves, an ambassador that is the same ethnicity to that country will probably be more effective through sharing similar cultures and understandings. People like others that are similar to themselves.
Asking where your family is from is different than asking where you are from. If someone asked me where my family originated from or what my ethnicity is, I have zero issues and answer them straight up with "Bengali". But if you ask me where I'M from and I state "Texas" and then they respond with "no where are you REALLY from?", Ya that's pretty insulting as this was the only home I know. Ask me what my ethnicity is. It's that simple.
Funny story, I met this old lady at a doctor's office a while back and she was reading the Bible. We got to talking and I asked her where she was from and she says Korea. I jokingly say, North or South? She says, North. I was shocked. lol I asked her to talk about her experiences there but she refused, saying it was too painful to talk about so I left it alone.
I think he was actually sexually harassing her, and doing so from the vantage point of a manager/sugar daddy. The prodding and bickering is a kind of banter that's ironically enough meant to convey a non-superficial interest; and the proffer of professional advancement is basically the corporate equivalent of cash tipping a casino or country club waitress. Mid-'70s hotel bar type stuff.
