Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Saturday dismissed the criticisms that followed his using “konnichiwa” to a greet a congresswoman with Japanese ancestry.
“How could ever saying ‘Good morning’ be bad?” Zinke told reporters, according to the Arizona Republic.
The interior secretary made the remark to Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) during a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee Thursday, just after she finished telling the story of her two grandfathers’ interment during World War II. Hanabusa had pressed Zinke to protect funding for a National Park Service program aimed at researching and preserving historical internment sites.
“Oh, konnichiwa,” Zinke began in response to Hanabusa.
“I think it’s still ‘ohayo gozaimasu,’ but that’s okay,” she replied, specifying the Japanese greeting used in the morning, rather than in the afternoon.
Hanabusa noted later that “no one else was greeted in their ancestral language,” and that she understood “this is precisely why Japanese Americans were treated as they were more than 75 years ago. It is racial stereotyping.”
Well, I can see your problem right there, Zinky.
You didn’t say "Good Morning."
Of course nobody would take offense at having presumptions made about them based on their appearance. It’s only natural to assume that a Hispanic person is illegally in the country, a black person steals cars and lives in the 'hood, etc. And none of them would possibly get offended at being stereotyped.
Yes, Zinke, you’re being basically the poster-child for passive racism.
So good morning, cracker.
Most racists, don’t think they are racist since they naturally look down on others.
And he usually says “Guten morgen” to Trump. I mean Trump IS a German name.
How could eating a Trump Tower taco salad to celebrate Cinco de Mayo ever be bad?