SENATOR Chuck Grassley is getting slammed for the way he congratulated Korean American judicial nominee Lucy Koh. Some politicians claimed his congratulations were prejudicial and “harmful.” What did Chuck Grassley say about Lucy Koh? IOWA Senator Chuck Grassley is getting criticized for comments he made toward Lucy Koh on October 6, 2021. Koh is being […]
SENATOR Chuck Grassley is getting slammed for the way he congratulated Korean American judicial nominee Lucy Koh.
Some politicians claimed his congratulations were prejudicial and “harmful.”
IOWA Senator Chuck Grassley is getting criticized for comments he made toward Lucy Koh on October 6, 2021.
Koh is being nominated by President Biden to the federal appeals court and Grassley was praised her work, saying: “What you said about your Korean background reminds me a lot of what my daughter-in-law of 45 years has said: ‘If I learned anything from Korean people, it’s a hard work ethic. And how you can make a lot out of nothing,’”
Adding: “So I congratulate you and your people.”
Koh thanked Grassley for his comment but afterward, he immediately faced scrutiny by fellow politicians.
Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus labeled the comment as prejudiced, saying: “Even if you think you’re being complimentary, assigning any character trait to an entire community is the definition of prejudice.
“Treating all members of a group as the same invites mistreatment when one person can be held accountable for the actions of someone else.
Adding: “It may not be the same incitement to violence seen in other slurs, but it is harmful nonetheless.”
Similarly, John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, said in a statement that “while we understand the intent of Sen. Chuck Grassley’s comment, stereotypes — even seemingly benign ones — ultimately harm and create divisions within communities.
“Hard work is a shared ethic among many Americans from different cultures and races, not only Korean Americans.”
Grassley has yet to comment on the controversy.
However, Taylor Foy, a spokesman for Grassley, said the senator’s “intent was to be complimentary, not to insult anyone. Chairman [Richard J.] Durbin invited Judge Koh to share the inspiring story of her family’s immigration to the United States.
Adding: “Sen. Grassley shared that he has similarly been inspired by the immigration story of his daughter-in-law, who is also Korean-American.”
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