Sen. Chuck Grassley was chastised for making a comment regarding a Korean-American judge’s ethnic heritage in a speech that was interpreted as playing into Asian racial stereotypes.
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During a Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday for Judge Lucy Koh, who is nominated to join a federal appeals court, Mr. Grassley congratulated Ms. Koh and “your people” for having a “strong work ethic,” as the senator put it.
“What you said about your Korean background reminded me a lot of what my daughter-in-law of 45 years has said: ‘If I’ve learned anything from Korean people, it’s a hard work ethic. And how you can make a lot out of nothing,’” he said, before adding: “So I congratulate you and your people.”
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Rep Judy Chu, a California Democrat and the first Chinese-American woman elected to Congress, slammed the remark.
“Even as a compliment, assigning any trait to a whole community is the definition of prejudice. Treating all members of a group as the same invites mistreatment. It may not be the same incitement to violence seen in other slurs, but is harmful nonetheless,” she said on Twitter.
Rep. Grace Meng was more blunt in her criticism: “Soooo….who’s gonna tell him that Korean Americans are American too?” she also state on Twitter.
Mr. Grassley is the Senate’s most senior Republican, and one of just two senators who served throughout former President Jimmy Carter’s administration.
He is competing for reelection next year and is expected to win in strongly red Iowa, where he was re-elected by a 25-point margin 5 years ago
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