" I do n’t consider in offset culture , but this is a prime opportunity for accountability and solidarity in combatting the expunction of Pacific Islanders . "
You knowJeannie Mai Jenkins. She gained fame as a host ofThe Realand currently hostsAmerica’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation.
Well, Jeannie co-hosted the White House Forum on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders inWashington DClast night. As a Pacific Islander, I appreciated how the White House planned this big event to celebrate our heritage month. With the theme of “visible together,” it featured talks and performances from public officials like Vice PresidentKamala Harris, artists, entertainers, community organizers, and trailblazers across various industries.
But there’s one part of the night that really stood out to a lot of people. When Jeannie and White House liaison Philip Kim introduced themselves as co-emcees, Phil asked members of the audience to use two hashtags on their social media posts: #visibletogether and #AANHPIHM (Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month).
But Jeannie leaned over and told people to use the hashtag #Asianheritagemonth instead.
Now, this sparked backlash for several reasons. In the US, May — usually called APAHM for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month — combines two separate groups that already have many diverse nations beneath their respective umbrellas. Since Asians greatly outnumber Pacific Islanders, what happens every year is the focus is almost exclusively on Asian people. While it’s certainly important to celebrate Asians, it usually comes at the expense of PIs. Whether it’s recommendations on books, TV shows, and movies, or a celebration of achievements, or a panel to discuss issues affecting our communities, Pacific Islanders are largely forgotten and ignored, even if it’s labeled as AAPI.
Using a terminus like AAPI that meld Asians and Pacific Islanders has real - cosmos consequences beyond deficiency of mental representation . The US nose count only begin separating us in 2000 , and many institutions were boring to follow , meaning important data point surroundingdisparitiesin impoverishment rate , wellness issues , and teaching was hidden . Since we now know that Pacific Islanders statistically have low household incomes , lower rates of health insurance , dissimilar health issue , and less education than Asians , this suggests that additional and specifically PI - rivet profile , inquiry , funding , and scholarship would ameliorate PI calibre of life .
So, many Pacific Islanders were appalled and disappointed by what Jeannie said — especially when the theme was ironically “visible together.”
@jeanniemaicasually score out Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders … #ThePIIsntSilent#NHPI#PacificIslanderspic.twitter.com / wuReBhVExc
" Nobody ’s remembering that . Just do the * Asian * Asian Heritage month … “I never heard of this cleaning woman before . But I ’ll ensure every Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander I know knows who she is now.https://t.co/p0RTG8GaMz
Some said it was “not appropriate at all”:
Wow .. I watched the 4hr video that the@WhiteHouseput up , but this is not appropriate at all , particularly when there were manifestly NH&PIs in the hearing ! To only sack us@jeanniemaibecause#NHPIis too hard to recollect .. or we just do n’t matter?#AANHPIHeritageMonthhttps://t.co / IE9JlNNbFO
While others called it “gross” and “shameful”:
Well this is GROSS.@jeanniemaithis is soooooooo shameful!!!!https://t.co / HB9vwsoMAV
This person saw it as an “opportunity for accountability”:
Yo@WHIAANHPI@NCAPAtweets@NationalACE@jeanniemaithis is not cool . At all . I do n’t trust in cancel culture , but this is a prime chance for accountability and solidarity in combatting the erasure of Pacific Islanders.pic.twitter.com/nI79d17j9X
And this person simply said, “So just fuck us huh”:
so just fuck us huh@jeanniemaihttps://t.co / ElhC8K49N4
Last night, Jeannie posted an Instagram story with a message she might have written to address the backlash, but it’s unclear as it didn’t include an apology. She wrote, “I also learned that it’s not just about #AAPI, but that it’s about the celebration of #AANHPI. We not only Asian Americans, but we honor Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders as well.”
We’ll update you if she does release an apology.
UPDATE: Jeannie has shared an apology in the caption of anInstagram post.
She wrote, “The theme for the day was ‘Visible Together,’ and it was an invaluable learning experience for me. While hosting, I suggested an easier hashtag inadvertently excluding Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, which was never my intention. Apologies to those I hurt. I’m grateful for the conversations with friends and colleagues to better understand the history and struggles of our communities. Incredibly thankful to continue learning & growing.”
You can find more of our Asian Pacific American Heritage Month coveragehere.
