Growing up in a town where a discrete amount of Asians lived was an aspect my mother and I experienced in our early lives. Racism, bullying, and other obstacles faced us for being the few, if not only, Korean Americans living in our area. Yet the persistence of our hard work ethic established within our own Korean identity and culture was something we took pride in. Looking back years later, for it set us apart from those around us. 

Over the past years, many have used Asians as a springboard to initiate political attacks to conquer debate. If anyone needed validation that the United States has an issue using race and even Asians to strike more division in this country, look no further than the events of last week. 

Senator Chuck Grassley received unjustified backlash this week for complimenting Korean American Judicial nominee for the Court of Appeals in the 9th Circuit, Lucy Koh. 

“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, so I congratulate you and your people,” said Grassley. 

Immediately, Democrats and white allies alike pounced on the opportunity to use everything in their race card playbook to prove how Grassley was a racist, bigot, and most of all, prejudiced to the core. 

Such claims attacking the compliment alluded how suggesting that Korean culture includes a hard work ethic, somehow equates that other races do not. Other assertions played into the common “model minority” narrative.

How dare Grassley recognize the achievements of a female Korean American and Korean as a whole, for it somehow implies that he does not acknowledge the successes of other races in the United States!

Are you serious? 

That’s like getting mad at someone’s birthday party because no one else is recognizing the other birthdays people had in previous months and years. 

To simply recognize a quality of a culture is not racist, it’s being aware of what makes Korean culture great. Koreans and Asians alike pride themselves on the amount of drive that is rooted in our own culture. 

There is a reason why Asians represent the highest average of income within the United States.

Instead of picking apart Grassley’s heartfelt comments to prove that there is some iota of evidence to prove Grassley is prejudiced (which there isn’t), these same keyboard warriors should look to their own progressively run cities plagued with Asian hate crimes.