Secretary Chao’s Self-Inflicted Sinophobia BY REHANA PAUL @STYLISHPENNE
Rehana Paul is an Indian-American journalist and food blogger. She founded Overachiever Magazine in 2018 to give a voice to Asian women from all over Asia, living all around the world.
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laine Chao has come under public scrutiny recently, first making national headlines for resigning as Secretary of Transportation under the Trump Administration in the wake of the insurrection at the Capitol. Born in Taiwan, she immigrated to the United States at the age of 8. The Chaos appear to be the classic Asian-American success story - Chao’s father founded the Foremost Group, which would grow into a major shipping company (and a center of controversy in her political life). Chao grew up on Long Island and attended Mount Holyoke University and then Harvard Business School, before working in a number of financial institutions, eventually rising through the ranks of the Department of Transportation under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. After making history as the first Asian-American woman and the first Taiwanese-American to be appointed to a cabinet position, Chao married the notorious U.S. Senator, right-wing extremist
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and oligarch Mitch McCon- any other politician - is a pubnell. She served as Secretary of lic servant, even in the makeLabor under President George shift oligarchy masquerading W. Bush and then Secretary of as a democracy that many are Transportation under Presi- proud to call the United States dent Donald Trump. A fan- of America. What is partictastical, trailblazing life, filled ularly unforgivable was the with historic firsts, going statement her office released: where no Asian-American “In defense of her actions, woman had gone before. Chao’s office sent a memo That is, until she threw her dated Sept. 24, 2020, citing community, culture, and her- “filial piety.” The memo states, itage under the bus to justify “Anyone familiar with Asian her alleged corrupt and illicit culture knows it is a core valbusiness dealings. While serv- ue in Asian communities to ing as Secretary of Transpor- express honor and filial retation, the Inspector General spect toward one’s parents, of the department found sev- and this ingrained value of eral instances of Chao abusing love, respect, and filial piety her office, using her power to always takes precedence over promote and advance her fam- self-promotion and self-agily’s shipping business. The grandizement.”” Inspector General released their report, which cited Chao It went on to say, “As the elfor four types of ethics viola- dest daughter, she is expected tions. She had committed such to assume a leadership role in offense as holding on to stock family occasions that honor she had pledged to sell, and her father and her late mothdirecting the media attention er.” that came with her office to If Chao’s actions violated poher family’s business. litical and corporate ethics, I Despicable, under any circum- don’t think that saying that stances. Elaine Chao - just like she has violated every moral
