Hawaii congressman apologizes for his controversial racial remarks

US CONGRESS

Hawaii's Rep. Ed Case was sworn in by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as his wife hold the Bible.

HAWAII'S REP. ED CASE needs to think more carefully before inserting his foot in his mouth.

Hoping to ingratiate himself at an event celebrating the new AAPI members of Congress,  he reportedly told the crowd, “I’m an Asian trapped in a white body,” according to Nicholas Wu of the National Journal, who was in attendance and supplied the world a snapshot of Case addressing the crowd.

In this age when the whole world can listen in to your words, and at a time in our country  when Asian Americans are asserting themselves and proudly claiming their identity, the Internet was swift and not too sympathetic.

One tweeter said: "“Dude. No. I grew up in Hawaii. I am not Hawaiian. I am nothing but haole and so are you. We can respect all the diversity that wonderful Hawaii has to offer, but not when you say stuff like this. Do better.”

while another reacted" "I just oof'd so hard I blacked out for a sec" and "Alexa, what's the worst possible thing Ed Case could say?"

In an statement sent via email to The Washington Post, Case said he was "fiercely proud" to represent the ethnically diverse state of Hawaii. His district includes greater Honolulu and is the only U.S. district where the majority of the population is Asian.

"Like so many others from Hawaii who treasure our multicultural heritage, I have absorbed and live the values of our many cultures," Case's email continued. "They and not my specific ethnicity are who I am, and I believe that this makes me an effective advocate on national issues affecting our API community."

"I regret if my specific remarks to the national API community on my full absorption of their concerns caused any offense."

In the same email, Nestor Garcia, spokesman for the Hawaii congress member, clarified that the Case was commenting "on what his Japanese American wife sometimes says about him."

Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District is the only U.S. district that is majority Asian American: 51 percent Asian, to be exact, followed by 17.5 percent white, 7.8 percent Hispanic, 7.6 percent Pacific Islander and 2.4 percent black.

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