Jeannie Mai Jenkins Has Apologized After Facing Intense Backlash For "Casually Erasing" Pacific Islanders

1 year ago 5

"Incredibly thankful to continue learning & growing."

In case you missed it, TV personality Jeannie Mai Jenkins co-hosted the White House Forum on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders last week.

During the introduction, White House liaison Philip Kim 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 said nobody would remember that and told people to use the hashtag #Asianheritagemonth instead.

This sparked immediate backlash across social media. Many Pacific Islanders expressed frustration and disappointment at being "casually erased" – yet again – during the heritage month meant to celebrate both Asians and PIs.

Well, Jeannie posted an Instagram apology on Friday.

"Hosting yesterday’s White House forum for #AANHPIHM was a pure honor – we celebrated diversity, inclusivity and visibility of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities," 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," she concluded.

As you might imagine, there were all sorts of reactions in the comments. A few Pacific Islanders seemed to accept her apology:

But the majority were not so forgiving. Some called her apology trash:

Others brought up the irony of the event's theme considering Jeannie's actions:

Many told her to stop forgetting about us:

This person went so far as saying that any PIs who accepted her behavior as "just a mistake" should have their "Pacific Islander cards revoked":

And this person suggested that Jeannie return to the White House to advocate for separate heritage months for Asians and Pacific Islanders:

We'll be sure to let you know if there are any more updates.

You can find more of our Asian Pacific American Heritage Month coverage here.

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