Former White House Staff’s Viral Tweet Tells A Lot About Barack Obama’s Presidency And Immigrant Issues
A former White House staff member who worked under former President Barack Obama, tweeted his first public tweet to describe a heart-warming moment he shared with Obama. The emotional tweets by the former White House staff member talked about his last day at the White House and indirectly depicts Barack Obama’s take on immigrants.
Gary Lee, a Korean American from Albuquerque, New Mexico, used to serve as an assistant staff secretary under Barack Obama. On Saturday, Gary Lee — who has been active on Twitter from a long time, but only ever re-tweeting remarks, tweeted about his last day at the White House and how a small meeting with Barack Obama proved that the great American dream is indeed possible.
In the series of tweets, which are now gone viral, Gary Lee began describing in detail how, on deciding to leave the White House in 2011 in order to accept a Fulbright Scholarship in South Korea, he went to bid goodbye to then President Barack Obama.
Barack Obama welcomed Gary Lee by saying “Hello” in Korean. The emotional moment was beautifully captured by White House photographer Pete Souza.
In the NBC report, officials revealed the entire Donald Trump-Korean American woman incident. Gary Lee was reportedly shocked into action, as he said after Donald Trump reportedly interrupted an intelligence briefing to ask the nationality of a Korean American woman.
1. I’ve never tweeted before but today felt like a good day to start.
— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) January 13, 2018
3. This struck a chord with me not only bc I’m Korean-American, but also bc I worked at the White House, for President Obama. I left the WH in 2011 for a Fulbright scholarship in Korea. President Obama knew I was leaving to learn more about the culture and language of my parents.
— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) January 13, 2018
4. On my last day, I went into the Oval Office and POTUS greeted me by saying, "?????". Hello, in Korean. I’m lucky bc @PeteSouza captured that exact moment. pic.twitter.com/sKl5ie0DLM
— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) January 13, 2018
5. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to work in public service. It was a lifelong dream to be in government. But I didn't know anyone in politics.
— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) January 13, 2018
Reportedly, President Donald Trump asked why the “pretty Korean lady” was not negotiating peace with North Korea on their behalf.
2. President Trump made a lot of upsetting remarks this week including this one. “Where are you from?” is a question that many Asian Americans dread. https://t.co/D7ue8db1Vb pic.twitter.com/rwgrx7OQrb
— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) January 13, 2018
In the series of tweets, Lee narrated about his mother and how she arrived in the United States when she was just 18, and his father when he was 26. Lee’s parents worked full-time and part-time jobs and opened a small business.
10. My parents could never have fathomed such an idea. My mom came to the US when she was 18, my father when he was 26. They worked multiple full-time and part-time jobs, opened a small business, and at one point, had only $20 in their checking account.
— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) January 13, 2018
Lee concluded his tweet by asking a simple question, “In what other country is that even possible? In what other country are you allowed to dream, and despite all odds, pursue and achieve your dreams?” and how a chubby, Asian kid got the opportunity to work for Barack Obama.
13. What a beautiful, incredible nation of immigrants we are. ??
— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) January 13, 2018
During Gary Lee’s conversation with MSNBC, he stated that it is not about his story in particular but the current atmosphere of the time when Barack Obama and his entire family inspired an entire generation to achieve the impossible dreams and to finally believe in the great American dream where everything is possible.
