Interior Secretary's response to hearing about Japanese American incarceration: "Konnichiwa"

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa was not amused.



"Konnichiwa." Wow. So you know one fucking Japanese word. Slow clap.

It's one thing -- annoying as shit -- when some fool tries to bust one of these on you in a bar or on the street. (Asian folk, raise your hand if you've been on the receiving end of an unsolicited "konnichiwa" or a "ni hao.") It's wholly inappropriate when it happens during a hearing of the United States Congress.

But that's what happened Thursday during a hearing of the House Committee on Natural Resources. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii), who is Japanese American, was pressing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke about re-funding a National Park Service program that offers grants towards the preservation of incarceration sites where Japanese Americans -- including Hanabusa's grandparents -- were held during World War II.

"Are you committed to continue to grant programs that are identified, I believe, as the Japanese American Confinement Sites grants program which were funded in 2017? Will we see them funded again in 2018?" Hanabusa asked.

Zinke's response: "Oh, konnichiwa."

I imagine Rep. Hanabusa had to summon every molecule of her being to suppress an eye roll.

Bill O'Reilly hilariously accuses others of taking his Asian comments out of context

Boo friggin' hoo, Bill O'Reilly. So after dropping some of his expert knowledge -- in other words, totally uninformed and blatantly ignorant generalizations -- on Asian people and drawing the criticism of community members, lawmakers and of course, Stephen Colbert, The O'Reilly Factor host is now complaining that his comments were taken out of context by Media Matters. Waaaah.

Here's Hawaii congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, who says O'Reilly owes Hawaiians and Asian Americans an apology, appearing on The O'Reilly Factor to throw down her beef with Bill.

The Colbert Report mocks Bill O'Reilly's racial stupidity

Some follow up on Bill O'Reilly ridiculous comments from last week, when he discussed Hawaii's social ills and acted like he knew a damn thing about Asian people... The remarks have since drawn criticism from Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, who says O'Reilly owes Hawaii and Asian Americans an apology: Hanabusa: Bill O'Reilly owes Hawaii and Asian-Americans apology.

Meanwhile, Comedy Central's The Colbert Report took the opportunity to mock Bill O'Reilly comments with its own hilarious takedown of stereotypes and racial generalizations, in a manner that only Stephen Colbert could get away with: Stephen Colbert Mocks Bill O'Reilly's Confusion Over 'Liberal' Asians In Hawaii.