Rouse hailed as first Asian American chief of staff

[nmbluesky]

As White White House staffers praise incoming chief of staff Pete Rouse as a fixer, Asian American bloggers are taking heart from his appointment for another reason: Rouse’s mother, born Mary Mikami, is the daughter of Japanese immigrants to America.

Blogger Jeff Yang at Asian culture and politics blog Original Spin praised Obama’s selection of Rouse as yet another example of the president’s “clear comfort with and respect for Asian Americans as colleagues and key team members.”

Other chiefs of staff also have been ethnic minorities. John Sununu, chief of staff to President George H. W. Bush, was of Lebanese descent on his father’s side, making him the first Arab American in the post. Kenneth Duberstein, who served as chief for President Ronald Reagan, was the first Jewish chief of staff. Joshua Bolten, who served under President George W. Bush, was the second and departing Obama chief Rahm Emanuel was the third.

There has yet to be a female or African American chief of staff in the White House.

http://www.whorunsgov.com/politerati/uncategorized/rouse-hailed-as-first-asian-american-chief-of-staff/

[Enrique]

1. what will Dinesh D'Souza say? n/t

[dkf]

2. Who knew?

I wouldn't know by looking at the guy. You can't really tell with him.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Rouse?wasRedirected=true

[whathehell]

3. It can be hard with the "halfs"...and before anyone jumps on my ass

Let me say that I mean half ANYTHING.

I'm of European ancestry on both sides but these two ethinicies don't especially "resemble" one another, such as a Swedish-German person might. Suffice it to say that my mother is of Mediterrean/ Slavic derivation and the other is Northern European.

I'd like a dime for every time I've heard "You don't LOOK like your name is...(ethnic surname).

My sister, otoh, is never mistaken for anything OTHER than our surname would imply.

[unblock]

4. mrs. unblock is 50% american and 50% british -- she calls herself "haff and hawf"

not sure how to spell that :)

[whathehell]

5. I love that!

Funny:-)

[Yavin4]

7. How Is She on July 4th? n/t

[unblock]

11. amazing and spectacular

oh, you meant how does she view independence day :evilgrin:

she's an american citizen, so she's as u.s.-patriotic as any other american. she just enjoys bbc america and british foods :)

[Drunken Irishman]

9. I'm 100% awesome.

[Drunken Irishman]

8. I picked it up in this photo...

[Chan790]

17. I see it in the face, but only because I'm looking for it I think.

If I didn't know, I'd probably brush off any thought he looks slightly-Asian as coincidental and not remarkable.

[thereismore]

6. He is brown? Another thorn in the side of teabaggers. nt

[ClarkUSA]

10. That's going to resonate with the sizable Japanese-American population in California and Hawaii.

I hope OFA GOTV efforts in those states will emphasize this fact. I HOPE it's going to help Democrats running in those states.

[Uzybone]

12. are we sure Obama isn't a secret Asian

think about it.....

[whathehell]

14. Oh hell, no

We're not sure he isn't a secret octopuss.:eyes:

[whistler162]

15. Queue Johnny Rivers....

[vaberella]

21. Well there's his sister, and his brother in law...yeah I'd say he is.

:D

[Hippo_Tron]

30. Well Kenya is in Asia and that's where his birth certificate is from

Therefore he must be Asian...

[otohara]

13. Banzai Banzai Banzai

Excellent news!

[eggman67]

16. Lebanon is in Asia n/t

[vaberella]

24. So is Iran, but we consider them to be Middle Eastern. n/t

[craigmatic]

18. Good for him. I hope he does a better job than Rahm.

[Change Happens]

19. Way to go....nt

[vaberella]

20. I'm shocked. I remember when people on DU bashed this guy when his name was mentioned.

Now he's hailed. DU is bipolar.

[Radical Activist]

22. When would that be?

I just did a DU search for him. First, almost nothing showed up that was posted before the last two weeks. The few posts that did were relatively neutral.
The only bad posts showed up after the announcement that he was picked for CoS. Everything Obama gets trashed here. Your view of DU is skewed.

[vaberella]

23. Here you go:

I came in before the later posts...but the vibe was very unwelcoming: http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x457522

[Radical Activist]

25. That doesn't prove your point.

How do you "remember when" people bashed him, as if they don't now? You're suggesting that attitudes about him changed, but I can't find evidence that people at DU had any strong feelings about him two weeks ago. The bashing only started after he was named CoS, just like the responses in that thread which bashed him for no apparent reason other than his association with Obama. And there's bashing in this thread, so nothing has changed.

[vaberella]

26. It wasn't strong feelings.

I just found it more disagreeable to the choice than embracing him...which I find that it is now. ~shrugs~

[Bluenorthwest]

29. Seeing what is not there, because you wish to

I'm sending you a pm. I can not tell you this here, but you need to know this for your own perspective. You are tilting at windmills...

[denimgirly]

27. Affirmative Action

:sarcasm:

[Democat]

28. George H. W. Bush hired the first Arab-American?

Don't tell the tea party!