Twitter thinks White House staffer's inspirational Obama story represents everything Trump is not
KEY POINTS
- Gary Lee recounted the story about his final meeting with former President Barack Obama.
- His posts have been retweeted thousands of times since January 12.
A Twitter user's heart-warming story about working in the White House for Barack Obama is being shared across the internet.
New Mexico native and second generation immigrant, Gary Lee, wrote about his extraordinary rise from college senior to White House staffer at the beginning of the Obama adminisatration in a series of tweets.
Lee recounted an encounter with the president as he left his position as assistant staff secretary and moved to his parent's home country of Korea as a Fulbright scholar in 2011.
Upon learning of his loyal employee's departure, Obama learned the Korean word for hello and recited it to him as a parting message. Lee's post included a picture of the meeting which showed his obvious delight at Obama's thoughtful gesture.
Lee's tweets were intended to show the marked difference in attitude to immigration between Trump and Obama and the former president's power to inspire those around him.
"It says a lot about the man himself," Lee said, "but it also says how far we've come."
Lee wrote: "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.
"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."
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
4. On my last day, I went into the Oval Office and POTUS greeted me by saying, "안녕하세요". Hello, in Korean. I’m lucky bc @PeteSouza captured that exact moment. pic.twitter.com/sKl5ie0DLM
— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) January 13, 2018
Lee says the brief but moving gesture was enough to leave him and another staffer in tears.
9. He replied, "think about what you just said. How incredible that is. On your last day of work at the White House, after your years of service, the first African-American president greeted you in your parents' native language." I started crying too.
— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) January 13, 2018
He insists his story would only be possible in America and wants the country to remember the positive contributions immigrants make everyday.
11. They made incalculable sacrifices so their sons could have the opportunities they never had. They sacrificed so we could achieve whatever we wanted to. They could have never imagined that their eldest son would work in the White House.
— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) January 13, 2018
12. 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? In what country could a chubby, 90s Hip Hop and R&B-loving Asian kid from NM end up working for @BarackObama?
— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) January 13, 2018
