Earlier this week chief of staff John Kelly claimed that immigrants “don’t have the skills” necessary to fit in “our modern society.” Following his attack, a genealogist dug up his family history to teach him a lesson. But it didn’t stop there.
On Saturday, Twitter users started the hashtag #DearJohnKelly. They used it to share immigrant success stories while proving to the chief of staff that his racist remarks were completely wrong.
Let’s start a #DearJohnKelly hashtag. If your ancestors came from a poor rural area either in the US or other countries and DID integrate well, tweet it with this hashtag. Their lives deserve to be honored. Give them a voice.
— Delia (@DeliaCabe) May 11, 2018
The hashtag quickly caught on and people started sharing their stories. Here are some of the best ones below:
My dad graduated from the University of Hong Kong, then immigrated to the US for grad school and got his PhD. He then worked for the US government—first for the Bureau of Mines (Dept. of the Interior), then for NASA—for his entire career.
— Celeste Ng (@pronounced_ing) May 12, 2018
Let me be clear: he worked for NASA, doing research for the space program, for the US government. Immigrant from a rural background. From an area where “4th, 5th, 6th grade education” was often the norm.
— Celeste Ng (@pronounced_ing) May 12, 2018
The fuck outta here with your racist “These are not people that would easily assimilate into the United States into our modern society."
— Celeste Ng (@pronounced_ing) May 12, 2018
#DearJohnKelly: Separating children from their parents doesn't seem like a Be Best policy.
Also, it violates international human rights law. https://t.co/L1NkAkU9Xl
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 12, 2018
This thread is fucking awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Signed, double Ivy League child of two immigrants from a shithole country#DearJohnKelly https://t.co/hL9weF85RK— Robinne Lee (@robinnelee) May 12, 2018
#DearJohnKelly, here is my son graduating from college with his dad who came here from Mexico alone at 10 yrs old. Our two daughters graduated college before our son. My husband is a successful business owner and productive resident. Repeat what you said to his face. pic.twitter.com/D9PHL3MdBA
— Melissa Kay (@junkbabe68) May 12, 2018
Just a subtle reminder that your maternal grandfather never spoke English and made his living peddling a fruit cart in East Boston.
If this xenophobic administration was around back then, you wouldn't be here.
— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) May 12, 2018
#DearJohnKelly my great-grandfather came over from rural Ireland. His son raised 12 kids in the Depression. His grandson went to college on the GI bill after fighting in World War II and became a doctor. That was my Dad. None of them would be here if we went by your "standards." pic.twitter.com/jzSZRxcLZR
— Karen DaltonBeninato (@kbeninato) May 12, 2018
#DearJohnKelly My father was trained as a lawyer in Syria, came to the US and started out as a cook at Jack In The Box, raised three kids who all got graduate degrees, including one (me) who has dedicated her career to ensuring we live up to our immigration ideals. 1/3
— Amanda Baran (@abaran76) May 12, 2018
#DearJohnKelly my mom came to the US as a child to escape the Vietnam War. Her high school guidance counselor didn’t even think she would go to college; she just got her doctorate last year after a long, successful career in public health. pic.twitter.com/5soCOVKFHh
— rebecca (@rtdls) May 12, 2018
Someone in every American family was an immigrant at some point, they just had the good fortune not to run into someone like you. #DearJohnKelly
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) May 12, 2018
#DearJohnKelly I am the daughter of refugees, daughter of a teacher and a banker. I came from India to America as an immigrant over two decades ago as a student–got my PhD in molecular biology and postdoc from Hopkins. I am a writer and I work in cancer diagnostics. Just saying.
— Madhushree Ghosh (@WriteMadhushree) May 12, 2018
#DearJohnKelly My parents came to the US from Uruguay speaking little English. Now they own their own mosaic company and have some of the wealthiest people in Miami Beach as clients. They speak English with an accent, but they have a wider vocabulary and better grammar than Trump
— Valentina Cano (@valca85) May 12, 2018
Feel free to share your own stories in the comments section on Facebook.
