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Editorial Staff

<p><strong>Meet Gary Lee.</strong></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-130097 size-full" src="https://data.nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/iCM8rp_s.jpg" alt="gary-lee" width="800" height="800" srcset="https://data.nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/iCM8rp_s.jpg 800w, https://data.nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/iCM8rp_s-192x192.jpg 192w, https://data.nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/iCM8rp_s-768x768.jpg 768w, https://data.nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/iCM8rp_s-80x80.jpg 80w, https://data.nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/iCM8rp_s-200x200.jpg 200w, https://data.nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/iCM8rp_s-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p>
<p><strong>He&#8217;s a Former White House Aide who worked with President Barack Obama during his tenure as president.</strong></p>
<p>Despite never tweeting anything, Lee thought it would be a good time to start this past Saturday. After President Trump&#8217;s remarks last week, which included asking a Korean-American woman <strong>&#8220;Where are you from?&#8221;</strong>, Lee decided to share an experience he had with Barack Obama on his last day of work.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">1. I’ve never tweeted before but today felt like a good day to start.</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180630137155585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">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. <a href="https://t.co/D7ue8db1Vb">https://t.co/D7ue8db1Vb</a> <a href="https://t.co/rwgrx7OQrb">pic.twitter.com/rwgrx7OQrb</a></p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180638211174401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">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.</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180640341872640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">4. On my last day, I went into the Oval Office and POTUS greeted me by saying, &#8220;안녕하세요&#8221;. Hello, in Korean. I’m lucky bc <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteSouza?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeteSouza</a> captured that exact moment. <a href="https://t.co/sKl5ie0DLM">pic.twitter.com/sKl5ie0DLM</a></p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180645664468992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">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&#8217;t know anyone in politics.</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180649082871808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">6. In early 2007, my senior year of college, I mailed my resume and a cover letter in a manila envelope to the Obama for America headquarters in Chicago. Two weeks before graduation, I received a phone call that a correspondence volunteer had found my letter in a mail pile.</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180650609598465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">7. She gave my letter to her boss, who then called and asked if I wanted to move to Chicago to work on the campaign. That&#8217;s how I got hired on the campaign. That&#8217;s how I ended up at the White House. That&#8217;s how I got to work for President Barack Obama.</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180652186546177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">8. After my departure photo with POTUS, I left the Oval Office in a daze and ran into <a href="https://twitter.com/kalpenn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kalpenn</a> in the West Wing lobby. I recounted the interaction with the president and he started tearing up. &#8220;Why are you crying?&#8221; I asked.</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180653386186753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">9. He replied, &#8220;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&#8217; native language.&#8221; I started crying too.</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180654518689792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">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.</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180656057982976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">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.</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180657366614016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">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&amp;B-loving Asian kid from NM end up working for <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BarackObama</a>?</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180658591289350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">13. What a beautiful, incredible nation of immigrants we are. &#x1f1fa;&#x1f1f8;</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180659958685696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">14. Happy Korean-American Day and MLK weekend. As Dr. King said, &#8220;Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.&#8221; -end-</p>
<p>— Gary Lee (@whoisgarylee) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoisgarylee/status/952180661258928128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Lee&#8217;s beautiful story has struck a chord with many, racking up over 57,000 retweets and over 160,000 likes since the time of this writing.</p>


Korean-American Man Reduced to Tears After Hearing What Obama Told Him on His Last Day of Work