useapen
2023-10-19 08:24:55 UTC
A reporter of Chinese descent is speaking out, weeks after Nebraska Gov.
Jim Pillen dismissed her article on his company, Pillen Family Farms,
because the author is from Communist China.
Yanqi Xu, 27, who is an immigrant from China and reports for the
independent outlet Flatwater Free Press, told NBC News that Pillen's
comments were a form of bias. Pillen, a Republican, had made the remarks
on Omaha radio station KFAB in September, after he was asked to respond to
her article that found high levels of nitrate on his hog farms.
Number 1, I didnt read it. And I wont, Pillen said on the air about
Xus article. Number 2, all you got to do is look at the author. The
author is from Communist China. What more do you need to know?
This week with Xus blessing and after consulting with immigration
lawyers to ensure her visa status wouldnt be compromised Matt Wynn,
executive director of the Nebraska Journalism Trust, which launched the
Flatwater Free Press, published a column in her defense.
Yanqi has been in the United States since 2017. This, she said, is the
first time anyone has written her off based on her origin. And it was
broadcast, over the air, by the governor of Nebraska, Wynn wrote. As an
employer, that infuriates me. As a believer in democracy and a free press,
it saddens me. As a Nebraskan, it embarrasses me.
Pillens office did not respond to NBC News request for comment.
Xu, who said she was grateful that her employer stood with her, added that
Pillen's words potentially fit into a narrative of othering people of
Chinese descent.
Im still trying to wrap my head around this," she said. "I can
definitely see the bias there.
While she needed time to digest the comments, she said that as a
journalist, she wanted to speak out to hold the governor accountable.
I think its important to speak up and it can be really, really hard at
first because in some ways, it made you the center of the story, Xu said.
Especially as a woman of color, if the other person who made such a
comment about you is the most powerful person in the state, how do you
respond? But I think for me, I found myself coming back to this point of:
If I dont do it, who would?
The Asian American Journalists Association also released a statement on
Wednesday, supporting Xu.
The Asian American Journalists Association stands with Yanqi Xu, the
Flatwater Free Press journalist who was the target of remarks that
attempted to dismiss her reporting because of her country of origin, the
statement read. Having an independent and diverse press corps is
essential to democracy, and Xu, an investigative reporter who grew up in
China, deserves to do her job without being judged because of her
nationality.
And Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American
Caucus, condemned Pillen, describing his remarks as a "baseless xenophobic
attack." She called on him to apologize to Xu and her outlet.
"Failing to do so only contributes to more hostility and suspicion of
people from China and Asian Americans broadly, Chu, D-Calif., said.
Xu recounted that on the day of the radio interview, she was in the field,
working on more reporting on Pillens hog farms. When she returned to the
newsroom the next day, her editor informed her of the governors
interview. At first, she was hopeful that Pillen responded to the content
of her article, explaining that her past attempts to obtain a response had
not been successful.
My immediate reaction was, Oh, wow, hes finally responding, Xu said.
But I never expected his only actual comment was about who I am and where
Im from. So I was pretty shocked.
Xu said she hadnt encountered any similarly biased comments in her two
years as a working journalist in Nebraska.
I dont think that your country of origin defines you, Xu said. When
Im interacting with people, Nebraskans are actually pretty welcoming. And
in a lot of ways I felt that I do have a community here.
Her organizations column, Xu said, sent a critical message to the
community.
I think its also super important for other Chinese Americans or other
Chinese immigrants to understand that our newsroom thinks its not right
for the governor to say something like this, Xu said.
Wynn similarly told NBC News that he was in disbelief after hearing
Pillens comments, but added that he was proud to defend journalism and
journalists.
Once we knew she was legally safe, there was no doubt we had to respond,
he said.
Since the radio interview, Xu said shes received an outpouring of support
from her peers and others.
Ive heard so many positive comments and responses already, just from
today. And I think that would definitely keep me going, she said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/reporter-shocked-nebraska-
governor-dismisses-communist-china-rcna121058
Jim Pillen dismissed her article on his company, Pillen Family Farms,
because the author is from Communist China.
Yanqi Xu, 27, who is an immigrant from China and reports for the
independent outlet Flatwater Free Press, told NBC News that Pillen's
comments were a form of bias. Pillen, a Republican, had made the remarks
on Omaha radio station KFAB in September, after he was asked to respond to
her article that found high levels of nitrate on his hog farms.
Number 1, I didnt read it. And I wont, Pillen said on the air about
Xus article. Number 2, all you got to do is look at the author. The
author is from Communist China. What more do you need to know?
This week with Xus blessing and after consulting with immigration
lawyers to ensure her visa status wouldnt be compromised Matt Wynn,
executive director of the Nebraska Journalism Trust, which launched the
Flatwater Free Press, published a column in her defense.
Yanqi has been in the United States since 2017. This, she said, is the
first time anyone has written her off based on her origin. And it was
broadcast, over the air, by the governor of Nebraska, Wynn wrote. As an
employer, that infuriates me. As a believer in democracy and a free press,
it saddens me. As a Nebraskan, it embarrasses me.
Pillens office did not respond to NBC News request for comment.
Xu, who said she was grateful that her employer stood with her, added that
Pillen's words potentially fit into a narrative of othering people of
Chinese descent.
Im still trying to wrap my head around this," she said. "I can
definitely see the bias there.
While she needed time to digest the comments, she said that as a
journalist, she wanted to speak out to hold the governor accountable.
I think its important to speak up and it can be really, really hard at
first because in some ways, it made you the center of the story, Xu said.
Especially as a woman of color, if the other person who made such a
comment about you is the most powerful person in the state, how do you
respond? But I think for me, I found myself coming back to this point of:
If I dont do it, who would?
The Asian American Journalists Association also released a statement on
Wednesday, supporting Xu.
The Asian American Journalists Association stands with Yanqi Xu, the
Flatwater Free Press journalist who was the target of remarks that
attempted to dismiss her reporting because of her country of origin, the
statement read. Having an independent and diverse press corps is
essential to democracy, and Xu, an investigative reporter who grew up in
China, deserves to do her job without being judged because of her
nationality.
And Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American
Caucus, condemned Pillen, describing his remarks as a "baseless xenophobic
attack." She called on him to apologize to Xu and her outlet.
"Failing to do so only contributes to more hostility and suspicion of
people from China and Asian Americans broadly, Chu, D-Calif., said.
Xu recounted that on the day of the radio interview, she was in the field,
working on more reporting on Pillens hog farms. When she returned to the
newsroom the next day, her editor informed her of the governors
interview. At first, she was hopeful that Pillen responded to the content
of her article, explaining that her past attempts to obtain a response had
not been successful.
My immediate reaction was, Oh, wow, hes finally responding, Xu said.
But I never expected his only actual comment was about who I am and where
Im from. So I was pretty shocked.
Xu said she hadnt encountered any similarly biased comments in her two
years as a working journalist in Nebraska.
I dont think that your country of origin defines you, Xu said. When
Im interacting with people, Nebraskans are actually pretty welcoming. And
in a lot of ways I felt that I do have a community here.
Her organizations column, Xu said, sent a critical message to the
community.
I think its also super important for other Chinese Americans or other
Chinese immigrants to understand that our newsroom thinks its not right
for the governor to say something like this, Xu said.
Wynn similarly told NBC News that he was in disbelief after hearing
Pillens comments, but added that he was proud to defend journalism and
journalists.
Once we knew she was legally safe, there was no doubt we had to respond,
he said.
Since the radio interview, Xu said shes received an outpouring of support
from her peers and others.
Ive heard so many positive comments and responses already, just from
today. And I think that would definitely keep me going, she said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/reporter-shocked-nebraska-
governor-dismisses-communist-china-rcna121058