Republican Representative from Georgia and QAnon adherent Marjorie Taylor Greene attended a gathering over the weekend for the right-wing youth group, Turning Point USA. The GOP member of Congress used an antiquated racial slur targeting Asian people while explaining how her party embraced diversity.
Since 2019, the United States has seen a sharp rise in anti-Asian hate crimes provocated by right-wing rhetoric about the pandemic with even former Republican President Donald Trump spouting racist language.
The freshman Congresswoman–notorious for spreading numerous conspiracy theories and advocating for the execution of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi–argued the GOP couldn't be a "White supremacist" party because "yellow people" voted for them.
"Yellow" is a derogatory term referring to East Asians. It was commonly used in the 1800s by White laborers who were fearful of Asian immigrants possibly taking their jobs.
You can watch a clip of Greene's speech, here.
WARNING: racist language
Marjorie Taylor Greene suggests the presence of \u201cyellow people\u201d and other groups at TPUSA\u2019s #AMFEST2021 means it\u2019s not a \u201cwhite supremacist party.\u201dpic.twitter.com/78N9KB9UdS— PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1639947587
Newsweek's Danya Hajjaji reported:
"The Georgia Republican mentioned the term—which was historically used as a racist slur against Asian people—in her Sunday opening remarks on the second day of 'AmericaFest', a conference organized by conservative group Turning Point USA."
Greene said at the conference:
"'So I've never been to one of these events before. I've heard a little bit about them. I've seen a little bit of this event, this type of event before."
"And when I walked in yesterday, I was like, 'What kind of people come here?' So I'm walking around and seeing some good people and I see White people, Black people, brown people, yellow people...'"
Her speech caught the attention of Asian American actor, George Takei, on social media.
Prior to his Hollywood career, Takei was incarcerated with his parents in a Japanese Internment Camp during World War II after President Roosevelt authorized the racist Executive Order 9066.
He commented on the all-too-familiar racial slur on Twitter.
"I honestly haven’t heard someone use 'yellow people' for decades. Perhaps she meant 'yellow bellied people' because there are certainly lots in that crowd."
I honestly haven\u2019t heard someone use \u201cyellow people\u201d for decades. Perhaps she meant \u201cyellow bellied people\u201d because there are certainly lots in that crowd.https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1472673034951708680\u00a0\u2026— George Takei (@George Takei) 1639972037
Greene continued in her speech:
"And then there's talk of freedom and loving America and conservative principles, some crazy people in here were talking about how much they love this guy named Jesus."
"And I heard—someone I really like—I think I heard that a lot of people here like a guy named Donald J. Trump."
Love the way she talks of "Jesus" then immediately follows it with "trump" their new jesus.— \ud83d\udd96 Justin Memphis \ud83c\udf1e\u269b\ufe0f (@\ud83d\udd96 Justin Memphis \ud83c\udf1e\u269b\ufe0f) 1639947729
The Georgia Republican added:
"And then I said 'Oh, oh, I know exactly what this is. The Left calls this a White supremacist party'."
"Okay, okay, I know what I'm going to now."
People were baffled over the irony of how she defended her party.
Yet a fellow member of Congress just referred to "yellow people".— Pete\ud83d\udc89vaxxed\ud83d\ude0e \ud83d\udc9b\ud83c\udf66\ud83d\udc1d \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Pete\ud83d\udc89vaxxed\ud83d\ude0e \ud83d\udc9b\ud83c\udf66\ud83d\udc1d \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1640045825
That is the first time I've heard someone use a racist slur to try and prove their group isn't racist. Mind officially boggled.— Ronin Zero (my ZeroArmour account was suspended). (@Ronin Zero (my ZeroArmour account was suspended).) 1639980878
Glad we cleared that up\n\nMarjorie Taylor Greene says GOP isn't 'white supremacist' at rally because 'yellow people' attended | Daily Mail Onlinehttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10330011/Marjorie-Taylor-Greene-says-GOP-isnt-white-supremacist-rally-yellow-people-attended.html\u00a0\u2026— Pjoyfarrar\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a (@Pjoyfarrar\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a) 1640046254
If you use the term \u201cyellow people\u201d I would strongly suggest it very much is a white supremacist party.https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1472673034951708680\u00a0\u2026— Smashed Avo to the Chateau Burros (@Smashed Avo to the Chateau Burros) 1639949253
yellow people? i guess the Simpsons were there\u2026..— Hog Snarfer (@Hog Snarfer) 1639947748
Takeaway #1: MTG still refers to the Asian community as \u201cyellow people\u201d. Takeaway #2: DJT\u2019s name got a louder ovation than Jesus. Let those 2 points sink in when you think of the modern Republican Party.— IROSS (@IROSS) 1639974959
WATCH: @RepMTG uses the racial slur \u201cyellow people\u201d at the @TPUSA event.. and nobody bats an eye.pic.twitter.com/hIltvBo8Lj— The Tennessee Holler (@The Tennessee Holler) 1640027185
Marjorie Taylor Greene called Asian-Americans "Yellow people".\n\nYes ladies and gentlemen, a US representative in 2021.— \ud83d\udc99\ud83e\udd85 Anis Jerbi \ud83e\udd85\ud83d\udc99 (@\ud83d\udc99\ud83e\udd85 Anis Jerbi \ud83e\udd85\ud83d\udc99) 1640041381
Hey MTG!pic.twitter.com/RNM2Aj9dPx— Dan ain't Q (@Dan ain't Q) 1639972164
BREAKING: Marjorie Taylor Greene uses the racial slur "yellow people" to refer to Asian-Americans during a speech about diversity in the Republican Party and claims that the GOP is not "a white supremacist party." RT IF YOU THINK SHE'S A FULL-BLOWN BIGOT!— Occupy Democrats (@Occupy Democrats) 1640035601
\u201cSome people like to call this the white supremacist party\u201d. Yes we do.— Donald J Turnip \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Donald J Turnip \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1639972667
She callin' Asians "Yellow People" proves she's not a white supremacist.\n\n(Hint: It don't)https://www.rawstory.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-yellow/\u00a0\u2026— Tea Pain (@Tea Pain) 1640016335
Greene joins other Republican candidates for office who used a racial slur, including former Chief Justice Roy Moore, who referred to "reds and yellows fighting," while commenting against racial, political and other divisions at a rally campaigning for Alabama's open Senate seat.
"Redskin" is a racial slur for Indigenous people of the Americas. The term came from bounties and the paid genocide of Indigenous populations.
Back in February, Greene was stripped of her seats on the House Budget Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee after disseminating violent and outrageous conspiracy theories–including one in which she repeatedly called 9/11 and school mass shootings a hoax.
