(Headline USA) An embattled leftist district attorney in California attempted to smooth over her relationship with the Asian community this week by announcing her “Chinese name,” despite the fact that she is black and has no Asian heritage.
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, who is facing a recall election in November, has been accused by former staffers of being “condescending and disrespectful” toward Asians in the community, on top of being deliberately soft on crime.
She was set to host an event commemorating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on Tuesday, during which she reportedly planned to unveil her “Chinese name.” But the planned event prompted immediate backlash from community members who accused Price of cultural appropriation.
“I think it’s ridiculous. It’s cultural appropriation and pandering at the highest level,” said Charles Huang, who heads the local National Asian Pacific Islanders Prosecutors Association.
“There’s no bounds to her virtue signal game,” another local added.
The backlash forced Price’s office to cancel the event at the last minute.
However, Price has been using her “Chinese name” since at least last April, when she took out a full-page ad in the World Journal, a Chinese-language newspaper.
According to translators, the characters in Price’s name translate to “government official,” “kind or good,” and “pure or virginity.”
One Cantonese speaker mocked the name itself, saying, “It’s actually pretty dumb to call herself that. The three characters together mean ‘a nice virgin bureaucrat.’”
Last year, Patti Lee, who worked as Price’s spokeswoman for about six months, accused Price of “constantly and openly” making derogatory comments about Asian Americans.
Lee also alleged Price fired her because of anti-Asian discrimination. She later sued Price for $1.5 million, alleging that she suffered emotional distress stemming from retaliation, discrimination, wrongful termination and failure to pay wages.
Price is one of several George Soros-backed prosecutors who ascended to their positions in the 2020 election but have since faced recalls or other political fallout for their controversial philosophies.
That has included offering a plea deal to an alleged triple murderer and hiring her boyfriend to a six-figure position despite a previous FBI investigation into her questionable hiring practices.
Although she has openly espoused the view that her position has “no impact” on crime, residence of crime-plagued Oakland beg to differ. Citizens have held several town-hall meetings to address the serious crisis, which has also forced several businesses to permanently close shop.
