March 28, 2021
WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio—Board of Trustees member Lee Wong, a Republican, who campaigned in a “Make America Great Again” hat, asked as he showed a long scar attained in war in a Tuesday evening town hall meeting, “Is this patriot enough?”
69-year-old Wong said he has been told by people that he doesn’t look American enough or patriotic enough. “I’m going to show you what patriotism, the questions about patriotism look like,” said the 20-year U.S. Army veteran who immigrated to the United States 51 years ago.
Video of the moment went viral on social media as Americans continue to speak out against anti-Asian hate amid a spike in attacks against Asians, including a suspect in Atlanta who’s accused of killing eight people earlier this month, six of whom were Asian women.
Wong told the Cincinnati Enquirer the moment wasn’t planned.
“In that moment, I don’t know what came over me. I just knew I had to say something,” he said.
In the meeting, he talked about coming to America as an 18-year-old and described how he was once beaten up in Chicago because he was Asian. He said his attackers were never punished, according to Fox News.
“I deliberately went to the Army to learn about Americanism and democracy,” he told the newspaper.
“People thank me for my service. People are glad I spoke,” Wong stated to the Enquirer. “West Chester is a diverse community and we don’t need that kind of rhetoric.”
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