The California 40th District race between Esther Kim Barre and Young Kim has ignited controversy after Barre posted an August 6 Instagram rant that mocked Kim’s accent, attacked her heritage, and accused her of betraying the Korean American community. The post drew a forceful response from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which labeled it “one of the most vile, unhinged tirades” against a sitting member of Congress.
In her Instagram post, Barre began by mocking Young Kim’s age and claiming that her “racist MAGA party couldn’t tell your much older ass apart from me @repyoungkim.” She called Young Kim “a power-hungry Korean-born immigrant that has sold your conscience to the devil—at the price of all hard-working immigrants.” She accused Young Kim and her husband of being “the biggest GRIFTERS representing the swamp—putrid and pussing from the rot that is your soul.”
Barre continued, “Don’t you even realize that OUR shared Korean-American community has the highest number of undocumented immigrants amongst Asians?” She added, “You don’t even speak English well enough to hold a single cohesive argument. You ESL puppet. So embarrassing.” She went on to call Young Kim “a real life Judas to our community,” concluding with, “You sicken me @repyoungkim.”
The NRCC responded the next day with a statement calling the remarks “racist and xenophobic insults that would make even the far-left cringe.” The committee accused Barre of embodying “the worst of today’s political discourse” and said: “Californians will reject this vile extremist who has no business representing them in Congress.” NRCC spokesperson Christian Martinez added, “Unhinged Democrat Esther Kim Varet is a hate-filled bigot who embodies the worst of today’s political discourse.”
Young Kim issued her own statement on August 7, saying, “I am proud of my accent and will continue to speak out to protect the American Dream for the next generation.”
Reactions within the Korean American community have been divided. Lee, a Fullerton resident, said, “If a white person had made such remarks toward a Korean or another person of color, how would Democrats react?” He added, “It’s very disappointing, especially as a Democrat, to see a Korean American mocking another Korean American’s English ability while claiming to value minority rights.” Some Republicans suggested Barre may have been seeking attention through “noise marketing,” while others expressed disappointment after expecting a respectful contest between the two.
Barre, who announced her candidacy in January, said the district needs “a bilingual Korean American woman with a strong fundraising network.” She was born in Korea, immigrated to Texas, graduated from Yale University, and earned a Ph.D. in art history from Columbia University. She operates Various Small Fires (VSF), with locations in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Seoul.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
