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The state of Washington celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day, amongst others. But if Democrats have their way, the state will soon recognize “kimchi day.” You cannot make this up.
While Asian-American Washingtonians have spent the last two years being terrorized by brazen criminals — pleading for basic protection — what was a Washington Democrat busy doing? Crafting asinine legislation to establish kimchi day as a state holiday.
I know that many people find kimchi tasty. But with crime spiraling, fentanyl overrunning our streets and homelessness exploding — all issues that have hit the Chinatown/International District (CID) in Seattle especially hard — the idea that a part-time legislature is prioritizing fermented cabbage is as tone-deaf as it is embarrassing.
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Why would we have a kimchi day in Washington?
State Rep. Cindy Ryu, D-Shoreline, is the brainchild behind House Bill 1017. It has already picked up two co-sponsors, Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, and Rep. Sharlett Mena, D-Tacoma.
The legislation aims to celebrate the “long, rich history” of kimchi via a state-recognized legal holiday. Ryu notes that the 2,000-year-old salted and fermented vegetables dish has been “recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).”
But why exactly does kimchi deserve legal holiday status? Ryu seems enamored by the fact that it’s a Korean dish, available in stores, and — wait for it — healthy. How groundbreaking. If that’s the standard, will we declare “Kale Day” or “Quinoa Week” next.
“Kimchi is found for sale across the United States at major retailers and is becoming an international staple as an excellent source of probiotics, filate, beta-carotene, choline, potassium, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K, many of which contribute to lower rates of stroke, cancer, and diabetes,” HB 1017 reads.
Kimchi day would be recognized Nov. 22 because kimchi has “11 major ingredients and 22 health benefits.”
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Can we tackle crime first?
While Ryu is celebrating kimchi, Asian Americans have been suffering from a crime crisis fueled, in large part, by the progressive, soft-on-crime policies Ryu and her fellow Democrats enthusiastically supported.
In South King County, five men were accused of targeting Asian families, allegedly pointing a gun at a woman while demanding she open her safe. A gang leader was indicted for allegedly committing armed robberies targeting Asian families across King, Snohomish, and Skagit counties. The Redmond Police Department warned about an organized crime group and earlier this year, a group of men allegedly terrorized Asian American homeowners in Kirkland — stealing tens of thousands of dollars in cash and valuables from at least 17 homes.
These aren’t isolated incidents, either. In Seattle, nearly two in five Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents told the Asian American Foundation that they have been the victim of an anti-Asian incident in the last year.
Something tells me that Asian Americans in Washington would prefer legislators focus on the very real crime crisis threatening their safety instead of patting themselves on the back for honoring a jar of fermented vegetables.
Really bad optics
The optics of this legislation are disturbing, no matter how much time Ryu’s legislative team spent crafting a short bill. We wouldn’t even get a day off from work with this holiday, making it especially performative.
Ryu is not a serious lawmaker, so perhaps we shouldn’t blame her for wasting our time with kimchi day.
Previously, Ryu spent years championing a bill mandating a personal flotation device be worn while on kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards. But she offered an exemption on enforcement against tribal members because she doesn’t think Native Americans can drown.
“These are situations where they have either extensive training or (are) traditionally very used to our cold waters for eons, essentially, or are very closely supervised,” she said at the time.
And though she appears to be a fan of days honoring Asian American cultures, she previously helped to kill legislation establishing January as Americans of Chinese Descent History Month because the bill’s sponsor is white.
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We have important problems to tackle in Washington. We don’t need to celebrate kimchi day
Washington has serious problems that are in desperate need of attention.
Crime remains unacceptably high. Cost of living is still sky high. We’re overtaxed, under policed, and surrounded by homeless encampments and open-air drug use. Washington’s part-time legislature has precious little time to make even a dent in these issues. Yet, Rep. Ryu has the audacity to waste our time with kimchi day?
This isn’t just tone-deaf — it’s insulting. Maybe when Washingtonians can safely walk their streets again, we can start talking about niche food holidays. Until then, lawmakers need to focus on the chaos they have allowed to fester — not pander with cheap, meaningless gimmicks.
And, not for nothing, but kimchi isn’t even that great. Yes, I said it.
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