The Hollywood Reporter notes that as well as looking at their empire, accusations of racism towards the Gaines run more personally. The publication writes that Joanna Gaines' mother was both in Seoul, South Korea, and that her father is white. On her Instagram, Joanna Gaines has shared her experiences as an Asian American woman and what it's like living in a mixed-race family.
There has been a stark rise in hate crimes towards Asian Americans throughout the pandemic (via BBC), but Joanna said that she has experienced discrimination throughout her life — as has her mother. "My mom is so tough, but with one look or comment, I would just see her shut down," Joanna told The Hollywood Reporter. "That's why she didn't know how to help me when I would come home and say, 'So-and-so called me this.' It was also happening to her. Growing up as half-Asian, half-Caucasian, I get what that feels like to not be accepted and to not be loved. That's the last thing I want anyone to ever feel."
In the Instagram post, Joanna echoed a similar sentiment and wrote, "As I sit here now, with years of living and learning behind me, I want so badly to go back in time to that little girl — a little girl who happens to be half Korean and shy and a little bit self-conscious — to tell her that not only is she good enough, but she is extraordinary."
