--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I served on active duty in the U.S. Air…" description: "\"I served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and currently serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Yet I still experience people telling me to 'go..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/ted-lieu-4499_air-force_i-served-on-active-duty-in-the-u-s-air-f_1350995.jpg" --- # I served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and… ![“I served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and currently serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Yet I still experience people telling me to 'go back' to China or North Korea or Japan. Like many immigrants, I have learned to brush off this racist insult.” quote by Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/ted-lieu-4499_air-force_i-served-on-active-duty-in-the-u-s-air-f_1350995.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/ted-lieu-4499_air-force_i-served-on-active-duty-in-the-u-s-air-f_1350995.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/ted-lieu-4499_air-force_i-served-on-active-duty-in-the-u-s-air-f_1350995.jpg) > “I served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and currently serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Yet I still experience people telling me to 'go back' to China or North Korea or Japan. Like many immigrants, I have learned to brush off this racist insult.” [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Racist remarks targeting heritage persist despite service and contributions, highlighting ongoing xenophobia. **In simple terms:** People still face xenophobic insults despite achievements. Key Takeaway Address prejudice by educating and standing against bigotry. Themes racism xenophobia identity Mood determined assertive Type political activist When to use this quote - public policy debates - community outreach - media representation - personal interactions Key Concepts social justice political discourse immigrant experience Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders effectively counter xenophobic narratives? - What role does personal experience play in combating racism? A Different Perspective Changing attitudes requires systemic effort beyond individual resilience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Air force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-force/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants/) [Immigrants Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants-learned-4595099/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Like Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-immigrants-1501215/) [North korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korea/) [Racist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racist/) [Racist Insult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racist-insult-4595098/) ## Related quotes > [My grandfather on my dad's side was the first in our family to settle in the U.K. He came from Pakistan on his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amir-khan/my-grandfather-on-my-dad-s-side-was-the-first-in-our-family-to-settle/) [Amir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amir-khan/) > [I don't know what it's like in the U.S. but immigrants in the U.K. do the jobs the citizens won't do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/i-don-t-know-what-it-s-like-in-the-u-s-but-immigrants-in-the-u-k-do/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [Karaoke was my family's happy secret. In those early years in America, like many immigrants, my parents struggled with poverty and loneliness, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-zhang/karaoke-was-my-family-s-happy-secret-in-those-early-years-in-america/) [Jenny Zhang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-zhang/) > [“After all, we are all immigrants to the future; none of us is a native in that land. Margaret Mead famously wrote about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-gorbis/after-all-we-are-all-immigrants-to-the-future-none-of-us-is-a-native/) [Marina Gorbis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-gorbis/) > [Parents feel like immigrants in the country of the young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/parents-feel-like-immigrants-in-the-country-of-the-young/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“Like many immigrants, I had always kept my Eastern and Western lives compartmentalized.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-lakshmi/like-many-immigrants-i-had-always-kept-my-eastern-and-western-lives/) [Padma Lakshmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-lakshmi/) > [Look, when I came to this country, my parents, like many immigrants, are looking for a better life. And in their minds for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karine-jean-pierre/look-when-i-came-to-this-country-my-parents-like-many-immigrants-are/) [Karine Jean-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karine-jean-pierre/) > [In the fall of 1978, I left the religious, conservative, biracial, slow-paced culture of South Carolina for the secular, liberal, multi-ethnic, intense culture of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/in-the-fall-of-1978-i-left-the-religious-conservative-biracial-slow/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [When I served on active duty in the United States Air Force, one of my duties was to teach the Law of War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/when-i-served-on-active-duty-in-the-united-states-air-force-one-of-my/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [It occurred to me that my family had achieved the American Dream, from being poor to starting a business to giving me and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/it-occurred-to-me-that-my-family-had-achieved-the-american-dream-from/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [I was 35 years old and in a position to take a shot at whatever I wanted to try. The Air Force said I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-doyle/i-was-35-years-old-and-in-a-position-to-take-a-shot-at-whatever-i/) [Jerry Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-doyle/) > [“Iwo Jima is more officially known as “Sulfur Island,” and it lies in a chain of volcanic islands south of the Ogasawara Islands. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/iwo-jima-is-more-officially-known-as-sulfur-island-and-it-lies-in-a/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [There was a little nook on Air Force Two that contained the vice presidential seal, and I would sort of wedge myself in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/there-was-a-little-nook-on-air-force-two-that-contained-the-vice/) [Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [I will be a tireless advocate for our District's defense priorities including Sheppard Air Force Base, Pantex, Bell Helicopter, universities conducting important research, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-will-be-a-tireless-advocate-for-our-district-s-defense-priorities/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) ## More by Ted Lieu > [The United States represents hope, freedom and opportunities to those who are born here and to those who are not. Those values are part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/the-united-states-represents-hope-freedom-and-opportunities-to-those/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [In a nation as dynamic and diverse as the United States, what makes us great is that our founding principles are rooted in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/in-a-nation-as-dynamic-and-diverse-as-the-united-states-what-makes-us/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [You cannot have 300-some million Americans - and really, right, the global citizenry be at risk of having their phone conversations intercepted with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/you-cannot-have-300-some-million-americans-and-really-right-the/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [What you want in foreign policy is clear, well-defined goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/what-you-want-in-foreign-policy-is-clear-well-defined-goals/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [Yes, I am not well-behaved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/yes-i-am-not-well-behaved/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [I am a supporter of Medicare for All.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/i-am-a-supporter-of-medicare-for-all/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [Donald Trump himself actually said during his campaign that he essentially thinks being unpredictable is a good thing. Maybe that's a good thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/donald-trump-himself-actually-said-during-his-campaign-that-he/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [By the time Congress is even authorized to act after the President has launched nuclear weapons, there may no longer be a civilized world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/by-the-time-congress-is-even-authorized-to-act-after-the-president/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [Indeed, President Trump seems to have a pretty good idea how to enrich oneself at taxpayer expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/indeed-president-trump-seems-to-have-a-pretty-good-idea-how-to-enrich/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [We are not and will never be an authoritarian regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/we-are-not-and-will-never-be-an-authoritarian-regime/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [It is important to show up. Showing up at marches and rallies and town halls and protests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/it-is-important-to-show-up-showing-up-at-marches-and-rallies-and-town/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [The suspicion that immigrants are not to be trusted or are unpatriotic is not just wrong; it is un-American. And dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/the-suspicion-that-immigrants-are-not-to-be-trusted-or-are/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [It is clear to me that creating a pathway for decryption only for good guys is technologically stupid. You just can't do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/it-is-clear-to-me-that-creating-a-pathway-for-decryption-only-for/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [When tragedy strikes, feeling helpless is understandable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/when-tragedy-strikes-feeling-helpless-is-understandable/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [If we turn our back on the world's most vulnerable people, we're eschewing the values our country was founded on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/if-we-turn-our-back-on-the-world-s-most-vulnerable-people-we-re/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) [Explore all 110 Ted Lieu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) ## More Air force quotes > [I will be a tireless advocate for our District's defense priorities including Sheppard Air Force Base, Pantex, Bell Helicopter, universities conducting important research, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-will-be-a-tireless-advocate-for-our-district-s-defense-priorities/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [There was a little nook on Air Force Two that contained the vice presidential seal, and I would sort of wedge myself in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/there-was-a-little-nook-on-air-force-two-that-contained-the-vice/) [Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/) > [“Iwo Jima is more officially known as “Sulfur Island,” and it lies in a chain of volcanic islands south of the Ogasawara Islands. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/iwo-jima-is-more-officially-known-as-sulfur-island-and-it-lies-in-a/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [I was 35 years old and in a position to take a shot at whatever I wanted to try. The Air Force said I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-doyle/i-was-35-years-old-and-in-a-position-to-take-a-shot-at-whatever-i/) [Jerry Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-doyle/) > [Certainly in the United States, you have a constituency in the form of the weapons laboratories, and you also have the branches of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/certainly-in-the-united-states-you-have-a-constituency-in-the-form-of/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [If we get chased out of Iraq with our tail between our legs, that will be the fifth consecutive Third-world country with no hint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-we-get-chased-out-of-iraq-with-our-tail-between-our-legs-that-will/) [Hunter S. 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Hincks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-t-hincks/) > [Air Force interceptors still pursue Unidentified Flying Objects as a matter of national security to this country and to determine technical aspects involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-w-kelly/air-force-interceptors-still-pursue-unidentified-flying-objects-as-a/) [Joe W. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-w-kelly/) > [Since Eve negotiated Adam, I am the most disadvantaged negotiator in history of mankind. I have no army, no navy, no air force, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saeb-erekat/since-eve-negotiated-adam-i-am-the-most-disadvantaged-negotiator-in/) [Saeb Erekat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saeb-erekat/) > [“Then, out of the blue, I had the ah ha moment of inspiration at one of our 3rd SPG reunions as I listened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bowers/then-out-of-the-blue-i-had-the-ah-ha-moment-of-inspiration-at-one-of/) [Bill Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bowers/) > [I became an inventor by accident. I was out of the Air Force in 1956. No, no, that's not true: I went in in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-norris/i-became-an-inventor-by-accident-i-was-out-of-the-air-force-in-1956/) [Woody Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-norris/) > [If you're from New York and you're Catholic, you're still Jewish. If you're from Butte Montana and you're Jewish, you're still goyisch. The Air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-re-from-new-york-and-you-re-catholic-you-re-still-jewish-if/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) [Browse all 472 Air force quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-force/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and currently serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Yet I still experience people telling me to 'go back' to China or North Korea or Japan. 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