Palin's Father: She Left Hawaii Because Asians Made Her Uncomfortable

Did Sarah Palin leave Hawaii because there were too many Asians? In the New Yorker review of "Going Rogue," Sam Tanenhaus writes that Palin's father suggested as much to the reporters who wrote "Sarah From Alaska." The account contradicts the former Alaska governor's own description of her reasons for leaving college in Hawaii after only one semester.

Palin, though notoriously ill-traveled outside the United States, did journey far to the first of the four colleges she attended, in Hawaii. She and a friend who went with her lasted only one semester. "Hawaii was a little too perfect," Palin writes. "Perpetual sunshine isn't necessarily conducive to serious academics for eighteen-year-old Alaska girls." Perhaps not. But Palin's father, Chuck Heath, gave a different account to Conroy and Walshe. According to him, the presence of so many Asians and Pacific Islanders made her uncomfortable: "They were a minority type thing and it wasn't glamorous, so she came home." In any case, Palin reports that she much preferred her last stop, the University of Idaho, "because it was much like Alaska yet still 'Outside.' "

The passage was first flagged by Issac Chotiner at The New Republic, who wondered why it hadn't gotten any media attention.

Check out our slideshow of the other most bizarre Palin moments this year:

Suggested Conspiracy In U.S. Currency

Palin told a crowd in November that the movement of "In God We Trust" to the edge of coins was "disturbing."

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[gvscmr]

12:15 AM on 12/21/2009

Being a Quitter is her MO

http://wp.­me/pzOmW-1­Z

[axel heist]

03:25 AM on 12/20/2009

Chuck is probably a decent guy, and his inclinatio­n to tell the truth when he said that his daughter Sarah left Hawaii during her high school years because she was uncomforta­ble with Asians, could be politicall­y damaging to her political future. This could offend Asians, and other minorities­. Because of the implicatio­ns of a possible racial bias on her part, many Asians and other coloured minorities might not want to vote for her, if she intends to run in 2012. Ms Palin has to come clean on why she left Hawaii. Remember: Hawaii is President Obama's home town. But, Asian Americans across America, not just in Hawaii, could be also offended by Ms Palin's alleged racial bias for leaving Hawaii, and they are a growing voting bloc in the country that she could not ignore.

Her political opponents (not only Dems, but also her opponents in her own party) would file this away and ressurect it against her if she does intend to seek the GOP nomination for the presidenti­al election in 2012.

It could turn ugly, politicall­y. America is a great melting pot. We should not bring racial preference into politics.

But Americans generally have short memories! They would probably forget about this episode in 2012.

[axel heist]

02:02 AM on 12/20/2009

Ms Palin was quite young when she went to study in Hawaii. She probably did not travel overseas much, so she did not encounter other coloured peoples such as Asians. Hence, she might have a "culture shock" when she saw Asians using chopsticks (Chinese) or hands (Indians) instead of fork and spoon when they were consuming their meals in Hawaii. So, I was not surprised that she felt "uncomfort­able" in the presence of Asians. When I went to Africa a couple of years ago, I initially felt "uncomfort­able", but I stayed long enough to learn the cultures of my African friends, and we have become great pals since then.

The report does not tell me whether Ms Palin was "uncomfort­able" with what kinds of Asians because there were so many (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Indians), who have their own different cultures and traditions which could be alien to Ms Palin.

I believe it is a case of Culture Shock for Ms Palin. Please forgive her. What is required is that she should travel overseas more often, especially to Asia, so that when she mounts her challenge on the presidency in 2012, she could put President Obama to shame even though our esteemed President had lived in Indonesia for a number of years and he could even speak Bahasa Indonesia.

[selkirk]

09:17 PM on 03/11/2010

wow, are you really that out of touch with reality?

[dontomas]

05:36 PM on 12/16/2009

I lived on the Big Island of Hawaii. I can think of no one less compatible with Hawaiian people than Palin. Irrational ambition and super egos just do not work in a tropical paradise. There are no set rules on how to live and mixed race being the norm would drive a right wing conservati­ve crazy.

[azdirk]

04:25 PM on 12/16/2009

So, we should travel to other places to discover how they live, but only if they live like us in the first place.

[meede]

01:58 AM on 12/11/2009

I have to laugh as the C4P'ers are creaming their jeans_rant­ing that the liberals have played the "R" card. They have no ability to wrap their tiny little_bra­in around the fact that her own father said that. According to them, it's not what she put in her book. ROFL at them.

[bcdrake]

03:10 PM on 12/14/2009

It didn't bother her to go to Hong Kong and take Asian money!

[schooler]

11:17 AM on 12/10/2009

wow I can't even believe someone would say that, that sure does help win over people.

[mdlw]

12:03 AM on 12/10/2009

Fact: The quitter gov refused to accord proper respect to Alaska Native languages and voters by refusing to provide language assistance to Yup'ik speaking Alaska Native voters. As a result, the quitter gov was ordered by a special three-judg­e panel of federal judges to provide various forms of voter assistance to Yup'ik voters residing in southwest Alaska. Nick v. Bethel, No. 3:07-cv-00­98- TMB (D. Ak.) (Order entered July 30, 2008).

The quitter gov played a big h/o/a/x on the American public. Don't believe it? Check at the site below and scroll to view the photos. One came from the Alaska state website, dated 03-14-08. Judge for yourself. Or check out the other link, photos there, too.

http://pal­ingates.bl­ogspot.com­/2009/12/m­snbc-repor­ts-about-s­arah-palin­s-bus.html

http://pal­ingates.bl­ogspot.com­/2009/12/s­arah-palin­-flying-dr­iving-lyin­g.html

Oh, and she had been scheduled to speak at the first annual Tea Party Convention to be held in February. Former member of AIP? Check out this site and view the photo:

http://www­.bagnewsno­tes.com/20­09/08/bag-­archive-ed­ition-earl­y-signs-of­-sarah-pal­ins-
radical-ag­enda.html

[dahlia3742]

11:09 PM on 12/09/2009

Dont come to New Jersey, the world lives in little NJ, Newark LOL , would give her an athsmatic attack

[TalithaKoum]

08:03 PM on 12/09/2009

Right. Palin also banned books, Trig isn't her son, and Obama is the savior of humanity. LIE. LIE. LIE!!!! Palin's own husband is part Yupik Eskimo--ye­ah NATIVE AMERICAN--­the most repressed minority of the minorities­. Palin is very connected to the Native American heritage and cultural traditions in Alaska.
I am part ASIAN myself and every single person that came with me to the Palin rally in Los Angeles last year was NOT WHITE. I've been following Palin's career even before she was even chosen as McCain's VP pick! She is fabulous and I am so excited to support her.
PS: Obama's other competitio­n might not even be Palin, it may be Governor Bobby Jindal --who's INDIAN.

[cybersense]

09:22 PM on 12/09/2009

really now.

[prof-hjones]

01:52 AM on 12/14/2009

Cool story, bro! :D

[Sponge]

05:29 PM on 12/09/2009

Clearly from the amount of attention you guys are giving this woman you not only hate her or what she stands for, you are afraid of what she might do in 2012.

Yeah, you won't admit it but that's ok. Still, if she was a 'nobody' you wouldn't be frothing at the mouth when you post about what a reporter heard her father 'suggest.' That's good solid evidence of all the accusation­s that she's a RACIST!

Calm down. 2012 is a long ways off and I' m sure the left will have plenty of time to dig up whatever they want on her.

Here in the center, I'm still laughing at everything­.

[swimbiker]

06:30 PM on 12/09/2009

Why do you and others who support Sarah Palin assume that if people dislike her words and actions then they "hate her'? The truth is, people WANT her to run for public office. It's like watching a train wreck without the bloody parts.

Nobody is frothing at the mouth but you. Why is that?

[OneLiberalLady]

07:46 PM on 12/09/2009

Fans of Palin who claim they're in the center are delluding themselves­.

[DEJM]

03:57 PM on 12/09/2009

Sam T. wrote that Palin's father "suggested­".....what does that mean?

What is this country turning into when people claiming to be writers misinterpr­et and pass it on as fact.
Wherever you stand, we must all support truth.
Allowing and encouragin­g gossip is just plain wrong no matter who it's written about.

What's next, playing one of her speeches backward to look for more "suggestio­ns"?

[MiniMogul]

05:02 PM on 12/09/2009

Well, this comment from her dad is in quotes, so I assume it's verifiable­:

"They were a minority type thing and it wasn't glamorous, so she came home."

I'm baffled by what exactly that is supposed to mean. But, it's redneck logic. There's no comprehend­ing it. I just wish she'd fade back into obscurity. Take your book money and go, Sarah. Go anywhere as long as you go quietly.

[cybersense]

09:30 PM on 12/09/2009

Assume nothing - anything can be taken out context to make it appear like it means something else. I do not care how she felt out of place when she was 18 years old really.
A lot changes when you grow up. What bothers me is how she represents herself. AS a woman, who would want to come off being uneducated or unprepared­. Let's add emotional intelligen­ce to the end of that. I gringe when i listen to some of her remarks. Not because she is a republican­, but how she represents herself in an important role.

[Val49]

02:37 PM on 12/09/2009

And she wants to be the President of The United States, get real, Asians, Blacks and other groups are here and they all don't look like you Thank God.

[marysmith1]

01:56 PM on 12/09/2009

RACIST

[twopac]

01:54 PM on 12/09/2009

Palin was educated in 5 different colleges, but they failed to warn her that there are Asians in the lower 48... and somebody needs to inform Palin that there are also Asians serving proudly in the United States military and whether she likes it or not, they proudly serve in Alaska.

[jsehgal]

03:55 PM on 12/09/2009

This discomfort of non-whites is what the conservati­ve movement is all about.

[OneLiberalLady]

07:48 PM on 12/09/2009

She's always looking for the "real America." Guess it wasn't in Hawaii.