Asian Boston Mayor Hosts Christmas Party Excluding White People

First Female and Person of Color Elected Mayor in 200 Years
Michelle Woo: "A Social Space for Minorities Is Necessary... It's Justified"

The mayor of Boston, USA, has sparked controversy by hosting a year-end party excluding white politicians.

According to local media including NBC on the 15th (local time), the city of Boston prepared a Christmas party on the 13th exclusively for elected officials of color.

Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston.
Photo by Yonhap News

The current mayor of Boston is Michelle Wu (38), a second-generation Taiwanese immigrant. Michelle Wu is the first female mayor in Boston's history and a person of color. Since John Phillips, the first mayor in 1822, Boston's mayoral office has been held by white men for 200 years.

Michelle Wu was born to a family of Taiwanese international students in Chicago. She scored a perfect score on the SAT, the American college entrance exam, and entered Harvard University’s economics department. After graduation, while caring for her mother who suffered from schizophrenia, she became disillusioned with the American bureaucracy and went on to law school.

Wu was elected as a city councilor in 2013 and during her term enacted ordinances banning transgender discrimination by insurance companies, banning plastic bags, and regulating short-term rentals.

The fact that Mayor Wu prepared a party exclusively for elected officials of color was revealed externally due to a mistake by a city hall employee. This employee sent invitations meant for councilors of color to white councilors as well.

There are 13 politicians in the Boston City Council, of whom 6 are people of color. Recently, Boston’s white population has decreased, with Black, Latino, and Asian populations making up more than half.

Subsequently, the city of Boston apologized to the white councilors, saying the invitations were sent by mistake.

This led to criticism mainly from conservatives, questioning whether excluding only white people from a city hall event constitutes discrimination. As the controversy showed signs of spreading, Mayor Wu explained, "The party held on the 13th was just one of many year-end parties hosted by the city," and added, "There will also be parties where all councilors participate."

However, she stated that there is no problem with the legitimacy of the party, emphasizing the need for a space where minorities can socialize.

Frank Baker, one of the white councilors, expressed his stance on the controversy, saying, "I have no intention of attending a party to which I was not invited."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.