Latest news with #WhiteHouseHistoricalAssociation
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Fall: The White House Historical Association to Offer Official Ornament of America 250 celebration, marking Anniversary of America's Independence
Special Edition Ornament is also the Official 2026 White House Christmas Ornament, revealed earlier than ever before! WASHINGTON, May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The White House Historical Association will offer the Official America 250 Ornament as part of a nationwide celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Official America 250 Ornament will represent the White House's connection to America's independence and will be revealed and available for presale this fall. The Official America 250 Ornament will also serve as the Association's Official 2026 White House Christmas Ornament. America 250 is the national, nonpartisan organization charged by Congress to lead this once-in-a-lifetime commemoration. Its mission is to create the largest, most inspiring, and unifying commemoration in the nation's history, providing an opportunity for all Americans to come together and reflect on our shared heritage and future as a nation. This fall, the Official America 250 Ornament can be purchased alongside the Official 2025 White House Christmas Ornament which celebrates 150 years of White House State Dinners and social diplomacy. The Official America 250 Ornament will be made in America, and proceeds will further the Association's mission to promote a deeper understanding of the Executive Mansion — not just as the home of each president, but as a cornerstone of the American story. The Association's acquisitions, preservation, research, and education efforts continue through generous private donations and the sale of its published books, products, and the Official White House Christmas Ornament. This fall, the Official America 250 Ornament can be purchased online, in stores, and select locations where official licensed America 250 products are sold. This fall, purchase online at or at these Washington, D.C. retail locations: The People's House: A White House Experience, 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20006 The White House Visitor Center, 1450 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20006 Mayflower Hotel Pop-Up Shop, 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 For wholesale inquiries on how to become an official reseller of this ornament with exclusive discounts, please visit: For inquiries on how to utilize this ornament for fundraising with exclusive discounts, please visit: Global Icons is the exclusive licensing agency authorized to represent the official America250 trademarks, logos, and assets. All products and partners are reviewed and approved by to ensure alignment with the initiative's values and messaging. About The White Historical Association The White House Historical Association was founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to support her vision to restore and preserve the Executive Mansion and its legacy for generations to come. Mrs. Kennedy sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has contributed more than $115 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission. To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE The White House Historical Association
Japan Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
Former White House chef for 5 presidents says first families are 'just regular people' at home
FILE - White House executive chef Cris Comerford, holds dishes as she speaks during a media preview for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Nov. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Cristeta Comerford, a longtime White House executive chef who recently retired after nearly three decades of preparing meals for five presidents and their guests, says first families are 'just regular people' when they're at home in the private living areas of the Executive Mansion. 'It's not what you see on the news,' she told The Associated Press in an interview. Preparing the first families' meals was among Comerford's many culinary responsibilities. Meals mostly would be prepared in the main kitchen, then finished off in the residence kitchen on the second floor. 'At the end of the day, when you do the family meals upstairs, they're just regular people at home. They just want a good meal. They want to sit down with their family,' she said. "If they have children, they eat together. And just to see that on a daily basis, it's not what you see on the news. 'It's the other side of them that we get to see," she said. Comerford, who hung up her apron and chef's toque in July 2024 after nearly 20 years as top chef and nearly three decades on the kitchen staff, is the longest-serving chef in White House history. Her tenure spanned the presidencies of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Each of the five families she served approached food differently, Comerford said at a recent White House Historical Association symposium on food and wine. She was asked whether she'd describe any of the presidents as 'real foodies.' The Clintons liked healthier meals, Comerford said. Then-first lady Hillary Clinton hired the first American executive chef, Walter Scheib, and had the kitchen avoid serving heavy sauces and creams. She said, 'I learned so much' about Southwestern cuisine from Bush, the former Texas governor who liked Tex-Mex food. 'We made thousands of tamales for Christmas,' she said of the popular Mexican meal of stuffed corn dough wrapped in a corn husk and steamed until cooked. Comerford got ideas from the vegetable garden Michelle Obama started when she was promoting healthy eating, primarily for children. "We used the garden as kind of like our backbone for our menu development,' she said. Trump and first lady Melania Trump are 'very, very classic eaters,' she said. Mrs. Trump 'loved Italian food, so we tend to do the pastas, but light ones.' Comerford didn't comment on President Trump's food choices, but he is known to like a well-done steak served with ketchup and fast food. Jill Biden was the first Italian American first lady, and the kitchen did 'a lot of Italian food, as well, because she loved Italian food.' Overall, 'it's different for each family,' said Comerford, "but my job as the chef is to execute their style, their likes and their preferences.' A black-tie state dinner is the highest diplomatic honor the U.S. reserves for its close allies. Comerford presided over 54 of these opulent affairs, including for France and Australia during Trump's first term. Sometimes, guest chefs were brought in to help. State dinners give presidents the opportunity to bring together hundreds of guests from the worlds of government, politics and other industries for an evening in which the three-course meal, decor and entertainment are designed to help foster relations by dazzling the visiting foreign leader. The first lady's staff and the social secretary typically have about two months to pull one together. Comerford said her team started by researching the visiting leader's likes and dislikes, then she used the information to create a menu using the best of American food while incorporating nuances from the country being recognized. She'd develop at least three different menus. Then came tastings for the first lady to make a final decision. Comerford, 62, started her career tending a salad bar at a Chicago airport hotel before working as a chef at restaurants in Austria and Washington. Scheib, then the White House executive chef, hired her in 1994 for a temporary gig preparing a state dinner for Nelson Mandela, South Africa's newly elected president. Scheib then hired her as an assistant chef in 1995, and she succeeded him a decade later, becoming the first woman and first person of color to permanently hold the executive chef's position. Comerford is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in the Philippines. Her husband, John Comerford, is a chef, too, and she credits him with sacrificing his career to be present for their daughter so she could thrive in hers. Their daughter is a pastry chef. When Comerford retired, assistant chef Tommy Kurpradit, whose parents are from Thailand, was named interim executive chef. Melania Trump, who worked with Comerford in the first Trump administration, has not named a successor. Comerford said she managed everything with 'a lot of prayers,' often said during her hourlong, early morning drive into the White House, but also by being versatile, humble, able to handle chaos and having faith in herself and her team. 'One thing with cooking at the White House, you don't just do fine dining meals,' she said. 'You have to know how to cook eggs and breakfast. You have to know to cook a smashburger.' It also helps to remember that the job is about the family. 'There's no ego in it,' Comerford said. White House culinary history includes chefs from China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand, as far back as the 19th century, according to Adrian Miller and Deborah Chang, co-authors of a new book, 'Cooking to the President's Taste: Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History." Most sharpened their skills through service in the U.S. military. Before Comerford, Pedro Udo, a Filipino trained in the U.S. military, was the first Asian heritage chef to run the White House kitchen after he was promoted from meat chef to head chef in June 1957, according to the book. He prepared meals for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip later that year, and for Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in September 1959 during the Cold War. But his stint ended after less than four years when the new first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, hired acclaimed French chef René Verdon in early 1961. Miller said the book offers a 'unique window" on the presidency. 'We get a look at the presidents, but also the presidents got a look at Asian American life in maybe ways that they hadn't before,' he told the AP in an interview. "And I think, you know, for the presidents that decided to open that window and find out more about the people who were providing, comforting them through amazing food, I think our nation is better for them.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yomiuri Shimbun
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Former White House Chef for 5 Presidents Says First Families Are ‘Just Regular People' at Home
AP File photo White House executive chef Cris Comerford, holds dishes as she speaks during a media preview for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Nov. 30, 2022. WASHINGTON (AP) — Cristeta Comerford, a longtime White House executive chef who recently retired after nearly three decades of preparing meals for five presidents and their guests, says first families are 'just regular people' when they're at home in the private living areas of the Executive Mansion. 'It's not what you see on the news,' she told The Associated Press in an interview. Preparing the first families' meals was among Comerford's many culinary responsibilities. Meals mostly would be prepared in the main kitchen, then finished off in the residence kitchen on the second floor. 'At the end of the day, when you do the family meals upstairs, they're just regular people at home. They just want a good meal. They want to sit down with their family,' she said. 'If they have children, they eat together. And just to see that on a daily basis, it's not what you see on the news. 'It's the other side of them that we get to see,' she said. Presidents as foodies Comerford, who hung up her apron and chef's toque in July 2024 after nearly 20 years as top chef and nearly three decades on the kitchen staff, is the longest-serving chef in White House history. Her tenure spanned the presidencies of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Each of the five families she served approached food differently, Comerford said at a recent White House Historical Association symposium on food and wine. She was asked whether she'd describe any of the presidents as 'real foodies.' The Clintons liked healthier meals, Comerford said. Then-first lady Hillary Clinton hired the first American executive chef, Walter Scheib, and had the kitchen avoid serving heavy sauces and creams. She said, 'I learned so much' about Southwestern cuisine from Bush, the former Texas governor who liked Tex-Mex food. 'We made thousands of tamales for Christmas,' she said of the popular Mexican meal of stuffed corn dough wrapped in a corn husk and steamed until cooked. Comerford got ideas from the vegetable garden Michelle Obama started when she was promoting healthy eating, primarily for children. 'We used the garden as kind of like our backbone for our menu development,' she said. Trump and first lady Melania Trump are 'very, very classic eaters,' she said. Mrs. Trump 'loved Italian food, so we tend to do the pastas, but light ones.' Comerford didn't comment on President Trump's food choices, but he is known to like a well-done steak served with ketchup and fast food. Jill Biden was the first Italian American first lady, and the kitchen did 'a lot of Italian food, as well, because she loved Italian food.' Overall, 'it's different for each family,' said Comerford, 'but my job as the chef is to execute their style, their likes and their preferences.' 54 state dinners A black-tie state dinner is the highest diplomatic honor the U.S. reserves for its close allies. Comerford presided over 54 of these opulent affairs, including for France and Australia during Trump's first term. Sometimes, guest chefs were brought in to help. State dinners give presidents the opportunity to bring together hundreds of guests from the worlds of government, politics and other industries for an evening in which the three-course meal, decor and entertainment are designed to help foster relations by dazzling the visiting foreign leader. The first lady's staff and the social secretary typically have about two months to pull one together. Comerford said her team started by researching the visiting leader's likes and dislikes, then she used the information to create a menu using the best of American food while incorporating nuances from the country being recognized. She'd develop at least three different menus. Then came tastings for the first lady to make a final decision. Comerford's career Comerford, 62, started her career tending a salad bar at a Chicago airport hotel before working as a chef at restaurants in Austria and Washington. Scheib, then the White House executive chef, hired her in 1994 for a temporary gig preparing a state dinner for Nelson Mandela, South Africa's newly elected president. Scheib then hired her as an assistant chef in 1995, and she succeeded him a decade later, becoming the first woman and first person of color to permanently hold the executive chef's position. Comerford is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in the Philippines. Her husband, John Comerford, is a chef, too, and she credits him with sacrificing his career to be present for their daughter so she could thrive in hers. Their daughter is a pastry chef. When Comerford retired, assistant chef Tommy Kurpradit, whose parents are from Thailand, was named interim executive chef. Melania Trump, who worked with Comerford in the first Trump administration, has not named a successor. How she succeeded as the White House top chef Comerford said she managed everything with 'a lot of prayers,' often said during her hourlong, early morning drive into the White House, but also by being versatile, humble, able to handle chaos and having faith in herself and her team. 'One thing with cooking at the White House, you don't just do fine dining meals,' she said. 'You have to know how to cook eggs and breakfast. You have to know to cook a smashburger.' It also helps to remember that the job is about the family. 'There's no ego in it,' Comerford said. Asians in White House culinary history White House culinary history includes chefs from China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand, as far back as the 19th century, according to Adrian Miller and Deborah Chang, co-authors of a new book, 'Cooking to the President's Taste: Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History.' Most sharpened their skills through service in the U.S. military. Before Comerford, Pedro Udo, a Filipino trained in the U.S. military, was the first Asian heritage chef to run the White House kitchen after he was promoted from meat chef to head chef in June 1957, according to the book. He prepared meals for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip later that year, and for Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in September 1959 during the Cold War. But his stint ended after less than four years when the new first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, hired acclaimed French chef René Verdon in early 1961. Miller said the book offers a 'unique window' on the presidency. 'We get a look at the presidents, but also the presidents got a look at Asian American life in maybe ways that they hadn't before,' he told the AP in an interview. 'And I think, you know, for the presidents that decided to open that window and find out more about the people who were providing, comforting them through amazing food, I think our nation is better for them.'
Hamilton Spectator
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Former White House chef for 5 presidents says first families are ‘just regular people' at home
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cristeta Comerford, a longtime White House executive chef who recently retired after nearly three decades of preparing meals for five presidents and their guests, says first families are 'just regular people' when they're at home in the private living areas of the executive mansion. 'It's not what you see on the news,' she told The Associated Press in an interview. Preparing the first families' meals was among Comerford's many culinary responsibilities. Meals mostly would be prepared in the main kitchen, then finished off in the residence kitchen on the second floor. 'At the end of the day, when you do the family meals upstairs, they're just regular people at home. They just want a good meal. They want to sit down with their family,' she said. 'If they have children, they eat together. And just to see that on a daily basis, it's not what you see on the news. 'It's the other side of them that we get to see,' she said. Presidents as foodies Comerford, who hung up her apron and chef's toque in July 2024 after nearly 20 years as top chef and nearly three decades on the kitchen staff, is the longest-serving chef in White House history. Her tenure spanned the presidencies of Bill Clinton , George W. Bush , Barack Obama , Donald Trump and Joe Biden . Each of the five families she served approached food differently, Comerford said at a recent White House Historical Association symposium on food and wine. She was asked whether she'd describe any of the presidents as 'real foodies.' The Clintons liked healthier meals, Comerford said. Then-first lady Hillary Clinton hired the first American executive chef, Walter Scheib, and had the kitchen avoid serving heavy sauces and creams. She said, 'I learned so much' about Southwestern cuisine from Bush, the former Texas governor who liked Tex-Mex food. 'We made thousands of tamales for Christmas,' she said of the popular Mexican meal of stuffed corn dough wrapped in a corn husk and steamed until cooked. Comerford got ideas from the vegetable garden Michelle Obama started when she was promoting healthy eating, primarily for children. 'We used the garden as kind of like our backbone for our menu development,' she said. Trump and first lady Melania Trump are 'very, very classic eaters,' she said. Mrs. Trump 'loved Italian food, so we tend to do the pastas, but light ones.' Comerford didn't comment on President Trump's food choices, but he is known to like a well-done steak served with ketchup and fast food . Jill Biden was the first Italian American first lady, and the kitchen did 'a lot of Italian food, as well, because she loved Italian food.' Overall, 'it's different for each family,' said Comerford, 'but my job as the chef is to execute their style, their likes and their preferences.' 54 state dinners A black-tie state dinner is the highest diplomatic honor the U.S. reserves for its close allies. Comerford presided over 54 of these opulent affairs, including for France and Australia during Trump's first term. Sometimes, guest chefs were brought in to help. State dinners give presidents the opportunity to bring together hundreds of guests from the worlds of government, politics and other industries for an evening in which the three-course meal, decor and entertainment are designed to help foster relations by dazzling the visiting foreign leader. The first lady's staff and the social secretary typically have about two months to pull one together. Comerford said her team started by researching the visiting leader's likes and dislikes, then she used the information to create a menu using the best of American food while incorporating nuances from the country being recognized. She'd develop at least three different menus . Then came tastings for the first lady to make a final decision. Comerford's career Comerford, 62, started her career tending a salad bar at a Chicago airport hotel before working as a chef at restaurants in Austria and Washington. Scheib, then the White House executive chef, hired her in 1994 for a temporary gig preparing a state dinner for Nelson Mandela, South Africa's newly elected president. Scheib then hired her as an assistant chef in 1995, and she succeeded him a decade later, becoming the first woman and first person of color to permanently hold the executive chef's position. Comerford is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in the Philippines. Her husband, John Comerford, is a chef, too, and she credits him with sacrificing his career to be present for their daughter so she could thrive in hers. Their daughter is a pastry chef. When Comerford retired, assistant chef Tommy Kurpradit, whose parents are from Thailand, was named interim executive chef. Melania Trump, who worked with Comerford in the first Trump administration, has not named a successor. How she succeeded as the White House top chef Comerford said she managed everything with 'a lot of prayers,' often said during her hourlong, early morning drive into the White House, but also by being versatile, humble, able to handle chaos and having faith in herself and her team. 'One thing with cooking at the White House, you don't just do fine dining meals,' she said. 'You have to know how to cook eggs and breakfast. You have to know to cook a smashburger.' It also helps to remember that the job is about the family. 'There's no ego in it,' Comerford said. Asians in White House culinary history White House culinary history includes chefs from China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand, as far back as the 19th century, according to Adrian Miller and Deborah Chang, co-authors of a new book, 'Cooking to the President's Taste: Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History.' Most sharpened their skills through service in the U.S. military. Before Comerford, Pedro Udo, a Filipino trained in the U.S. military, was the first Asian heritage chef to run the White House kitchen after he was promoted from meat chef to head chef in June 1957, according to the book. He prepared meals for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip later that year, and for Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in September 1959 during the Cold War. But his stint ended after less than four years when the new first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, hired acclaimed French chef René Verdon in early 1961. Miller said the book offers a 'unique window' on the presidency. 'We get a look at the presidents, but also the presidents got a look at Asian American life in maybe ways that they hadn't before,' he told the AP in an interview. 'And I think, you know, for the presidents that decided to open that window and find out more about the people who were providing, comforting them through amazing food, I think our nation is better for them.'
Winnipeg Free Press
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Former White House chef for 5 presidents says first families are ‘just regular people' at home
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cristeta Comerford, a longtime White House executive chef who recently retired after nearly three decades of preparing meals for five presidents and their guests, says first families are 'just regular people' when they're at home in the private living areas of the executive mansion. 'It's not what you see on the news,' she told The Associated Press in an interview. Preparing the first families' meals was among Comerford's many culinary responsibilities. Meals mostly would be prepared in the main kitchen, then finished off in the residence kitchen on the second floor. 'At the end of the day, when you do the family meals upstairs, they're just regular people at home. They just want a good meal. They want to sit down with their family,' she said. 'If they have children, they eat together. And just to see that on a daily basis, it's not what you see on the news. 'It's the other side of them that we get to see,' she said. Presidents as foodies Comerford, who hung up her apron and chef's toque in July 2024 after nearly 20 years as top chef and nearly three decades on the kitchen staff, is the longest-serving chef in White House history. Her tenure spanned the presidencies of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Each of the five families she served approached food differently, Comerford said at a recent White House Historical Association symposium on food and wine. She was asked whether she'd describe any of the presidents as 'real foodies.' The Clintons liked healthier meals, Comerford said. Then-first lady Hillary Clinton hired the first American executive chef, Walter Scheib, and had the kitchen avoid serving heavy sauces and creams. She said, 'I learned so much' about Southwestern cuisine from Bush, the former Texas governor who liked Tex-Mex food. 'We made thousands of tamales for Christmas,' she said of the popular Mexican meal of stuffed corn dough wrapped in a corn husk and steamed until cooked. Comerford got ideas from the vegetable garden Michelle Obama started when she was promoting healthy eating, primarily for children. 'We used the garden as kind of like our backbone for our menu development,' she said. Trump and first lady Melania Trump are 'very, very classic eaters,' she said. Mrs. Trump 'loved Italian food, so we tend to do the pastas, but light ones.' Comerford didn't comment on President Trump's food choices, but he is known to like a well-done steak served with ketchup and fast food. Jill Biden was the first Italian American first lady, and the kitchen did 'a lot of Italian food, as well, because she loved Italian food.' Overall, 'it's different for each family,' said Comerford, 'but my job as the chef is to execute their style, their likes and their preferences.' 54 state dinners A black-tie state dinner is the highest diplomatic honor the U.S. reserves for its close allies. Comerford presided over 54 of these opulent affairs, including for France and Australia during Trump's first term. Sometimes, guest chefs were brought in to help. State dinners give presidents the opportunity to bring together hundreds of guests from the worlds of government, politics and other industries for an evening in which the three-course meal, decor and entertainment are designed to help foster relations by dazzling the visiting foreign leader. The first lady's staff and the social secretary typically have about two months to pull one together. Comerford said her team started by researching the visiting leader's likes and dislikes, then she used the information to create a menu using the best of American food while incorporating nuances from the country being recognized. She'd develop at least three different menus. Then came tastings for the first lady to make a final decision. Comerford's career Comerford, 62, started her career tending a salad bar at a Chicago airport hotel before working as a chef at restaurants in Austria and Washington. Scheib, then the White House executive chef, hired her in 1994 for a temporary gig preparing a state dinner for Nelson Mandela, South Africa's newly elected president. Scheib then hired her as an assistant chef in 1995, and she succeeded him a decade later, becoming the first woman and first person of color to permanently hold the executive chef's position. Comerford is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in the Philippines. Her husband, John Comerford, is a chef, too, and she credits him with sacrificing his career to be present for their daughter so she could thrive in hers. Their daughter is a pastry chef. When Comerford retired, assistant chef Tommy Kurpradit, whose parents are from Thailand, was named interim executive chef. Melania Trump, who worked with Comerford in the first Trump administration, has not named a successor. How she succeeded as the White House top chef Comerford said she managed everything with 'a lot of prayers,' often said during her hourlong, early morning drive into the White House, but also by being versatile, humble, able to handle chaos and having faith in herself and her team. 'One thing with cooking at the White House, you don't just do fine dining meals,' she said. 'You have to know how to cook eggs and breakfast. You have to know to cook a smashburger.' It also helps to remember that the job is about the family. 'There's no ego in it,' Comerford said. Asians in White House culinary history White House culinary history includes chefs from China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand, as far back as the 19th century, according to Adrian Miller and Deborah Chang, co-authors of a new book, 'Cooking to the President's Taste: Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Most sharpened their skills through service in the U.S. military. Before Comerford, Pedro Udo, a Filipino trained in the U.S. military, was the first Asian heritage chef to run the White House kitchen after he was promoted from meat chef to head chef in June 1957, according to the book. He prepared meals for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip later that year, and for Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in September 1959 during the Cold War. But his stint ended after less than four years when the new first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, hired acclaimed French chef René Verdon in early 1961. Miller said the book offers a 'unique window' on the presidency. 'We get a look at the presidents, but also the presidents got a look at Asian American life in maybe ways that they hadn't before,' he told the AP in an interview. 'And I think, you know, for the presidents that decided to open that window and find out more about the people who were providing, comforting them through amazing food, I think our nation is better for them.'
