Joanna Gaines Reflects On Being Bullied For Her Asian Heritage in New Book: 'I Couldn't Find My Place'
Joanna Gaines celebrates the launch of her new book, “The Stories We Tell” with an intimate luncheon at La Mercerie Cafe on Tuesday (November 7) in New York City.
The Magnolia Network founder and Fixer Upper star participated in a Q&A session at the luncheon before her appearance on Today on Wednesday (November 8).
While on the program, Joanna opened up about being ashamed of her Korean heritage when she was a child, and spoke about lying about her middle name.
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“I told the other kids my middle name was Anne because it sounded more American than Lee,” a passage from her book reads.
Joanna, who is half Korean from her mother, spoke about the struggles she faced.
“It was like I couldn’t find my place,” she explained on the show. “I remember going to Korean church and feeling like, ‘I don’t look like them,’ because I felt like, you know, I was a ‘halfie.’ And then going to school and being the only girl who looked pretty Asian.”
Joanna added that her family were “literally the only Asians in our entire school. My early memories, a lot of the things that come up are the moments where I switched off and I thought to myself, ‘Oh, I can’t be this,’ or ‘I shouldn’t be this’ or this won’t be approved. Like I won’t get the approval, you know, that you want as a kid.”
.@joannagaines is opening up to @hodakotb about her new memoir “The Stories We Tell,” sharing memories from her childhood, and stepping into a new season of her life. pic.twitter.com/0oOzNMUog7
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 8, 2022
Joanna, married to Chip Gaines, is currently renovating a castle on a new iteration of the Fixer Upper series.