Nikole Hannah Jones recently sparred with a survivor of China’s Communist Revolution over what it means to face oppression.
Hannah-Jones, who is known for the controversial and popular 1619 Project, got into a Twitter argument with Xi Van Fleet over the topics of American exceptionalism and slavery.
In her Twitter bio, Van Fleet describes herself as a “Survivor of Mao’s Cultural Revolution” and “Defender of liberty.” She invoked her own personal story of overcoming hardship through the opportunities America gave her as an example of what makes the country great. (RELATED: ‘1619 Project’ Documentary Is Laced With Inaccuracies, Historians Say)
“Yourself and I, an immigrant from China with 200 borrowed dollars in my pocket when I arrived more than 30 yrs ago, are the proof of American Exceptionalism,” Xi Van Fleet tweeted.
Yourself and I, an immigrant from China with 200 borrowed dollars in my pocket when I arrived more than 30 yrs ago, are the proof of American Exceptionalism.
— Xi Van Fleet (@XVanFleet) February 26, 2023
When asked by Hannah-Jones to specify what makes America exceptional, Van Fleet claimed that American ideals and institutions allowed it to abolish domestic oppression.
“Natural rights is unique to American founding. Bc of it we were able to abolish slavery, Jim Crow, anti-Chinese laws … to allow individuals to succeed,” Van Fleet tweeted. “What is not unique to America is slavery, which still exists today. Ppl fighting for human rights in China are jailed by CCP.”
Hannah-Jones directed Van Fleet to watch episode five of her 1619 Project Hulu docu-series to understand more about the American realities of anti-black racism.
“Ma’am, the idea of natural rights may have been unique, but 1/5th of the population was enslaved at our founding and had no ‘natural rights.’ Further, you do not think protesters in the US face state violence and arrest? You think the US has no political prisoners?” Hannah-Jones responded.