Last week, the executive chef at New York City’s Mission Chinese Food received an unexpected invitation from a representative of the First Family, albeit a few times removed.
Angela Dimayuga says she got a direct message on Instagram from a freelancer claiming to work for IvankaTrump.com. The writer said she was a “long time fan” and wanted to interview Dimayuga to spotlight her work as a strong female entrepreneur.
Dimayuga didn’t sugar-coat her feelings about the Trump family, but she still kept it professional:
Thank you for thinking of me. I’m glad you are a fan of my work so much that you want to provide more visibility for my career to inspire “other working women.” However, I’m for women who actually empower other women.
I don’t believe that IvankaTrump.com is truly “a non-political platform of empowerment for [women]”. So long as the name Trump is involved, it is political and frankly, an option for the IvankaTrump.com business to make a profit.
I don’t see anything empowering about defunding Planned Parenthood, barring asylum from women refugees, rolling back safeguards for equal pay, and treating POC/LGBT and the communities that support these groups like second class citizens.
As a queer person of color and daughter of immigrant parents I am not interested in being profiled as an aspirational figure for those that support a brand and a President that slyly disparages female empowerment. Sharing my story with a brand and family that silences our same voices is futile.
Thank you for the consideration.
Perhaps the Ivanka Trump brand will be more targeted in its approach moving forward.
