Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Loretta Sanchez Dabbed At The Senate Debate Because A 9-Year-Old Told Her To

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.

Did you catch Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez hitting the dab during the senate debate last week?

Oh god it was awkward; her opponent, state Attorney General Kamala Harris' facial expression pretty much sums up how we felt about it:

The incident begged the question: why, tho?? At the time, Sanchez spokesperson Luis Vizcaino said on Twitter to say that the candidate's dab was meant to indicate that she's down with millennials (as a high school teacher, I can affirm that #teens will dab at any opportunity they can). But the L.A. Times is now reporting that Sanchez hit the dab because her makeup artist's 9-year-old daughter Jamieson Deacy told her to. Per the Times:

Jamieson and Sanchez struck up a conversation about the girl’s math homework and, when the congresswoman mentioned the debate, Jamieson suggested using the “dab” to end it with a flourish, her mother said. Jamieson told her that “all the girls were doing it in dance,” her mother said. Jamiseon said, 'You’re so nice, you really need to have the dab at the end of your debate,' ” said Deacy, an independent who plans to vote for Sanchez in November. “She said it’s like the finishing touch. A victory, like if you score a touchdown.”

I think we know by now that "all the girls were doing it" is never a good enough reason to engage in risky behavior!

And this isn't the first time Sanchez has been caught on camera doing something...um, problematic, let's say. Last year while speaking with the Indian-American caucus, she made a "war chant" whooping sound with her hand over her mouth, thought of as an offensive stereotype of Native Americans.

This week, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer (whose seat Harris and Sanchez are vying for) both endorsed Harris, who's leading in the polls.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today