On his radio show today, Glenn Beck said it was “insulting” for President Obama to invite Chinese-American celebrities including Vera Wang, Michelle Kwan, and Yo Yo Ma to the state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao. (Wendi Deng Murdoch, the wife of Beck's boss, was also in attendance, but Beck didn't mention her.) In fact, as evidenced by dinners held by Bush and Reagan, there is nothing out of the ordinary for an administration to invite well-known people who share a common heritage with the guest of honor.

UPI reported on January 10, 1984 (retrieved via Nexis), that at a state dinner thrown that night by President Ronald Reagan for then-Chinese Prime Minister Zhao Ziyang: “Hollywood celebrities, dignitaries and prominent Americans of Chinese descent dominated the guest list.” A January 11, 1984, Associated Press article (retrieved via Nexis) reported that among the guests at the dinner were then- Monterey Park, Calif., Mayor Lily Lee Chen, television news anchor Connie Chung, and architect I.M. Pei.

When President George W. Bush held an official dinner for then-Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, several people of Japanese ancestry were on the guest list including artist Makoto Fujimura, Olympic figure skater Rena Inoue, Olympic short track speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, country music entertainer Shoji Tabuchi, and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto.

And when Bush held a dinner for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, among the numerous Italian-American guests were Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, race car driver Mario Andretti, Vincent Cerrato, an executive vice president for the Washington Redskins, Jerry Colangelo, the CEO of the Phoenix Suns, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former Rep. Susan Molinari.

Indeed, as the Associated Press reported in connection with Obama's 2009 state dinner honoring the Indian Prime Minister, “Etiquette dictates” that prominent Indian Americans be included on the guest list.