ok i figured out how to import bech32 in the core client.

  -walletimplicitsegwit
       Support segwit when restoring wallet backups and importing keys
       (default: 0)

if you use that commandline option and import the normal wif as usual it will give you the bech32 pubkey, though when i go to the "receiving keys" window it lists all 3 possibilities, a key with a 1 prefix, another key with a 3 prefix, and the actual bech32 key i am after.  might not be a way to stop it from doing that.. is kind of annoying but whatever