I’ve meant to blog about this trend, and I sort of have, blogging about Asian Americans such as Nate Shinagawa, Grace Meng, and William Tong (though he pulled out of his Senatorial primary race). This year, there are a record number of 24 Asian American candidates running for Congress in 13 states:
“Three times as many Asian-Americans have been running for Congress in 2012 than in the past two elections, a nonpartisan political group says, and it’s a development that portends greater changes in demographic trends and reflects the recent political awakening of a minority group long confined to the margins of American society. “It’s extremely exciting,” says Gloria Chan, president and CEO of the Asian Pacific Institute for Congressional Studies. “We could really stand to gain seats and affect the balance of power in Congress.””
Congresswoman Dr. Judy Chu is interviewed by CNN to talk about the growing trend of Asian Americans becoming involved and running for public office, as well as addresses some issues and preconceptions regarding the Asian American community. Chu makes the great point that “It’s a great step forward for all of us when the people who are making the decisions about America look like America.”
