Dear Zhenying --
In the last two years, we’ve seen a huge increase in AAPI political power.
On the electoral side, AAPIs turned out in record numbers in 2020 -- and played a crucial role in delivering the House, the Senate, and the White House for Democrats. In 2021, Boston, Cincinnati, and Seattle all elected their first Asian American mayors, and Asian American candidates won in City Council seats across the country.
On the legislative side, we've taken real action to stop Asian hate through community investments and funding to track hate crimes, as well as efforts to destigmatize mental health care to ensure Asian Americans have the care they need. Additionally, the current California state budget made an unprecedented investment in AAPI communities, and states across the country are moving to include Asian American history in their curriculum.
These victories are a big deal, and they didn’t happen overnight.
I’ve been fighting alongside Asian American leaders for years to mobilize our communities and build AAPI political power, but the work isn’t done yet. White supremacists are waging a targeted campaign to dismantle the movement we’ve built, and it’s going to take all of us to stop them.