Progress AAPI

10/25/2024

07/20/2022

Remembering Mark on the sixth anniversary of his passing on July 20, 2016. Share a remembrance of Mark and keep his memory alive.

05/12/2022

Support Duncan Hwang for Metro Council (Portland), Oregon’s highest-ranking Chinese American elected official. Donate: https://bit.ly/3FGTOX1

From Duncan -

Thank you for taking the time to learn about my campaign and consider supporting me in these final days.

We are less than one week away from when ballots are due in Oregon’s primary -- Tuesday, May 17. I’ve run a strong campaign and have solid endorsements across a broad range of trusted electeds, progressive leaders and organizations, labor, and the business community.

I’m turning to you because we are now down to the wire and my opponent doubled their fundraising with $35k from personal funds and one major donor. This race will be decided next week, and I need to be able to counter the impact of these funds.

Here’s what’s at stake:

This January, I was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Metro Council, Portland’s regional government. Metro coordinates land use and transportation policy among three counties and twenty-six cities across the greater region and is increasingly playing a larger role coordinating this region’s response to the housing crisis. I’m running to continue serving out my term.

When I was appointed, I became Oregon’s highest-ranking Chinese American elected official, and one of a very few Asian American elected leaders. For a community that’s been here for centuries and helped build this state, there have been painfully few of us elected to office. While the AAPI community is the fastest-growing group in the state, it lags well behind in elected representation. You can count on one hand the numbers of elected officials who currently represent the Portland Metro area, and I am one of those very few.

By way of background, I have served as a co-Executive Director at the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) – Oregon’s leading AAPI advocacy organization – for almost a decade. I’ve led the organization’s work in community development and advocacy by building affordable housing, securing funding for safer streets, and responding to the public health and economic crises recently brought on by the pandemic, including coordinating with small businesses to ensure they had the resources and technical assistance to access support.

I’ve also led the organization’s response to racist and xenophobic attitudes that still persist in our region. Just last week, I was interviewed about a series of acts of vandalism and break-ins targeting AAPI advocacy organizations and small businesses. Here’s the link to that article:

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/05/asian-oregonians-face-rising-level-of-race-based-hate-crimes-harassment-surveys-indicate.html

I grew up in an immigrant family in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where my mother opened the area’s first Chinese restaurant. Like so many children of immigrants, I vividly remember beginning school and learning that everyone else spoke a different language than my own. I was the one to translate for my parents at the doctor’s office. Growing up meant that every interaction with the government was scary and fraught with peril because it could impact my family’s livelihood.

I was motivated to seek election to Metro because I know the importance of representation. Elected officials from BIPOC communities with lived experience are critical to equitable and inclusive policymaking, particularly for Asian and Pacific Islander communities whose voices have historically been marginalized in this state. Prior to my appointment, I played a vital role on the Metro Committee on Racial Equity and helped create their racial equity strategy. As a Metro Councilor, I continue to engage with community-based organizations and their constituents, bringing marginalized voices into public decision-making and planning.

My successful election will further strengthen the transition we are working towards by bringing AAPI and other BIPOC leaders into elected office. My leadership in East Portland has established APANO as the leading community voice to shape redevelopment in the neighborhood, with significant success working in coalition to win funding for affordable housing and transit funding.

Simply put, the success of my campaign is going to come down to whether I have the resources to reach voters in this last week. Even though I am well-known in the AAPI and progressive community, I’m still developing name recognition with most Portland voters. I am eager to share my vision, accomplishments, and endorsements with my constituents. With your help, I hope I get a better chance to do that.

More information can be found on my campaign website: www.duncanformetro.com and here is the link to donate https://bit.ly/3FGTOX1

Thank you for your support,

Duncan

05/10/2022

"We believe there are ways we can talk about China's impact on the American economy and policies we can change in the U.S without using xenophobic language and putting Asian American communities at risk.

But this isn't just a matter of political importance; for many, it is a matter of life or death."

Of course, we must stand up to attacks from all enemies, foreign and domestic. But as we do so, we need to watch our words. Because words matter.

11/16/2021

This is my first post in my role as CAPA21 Co-Chair and I want to thank you for supporting our efforts to ensure that Asian Pacific Americans impact the direction of our country through the politic…

10/11/2021

CAPA21 Asian Pacific American PAC announces new co-chairs: Tamlyn Tomita, Maeley Tom, Ginger Lew join Dale Minami as co-chairs https://bit.ly/3mMinsu

10/06/2021

"Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Wednesday told Lucy Koh, a Korean American judicial nominee, that her Korean background reminds him of his daughter-in-law telling him that Koreans have “a hard work ethic” and “can make a lot out of nothing.”

“So I congratulate you and your people,” Grassley told Koh."

🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦

The GOP senator told Lucy Koh that her background reminds him of his daughter-in-law telling him Koreans “can make a lot out of nothing.”

10/05/2021

Fox News has come under fire for a misleading headline about Sen. Tammy Duckworth using a property tax benefit for disabled veterans

10/03/2021

“The POLITICO/Morning Consult poll — one of the most extensive surveys across nearly 50 ethnic groups that make up the diaspora — shows that two in 10 adults are now more likely to identify with the broader “AAPI” label than they were pre-pandemic, a notable shift for a racial group that tends to be “nationality-first.” This movement in identity, on the heels of a massive voter turnout jump from 2016 to 2020, is key to building electoral clout, experts say.”

Ahead of the 2022 midterms, the POLITICO/Morning Consult poll found that Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders are significantly more likely to be mobilized by a shared fear of violence and discrimination than before the pandemic.

09/27/2021

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Florence Pan as the first Asian American woman to serve as a federal district court judge in Washington, D.C.

09/25/2021

09/07/2021

The recall website referred to the coronavirus as the "Communist Chinese Party (CCP) Virus," and recall leaders have used similar language