Asian-Americans entering politics to rise up against Donald Trump’s ‘xenophobic’ administration
Once majority Republican voters, have soured on the party over the decades – especially since Trump’s recent proposals to limit family-based immigration
Dozens of Asian-Americans are running for federal office in the US as Democratic candidates, deliberately playing up their Asian roots in a battle against President Donald Trump, who they say demonises the immigrants who make America great.
The candidates’ unabashed celebration of their foreign ties is notable for an ethnic group that has had to prove its “American-ness”, no matter how long families have been in the country.
“I think partly it is a reaction to the current administration which has, in its policies and statements, sent out a very xenophobic message,” said Representative Ted Lieu, a California Democrat who is campaigning for a third term in the US House of Representatives.
“It’s also a recognition that what makes America great is immigration and the American dream; it’s what people all over the world come to seek,” he said.
Christine Chen, executive director of the non-partisan Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, or APIAVote, says 2018 could be a watershed year for civic participation.
When [Trump] wants to ‘Make America Great Again’, he wants a few less people that look like us around