PoliticoCongressman Andy Kim is recruiting Asian-Americans to run for political office
- New Jersey congressman hopes for more racial diversity in the US political landscape
- It comes as the US grapples with bigoted attacks against Asian-Americans
The New Jersey congressman left with few doubts about what motivated the crime. He did not come to a novel conclusion, but it was no less devastating a realisation after authorities insisted the gunman did not commit a hate crime even though six of the eight victims were of Asian descent: “It was a very deliberate, targeted effort to go after Asian-American businesses,” Kim said.
It became personal when Kim spoke with the victim’s families. He said hearing them describe their now-deceased Korean-American mothers – how they worked hard to cook and provide for their families – reminded him of his own.
“This is a very historic moment,” Kim, a Democrat, said in a phone interview. “The future of how Asian-Americans feel in this country, and whether or not they feel safe, whether or not we feel included and accepted, will very much depend on what happens in the coming weeks and months.”
Kim, who is 38 and the first Asian-American politician to represent New Jersey in Congress, is using his heartache to animate a leadership Political Action Committee (PAC) he quietly opened in October to recruit Asian-Americans and other candidates of colour to run for political office.