Asian-American Youth Venture Into Cal Politics - NAM
Asian-American Youth Venture Into Cal Politics - NAM
SACRAMENTO — Jessica Zou’s parents want her to go to school, get good grades, find a high-paying job and avoid causing trouble — like getting into politics.
“Culturally, most Asians in my generation are taught to not cause trouble, that is to say, not ‘stir things up,’” says Zou, 19, a junior at the University of California, Irvine. “I think this is partially because, coming from our parents’ generation, politics can end up in riots, chaos and even death.”
After seeing the violence at Tiananmen Square in 1989, Zou said her parents decided to emigrate from China to the United States, where they thought she could live a peaceful life.
But political advocacy organizations are actively trying to dispel that notion and encourage young Asian Americans like Zou, an intern at California Assemblyman Ted Lieu’s office, to participate in politics.
In recent years, several Asian Americans have risen to prominent political positions, such as U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta. Californians have also elected several Asian and Pacific Islanders to state legislative office, including Sen. Leland Yee, Assemblymen Mike Eng and Van Tran, and Assemblywoman Fiona Ma. But despite increasing leadership in this community, Asian Americans make up less than 10 percent of the California legislature even though they are 13 percent of the population.