Lawmakers Reflect on COVID, Anti-Asian Bias and Look to Future.

AuthorFrazzini, Kevin
PositionSharon Tomiko Santos, Fue Lee, Raj Mukherji and Theresa Mah

Asian Americans make up the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the United States.

The AAPI population--short for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders--nearly doubled between 2000 and 2019, increasing from 11.9 million to 23.2 million, or about 7% of the U.S. population, during that time, according to the Pew Research Center.

The growth is expected to continue, with the number of AAPIs projected to surpass 46 million, or more than 11% of the U.S. population, by 2060. By then, Asian Americans likely will be the largest immigrant group in the country.

Similarly, the number of AAPI lawmakers in the nation's legislatures has roughly doubled, though their numbers are not proportional to the number of Asian Americans in the larger U.S. population. Between 1980 and 2015, the number of Asian Americans in state legislatures grew from 55 (0.7% of total state lawmakers) to 108 (1.5%), according to a study published by the Cambridge University Press.

Today, there are 163 AAPI legislators in 33 states (about 2% of total state lawmakers), according to the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators. The states with the most AAPI lawmakers are Hawaii, California, Washington, Maryland and Massachusetts (tied), and Minnesota.

Cautious Optimism

Steadily growing representation aside, 2020 presented unexpected challenges for many Asian Americans, as the coronavirus pandemic revealed widespread anti-Asian bias. In the last year, more than 6,600 anti-Asian hate incidents, ranging from verbal harassment to violent physical assault, were reported nationwide, according to the advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate. The abuse was often linked to rhetoric, some of it from elected officials, that blames Asian people for the spread of COVID-19.

As Asian Pacific American Heritage Month draws to a close, NCSL connected with four legislators who serve on the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators Special Committee on Anti-Asian Bias and Xenophobia, which was formed to address the rise in incidents of abuse against AAPIs. How are their communities weathering the pandemic, and what does the month's theme--purpose-driven service--mean to them?

Two of the lawmakers, Minnesota Representative Fue Lee and Washington Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, began their political careers as community activists.

Lee, who was elected in 2016, is the first person of color and the first of Asian descent to represent his Minneapolis district. "Asian Heritage Month is the time of year we reflect on and celebrate the contributions of the diverse Asian American communities across the country," he says. "Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are activating their communities to stand in solidarity against racism and anti-Blackness and to combat anti-Asian sentiments and AAPI hate."

Elected in 1998, Santos has used public events to educate the broader community about the devastating effects of anti-Asian bias and xenophobia on young and old alike, she says. "Through these gatherings, I am able to remind audiences that AAPIs have not been silent observers of discrimination and racism in America but have actively challenged these older more virulent viruses throughout U.S. history."

New Jersey Majority Whip Raj Mukherji, who was elected in 2013, is the General Assembly's only former Marine and its only Asian American. "This year's focus on purpose-driven service," he says, "speaks to the type of servant leadership and the core values that are part of the experience of being raised Asian American, the values that are so often part of the cultural experience in so many Asian American immigrant homes."

Illinois Representative Theresa Mah, who became the state's first Asian American legislator when she was elected in 2016, says Heritage Month is meaningful to her because there is still widespread lack of awareness about Asian Americans. "We are often seen as perpetual foreigners, despite the fact that we have been an integral part of our country's history," she says. "This year's focus on purpose-driven service is important because there are many members of our Asian American communities across the country that are impoverished, in need and invisible because of the harm that this idea of Asian Americans as a 'model minority' has done. Providing service to those communities can make a huge difference in community members' lives."

The interviews have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

The coronavirus has had a devastating impact on all communities of color. But the pandemic has led to a sharp rise in discrimination against people of Asian descent. How have you sought to address this phenomenon and to support those in your...

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