History was made across the country this month when Boston, Seattle and Cincinnati all elected Asian American mayors, a step towards political representation for a traditionally under-represented community. State Representative Tram Nguyen and Paul Watanabe, Director for the Institute for Asian American Studies at UMass Boston, joined Sue O’Connell on Greater Boston to discuss.
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History made: Michelle Wu sworn in as Boston mayor
In her brief remarks, Wu stressed inclusivity and steered clear of policy.November 16, 2021 -
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Despite Michelle Wu’s historic election in Boston, the U.S. still has a long way to go, Watanabe said. A report from the Reflective Democracy Campaign found that AAPI people make up 6% in of the U.S. population, but just 0.9% of elected leaders across all levels of government — the lowest representation of any demographic.
“Even a year ago when people in the United States were polled to name a famous Asian American person — over 40% couldn’t name a single Asian American,” Watanabe said. “Now, I hope they can name the vice president of the United States and the mayor of Boston and the mayor of Cincinnati.”
Nguyen praised the excitement and enthusiasm around a new generation of Asian Americans getting involved in civic activism. “Asian Americans are the fastest growing segment of eligible voters, and we are becoming a voting bloc,” she said. “It’s really exciting to see.”
WATCH: Asian Americans made historic strides in politics this year
