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The Big Story
DEEP DIVE—ANDREW YANG IS HERE TO STAY: Just minutes after the final polls closed in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Andrew Yang suspended his presidential campaign—capping off a two-year run that vaulted him from a little-known entrepreneur to one of the most successful Asian American politicians in history. Here’s what you need to know…
- “Being your candidate has been the privilege of my life,” Yang told supporters in a video message released ahead of a visit to Las Vegas on Wednesday. “We should see this not as an end, but as a beginning. We’ll be back, and we’ll keep fighting for this country that we love.”
- Yang defied expectations at every turn. Backed by a fiercely loyal following known as the “Yang Gang,” he commanded sizable crowds, qualified for all but one Democratic primary debate, and outlasted governors, sitting U.S. senators, and other major political players. In the fractured field, Yang garnered 4% of support from Democratic primary voters, according to the latest aggregate numbers released by Morning Consult.
- Yang also raised an astonishing amount of cash as higher-profile candidates faltered. Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show the campaign brought in $31 million through the end of 2019 while two pro-Yang super PACs (Math PAC and the Humanity First Fund) spent roughly $500,000 to boost his push for universal basic income. An AAPI Data analysis of FEC Q3 data found that Yang led in contributions from Asian Americans.
- His impact: The son of Taiwanese immigrants, Yang’s candidacy inspired long-overdue conversations about what positive Asian political representation looks like and “opened doors for the next generation of AAPI [Asian American Pacific Islander] leaders,” former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Chris Lu said. Despite early criticism of his jokes that appeared to play into model minority stereotypes, Yang argued that he was breaking them. Most notably, Yang appears to have temporarily blunted efforts to pull the Chinese American community to the right, The Atlantic’s Noah Kim writes.
- Yang also elevated AAPIs to key roles throughout his run—most recently tapping California Assemblyman Evan Low as national campaign co-chair and picking up the support of former eight-term Rep. Mike Honda (D-California) last month. He was one of the only candidates to participate in the AAPI Victory Fund’s groundbreaking Asian American presidential forum in September.
- What’s next: Yang built a movement that galvanized thousands of young Asian Americans and has several options that could solidify his presence in the national conversation. In addition to an endorsement, he could lobby other campaigns for consideration as a running mate or angle for a cabinet position in a new administration. If he chooses to go alone, Yang now has the ample fundraising base to create a new political organization and openly entertained speculation Wednesday about another potential run for office—including for mayor of New York City next year (or perhaps president in 2024).
On The Agenda
UPDATE—LAWMAKERS BACK NATIVE HAWAIIAN RECONCILIATION COMMISSION: A resolution calling for Gov. David Ige to convene a commission to look into how the state can better address the needs of Native Hawaiians has advanced to a full House vote in the state legislature, the Star Advertiser reports. The step comes as activists continue to protest the planned construction of a $1.4 billion telescope on Mauna Kea. Read more.
SAALT NAMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Lakshmi Sridaran will become the executive director of the Maryland-based progressive advocacy group South Asian Americans Leading Together after leading the nonprofit in an interim role for roughly a year, according to a statement provided to The Yappie. She previously served as SAALT’s Director of National Policy and Advocacy. Read more.
AAPI DATA LAUNCHES MAPPING TOOL AHEAD OF 2020 CENSUS: AAPI Data has unveiled a comprehensive digital mapping tool “to help journalists, decision-makers, and community organizations better understand the diversity and geographic settlement patterns of AAPIs across the country.” Read more.
UPDATE—LIU RIPS NYC SCHOOLS CHIEF OVER TREATMENT OF ASIAN NEW YORKERS: State Sen. John Liu (D-Queens) clashed with New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza during a joint budget hearing on Tuesday as the fight over the admissions process for the city’s specialized high schools continues, New York Post reports. Liu, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, alleged that Carranza failed to work “hard enough to bridge the gap” between the New York Department of Education and the Asian American community. Read more.
THE LONG READ—ASIAN AMERICANS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM: The Real Chi’s Michael Wu documents the efforts of Chicago Asian Americans for Environmental Justice (CAAEJ), a volunteer-driven advocacy group working to ensure the safety of the soil in the greater Chinatown area. Read more.
2020 Watch
BREAKING—WARREN UNVEILS WORKING AGENDA FOR AANHPIS: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) is proposing the creation of a White House Task Force on Data Equity as part of a newly released agenda for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders shared with The Yappie. The comprehensive document says that a Warren administration will collect disaggregated data “in key surveys across all agencies and departments” based on input from AANHPI activists, community leaders, organizers, policy experts, and stakeholders. Read more.
PREVIEW—CANDIDATES FACE QUESTIONS ON AANHPI ISSUES TODAY: Eight presidential campaigns are participating in Thursday’s #AAPI2020 Twitter Town Hall organized by the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, APIAVote, AAPI Data, and the Asian American Journalists Association.
- The details: The event, which began at 2 p.m. ET, features at least seven questions on topics specific to the AANHPI community—ranging from family-based immigration to data disaggregation. Campaigns are also being asked to respond to broader queries on college debt and gun laws. NBC Asian America is moderating the event.
- Who is participating: The Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer, and Elizabeth Warren campaigns were set to take part in the town hall, APIAVote Executive Director Christine Chen told The Yappie.
- Notable: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) was the last to confirm her participation. AAPI groups had reached out and were still engaged in talks with her campaign as of Wednesday evening before receiving final confirmation on Thursday morning. With Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang exiting, Gabbard is the last AAPI candidate standing in the 2020 Democratic primary.
- Why this matters: The event comes just a little more than a week before the caucuses in Nevada, where several campaigns rang in the Lunar New Year, NBC Asian America’s Allison Mina Park writes. Election materials will be printed for the first time in Tagalog, a Filipino dialect, and organizers hope that AAPI voters will represent about 6–7 percent of Democratic caucusgoers this year.
MAKING MOVES—Ken Farnaso, a former press secretary and spokesman for Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), has been named deputy press secretary for the Trump re-election campaign, POLITICO reports. Sabrina Singh, who served as national press secretary for Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-New Jersey) presidential campaign, is now a senior national spokesperson for the Mike Bloomberg campaign.
ENDORSEMENT ROUNDUP—Notable endorsements from Jan. 29 through Feb. 13:
- Former U.S. ambassador to China Gary Locke is endorsing former vice president Joe Biden and will join senior staff for call at 6:30 p.m. ET Thursday with AAPI volunteers, National AAPI Director Amit Jani tells The Yappie. Participants can RSVP here for dial-in information.
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) picked up the endorsements of the Community Tenants Association and Rose Pak Democratic Club—both historical Chinese American organizations in California—National Constituency Press Secretary Belén Sisa tells The Yappie. The organizations held a press conference in Cantonese and English on Feb. 6 featuring Wing Hoo Leung, president of the Community Tenants Association, and Bernie 2020 California Political Director Jane Kim. Read more.
- Gloria Caoile, a longtime labor leader and former National Political Director for the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), is backing Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), the Nevada Independent reports. Read more.
- Rep. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey) is throwing his support behind former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, the New Jersey Globe reports. Rep. Kim had previous backed Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) for president. Read more.
- Holly Christine Brown, the chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party’s Asian/Pacific Islander Caucus, endorsed Tom Steyer in the final days before the state’s caucuses. Read more.
ICYMI—DNC RAMPS UP AAPI OUTREACH WITH RESUME BANK, ROAD TRIP: The Democratic National Committee is launching an resume bank to assist Asian American and Pacific Isander job seekers and recent college graduates who are interested in working in campaigns, AAPI Political Director John Santos told participants during the organization’s first 2020 AAPI organizing call. Santos will also begin a three-month road trip to battleground states in a bid to energize AAPI voters, grassroots leaders, and volunteers. Read more.
UPDATE—DCCC ADDS AAPI CANDIDATES TO ‘RED TO BLUE’ PROGRAM: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the entity charged with helping elect Democrats to the House, has added Gina Ortiz Jones (TX-23) and Hiral Tipirneni (AZ-06) to the highly competitive “Red to Blue” program, AAPI media adviser Darwin Pham tells The Yappie. The program “arms top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue to develop strong campaigns” and unlocks access to additional strategic guidance and resources, the DCCC says. Read more.
AAAFUND BACKS GIDEON IN MAINE SENATE RACE: The Asian American Action Fund, a Democratic political action committee that supports AAPI candidates running for office, is endorsing Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon in her race against Sen. Susan Collins (R). Read more.
GOP’S KIM RAISES $490K IN Q4: Republican candidate Young Kim raised nearly $490,000 in the fourth quarter, ending 2019 with one of the best fundraising hauls of any House challenger, POLITICO reports citing FEC reports. Kim is competing with incumbent Rep. Gil Cisneros (D) in California’s 39th district and is part of the GOP’s effort to reclaim Orange County. Read more.
The Trump Era
U.S. READIES PUSH TO DEPORT HMONG AND LAO IMMIGRANTS: The Trump administration is seeking the ability to deport thousands of Hmong and Lao immigrants back to Laos, according to a letter from Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minnesota) to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo—a move that has alarmed AAPI activists.
- A State Department spokesperson said Monday that the U.S. and Laos are in “constant dialogue” about Lao nationals subject to deportation, but AAPI advocacy groups say that the U.S. is ramping up talks that could pave the way for the removal of roughly 4,500 Hmong and Lao immigrants who did not become U.S. citizens, have committed crimes, or have deportation orders against them.
- “We condemn efforts by the U.S. government to continue deporting Southeast Asian Americans, many of whom are former refugees,” the Southeast Asian Deportation Defense Network said in a statement via SEARAC. “We urge impacted families to seek legal assistance with experienced and trusted immigration and criminal defense attorneys.”
UPDATE—SCOTUS CLEARS WAY FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC CHARGE RULE: The Supreme Court has voted 5–4 to lift the nationwide injunction against the Trump administration’s controversial “public charge” rule following an emergency appeal in January. The policy, which came under fire from AAPI groups last year, allows immigration officers to deny green cards if an applicant used certain forms of assistance. Read more.
- Reaction: “The highest court in our country has given the green light to government-sanctioned xenophobia,” the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans said in a statement. Meanwhile, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates Executive Director Rita Pin Ahrens called the ruling “extremely disappointing.”
ICYMI—ICE WILL DEPORT DREAMERS IF SCOTUS STRIKES DOWN DACA: The U.S. will likely move to deport hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants—including approximately 16,000 AAPI “Dreamers”—if the Supreme Court rules against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program this year, Vox reports citing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Matthew Albence. The court’s conservative majority appears inclined to let the Trump administration terminate an Obama-era program during oral arguments in November. Read more.
- Also… Fear of immigration raids by ICE threatens to disrupt months of outreach efforts by AAPI advocacy groups and local governments ahead of the 2020 Census, Roll Call reports. Read more.
AAPI GROUPS BLAST STATE DEPT. OVER ‘BIRTH TOURISM’ RULE: 155 advocacy organizations are calling on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to rescind new visa rules aimed at restricting “birth tourism,” according to a statement from the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum. The measure, which provides consular officers the ability to deny U.S. visas to travelers who are pregnant or could be perceived as pregnant during their visit, “is ultimately an issue of racial profiling of Asians,” NAPAWF Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow said. Read more.
On The Hill
DEEP DIVE—AAPI GROUPS PILE ON CRITICISM OF TRUMP’S BUDGET: President Donald Trump’s $4.8 trillion budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year is facing broad opposition from AAPI groups over steep cuts to social programs. Here’s what you need to know…
- The White House proposal slashes of billions of dollars from major programs such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and imposes stricter restrictions on Social Security Disability Insurance, according to Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum President and CEO Kathy Ko Chin. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would also see a decline in funding.
- The administration’s budget also seeks a nearly 8% cut in education spending, which would “dismiss the fact that Southeast Asian Americans face … barriers to educational opportunities” SEARAC executive director Quyen Dinh said in a statement provided to The Yappie.
- President Trump is also reviving a proposal to cut Japanese American Confinement Sites Grants, setting up yet another potential funding showdown with community activists. The grants are intended to preserve World War II-era Japanese American incarceration sites and stories, according to the Japanese American Citizens League.
- The budget represents the administration’s policy aspirations and priorities for the upcoming year but lacks binding power because federal spending is appropriated by Congress. Lawmakers are not expected to finish work on the final 2021 spending levels until after the November election.
UPDATE—ISLANDERS’ MEDICAID BILL GAINS STEAM IN THE HOUSE: A bill that would restore Medicaid access for citizens of the Marshall Islands, Palau and Micronesia who were promised coverage after U.S. nuclear-weapons testing but lost coverage in a 1996 welfare reform bill, now is now backed by three House Republicans, POLITICO reports. The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum’s Juliet Choi described the fresh support of Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-Washington) as a “game-changer.” Read more.
WRAY SAYS OPEN TO BRIEFING ON FBI SURVEILLANCE: FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed willingness to brief Congress on the targeted surveillance of Asian Americans and Asian nationals during testimony before the House Judiciary Committee last week. Responding to a question from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-California) on worries that Asian Americans could be caught up in accusations of spying, Wray said that the agency would be “happy” to brief lawmakers “on the counterintelligence efforts in the space you’re talking about.” Read more.
- Why this matters: The news comes one month after The Intercept published documents indicating that the FBI secretly singled out Chinese American scientists for decades, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC submitted testimony to the Judiciary Committee expressing concerns over “the FBI’s profiling and wrongful prosecutions for espionage of students, scientists, and researchers of Asian descent.”
TRUMP YANKS LIU’S NOMINATION FOR TOP TREASURY POST: President Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Jessie Liu to serve as the Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial crimes—just two days before she was scheduled to testify before the Senate, Axios reports. Liu, who stepped down as the U.S. attorney in D.C. in December, oversaw several politically charged investigations, including the case against Trump associate Roger Stone. Read more.
- Meanwhile… President Trump plans to nominate federal prosecutor Saritha Komatireddy to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Bloomberg Law reports. Komatireddy clerked for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Read more.
- Speaking of judges: Sri Srinivasan took over as Chief Judge of the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Wednesday—succeeding Merrick Garland and officially becoming the first Asian American to serve as a chief judge for a U.S. Circuit Court. Read more.
MENG RENEWS PUSH FOR AAPI MUSEUM: Rep. Grace Meng (D-New York), who serves as vice-chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, urged Congress last week to consider legislation that would establish a commission to examine the possibility of creating the nation’s first museum on AAPI history. Testifying before the Committee on House Administration with historian Beth Lew Williams and Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center director Lisa Sasaki, Meng said that museum would mark the “first step in elevating APA experiences.” Read more.
CHU’S NO BAN ACT ADVANCES WITH PANEL VOTE: Rep. Judy Chu’s (D-California) No Ban Act has advanced to the House floor for a full vote after clearing the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. The measure, which would repeal President Trump’s recently expanded travel ban and prevent the establishment of future restrictions without justification to Congress, received broad support from AAPI groups but has little chance of passing the GOP-controlled Senate. Read more.
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