Samson Zhang
25 posts
Samson Zhang is an associate editor at The Yappie. You can reach them at [email protected].
Republican Lanhee Chen concedes in race for California controller after an ambitious campaign
Chen, who would've been the first Republican elected to statewide office since 2006, campaigned on his ability to hold Democrats accountable in state spending.
November 15, 2022
Michigan Democrat Shri Thanedar cruises to victory in historic House race
Thanedar’s win makes him the fifth Indian American member of Congress—and marks the first time in 70 years that Detroit will not have a Black representative on Capitol Hill.
November 9, 2022
Advocates turn to Congress in bid to limit deportation of Southeast Asian refugees
The legislation is part of a broader push to hold the United States accountable for wartime damage in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
October 17, 2022
Senate confirms Arati Prabhakar as White House science and tech policy chief
Prabhakar will become the third Asian American member of Biden’s Cabinet and make history as the first woman, immigrant, and person of color to serve in the position.
September 22, 2022
Biden signs bill to study creation of AAPI museum in historic first
The measure, a result of years of advocacy, sets up a commission to examine steps for establishing a national museum on Asian American and Pacific Islander history and culture.
June 13, 2022
Kylie Taitano envisions a home for inafa'måolek on Capitol Hill
The Filipina and CHamoru software engineer gets candid about moving from Guam to San Diego, her experience as an organizer, and how she thinks progressive politics and CHamoru culture overlap.
June 5, 2022
Preventing ‘double punishment’: Inside the campaign to end California’s prison-to-deportation pipeline
Nothing in California law requires local police to cooperate with ICE, but thousands of prisoners—including Southeast Asian refugees—are transferred for deportation each year. A coalition of activists aims to get the practice banned.
May 18, 2022
Voters oust San Francisco school board members in historic race that galvanized AAPIs
The city’s first Pacific Islander elected leader was one of three officials recalled in Tuesday’s high-stakes special election, which featured a surge in AAPI activism.
February 16, 2022
Bruce Harrell becomes Seattle’s first elected Asian American mayor after bitter campaign
The Black and Japanese lawyer is set to pursue an agenda shaped by moderate Democratic values following a race that featured clashes on policing, homelessness, and housing.
November 4, 2021
Aftab Pureval wins Cincinnati election in milestone for Midwest’s Asian Americans
The Indian and Tibetan candidate ran as a fresh-faced agent of change, hoping to prove that “AAPIs can run and win anywhere.”
November 2, 2021