? Good morning, and welcome to The Yappie’s AAPI politics briefing — your guide to the policy news and activism affecting Asian Americans + Pacific Islanders. Send tips and feedback to [email protected] and support our work by making a donation.
— Edited by Shawna Chen
The Biden Era
?️ HANGING IN THE BALANCE: The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for and against affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina on Monday.
- The latest from a Washington Post-Schar School poll: “More than 6 in 10 Americans support a ban on the consideration of race in college admissions … but an equally robust majority endorses programs to boost racial diversity on campuses.”
- 65% of Asian Americans say colleges and universities should not consider race or ethnicity when evaluating applications, according to the poll.
TRANSPORTATION DEPT. TACKLES PUBLIC SAFETY: Rep. Grace Meng (D-New York) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg hosted a roundtable in New York City last week to address crime on the city’s public transit system. The roundtable, which was attended by staff at the Federal Transit Administration and New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority as well as various Asian American advocacy organizations, was a bid to respond to multiple high-profile subway attacks earlier this year in the Sunset Park neighborhood—Brooklyn’s Chinatown—and at Times Square.
- What’s next: New York City’s efforts to address hate crimes against Asian Americans have included arts campaigns and informational resources. Asian American elected officials and community leaders, however, have called on Mayor Eric Adams to take more urgent action in the city at large, including reforming the New York Police Department, POLITICO’s Erin Durkin writes.
? HHS HOMES IN ON HEALTH EQUITY: The Department of Health and Human Services hosted a special briefing last week with physicians of color to discuss the updated COVID-19 vaccines and the Biden administration’s continual work on health equity. The conversation focused on the role of these doctors and medical groups as trusted messengers to boost vaccine confidence.
- Hand in hand: HHS also held a multicultural press briefing in partnership with the Multicultural Media and Correspondents Association’s BIPOCXChange on the same topic as part of a push to broaden communication with and outreach to communities of color.
- Worth noting: 7.3% of people ages five and up have gotten the updated booster in the U.S.
On The Hill
? CHANGING OF THE GUARD: Younger Democrats are clamoring to position themselves for leadership in the party, NBC News’ Scott Wong reports. That includes Rep. Ted Lieu (D-California), who has his eye on the caucus vice chair, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), who has said she is looking to move into another leadership role.
- Yes, but: “My assumption is that nobody’s going to be unopposed,” one House Democrat told Wong.
FALLOUT OVER PAUL PELOSI’S ATTACK: The brutal assault on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-California) husband last week sent shock waves throughout the country and reinforced calls for greater security measures for Congress members, something Jayapal has repeatedly spoken out about since a threatening incident outside her Seattle home.
? UPDATE—STEEL’S AD ATTACKING JAY CHEN DRAWS IRE ON CAPITOL HILL: Despite already facing a flurry of criticism for sending mailers depicting her Democratic rival Jay Chen as pro-Communist, Rep. Michelle Steel (R-California) has doubled down on her rhetoric, releasing an ad that falsely claims he “invited the CCP into Cal classrooms.” Democrats were quick to react.
- “Let’s be clear: anti-Asian hate is a real and deadly national crisis. Shame on @MichelleSteelCA for so blatantly stoking that hatred to question Lt. Commander Jay Chen’s patriotism and score cheap political points,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) tweeted.
- “Michelle Steel’s ad … shows her desperation to get MAGA Republican support,” added Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i).
- “It’s sad to see race baiting from an Asian American politician,” tweeted Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona), who noted that Steel “says nothing” about former President Donald Trump’s anti-Asian rhetoric.
? ICYMI—THE BLAME GAME BACKDROP: Steel’s ad comes as a new report from Stop AAPI Hate warns politicians against using anti-China rhetoric that could inflame anti-Asian hate in the U.S.
- What they’re saying: “Our research has found that perpetrators of hate incidents toward Asians and Asian Americans repeat rhetoric they hear from candidates and elected officials blaming China for public health crises, for economic downturns and for national security concerns. This trend becomes apparent when comparing hate incidents reported to Stop AAPI Hate with inflammatory language recently used by politicians.”
2022 Watch
NEW SUPER PAC FOR PROGRESSIVE VIET AMERICANS: The Progressive Vietnamese American Organization has announced the launch of the PIVOT Victory Fund, the first Vietnamese American super PAC in the U.S.
- The progressive group has endorsed a number of Asian Americans in local and state races this year, including House hopeful Jay Chen (D) in California and candidate for Georgia Secretary of State Bee Nguyen (D).
? Enjoying The Yappie? Make a donation, forward this briefing to a friend. or subscribe here. You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
The Yappie is your must-read briefing on AAPI power, politics, and influence, fiscally sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association. Make a donation, subscribe, and follow us on Twitter (@theyappie). Send tips and feedback to [email protected].
