Diana Hwang: Founder & Executive Director of the Asian American Women's Political Initiative
Aug 22, 2023
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Diana Hwang, Founder & Executive Director of the Asian American Women's Political Initiative, talks about growing up in Houston in a Taiwanese-immigrant family, her political awakening in Boston, the challenges she faced running for State Senate, the mission and tools of the AAWPI, partisan differences within the AAPI community, and the impact of the 2021 Georgia mass shooting on her work.
The Asian American Women's Political Initiative (AAWPI) aims to give AAPI women a voice in our democracy and expand political opportunities for them.
Disaggregation of data is important to understand the specific needs and concerns of different AAPI communities.
Successful Asian American candidates need to authentically connect with their communities, address the challenges they face, and build broad coalitions for progressive change.
Deep dives
The Asian American Women's Political Initiative: Empowering AAPI Women in Politics
The Asian American Women's Political Initiative (AAWPI) is the country's only political leadership organization for AAPI women. Founded by Diana Huang, AAWPI aims to give AAPI women a voice in our democracy and expand political opportunities for them. Huang's personal story of growing up in a Taiwanese immigrant family in Houston and her own experiences in politics shaped her mission to address the complex issues faced by AAPI women. AAWPI focuses on progressive change and works to elect progressive AAPI women at the local, state, and national levels. They provide funding, incubator programs, and support for ideas and projects that mobilize and engage AAPI women in swing states. Through their work, AAWPI aims to create a new way of building AAPI political power and ensuring that all AAPI women have representation and influence in our democracy.
The Asian American Vote and Political Engagement
The AAPI community is not monolithic, with diverse ethnicities and perspectives. While the community leans Democratic in general, there are variations among different AAPI ethnicities. For example, Vietnamese Americans tend to lean more Republican due to the historical context of fleeing communism. On the other hand, South Asians lean more Democratic. Disaggregation of data is important to understand the specific needs and concerns of different AAPI communities. Grassroots organizations play a crucial role in engaging AAPI voters and mobilizing them in elections. WeChat, a popular chat app, is an effective tool for organizing and spreading information within the immigrant community. Candidates and parties need to invest in building relationships with AAPI grassroots organizations and understanding the specific needs and concerns of different AAPI communities.
Challenges Faced by Asian American Candidates
Asian American candidates often face unique challenges in running for office. Internalized racism, stereotypes, and lack of visibility within the community can hinder their campaigns. It is important for candidates to address these issues and authentically connect with their communities. Asian American candidates need to navigate the complexities of identity politics, representing their specific community while also addressing the broader needs of the constituency. Successful candidates like Michelle Wu, the first Asian American mayor of an iconic American city, have shown the importance of being authentic and building broad coalitions with strong community support. Progressive change and representation are key goals for Asian American candidates.
The Importance of Progressive Change for AAPI Communities
The Asian American Women's Political Initiative focuses on supporting and electing progressive AAPI women. Progressive change is crucial for addressing the needs of AAPI communities effectively. By electing progressive leaders, the initiative aims to create a more inclusive and equitable society. They invest in ideas and projects that promote cultural competence, address issues like anti-Asian hate and mental health, and reflect the diversity and complexity of AAPI experiences. AAWPI works to build infrastructure for sustained change, supporting fellows and incubating projects that have the potential to make a long-lasting impact.
Impacts of Anti-Asian Hate and the Fight for AAPI Political Power
The surge in anti-Asian hate during the pandemic had a profound impact on the Asian American community. It raised awareness of the discrimination and marginalization faced by AAPI individuals and led to a greater sense of urgency in building AAPI political power. Grassroots organizations received increased support and mobilized AAPI communities to address their specific needs and challenges. Funding and supporting organizations like AAWPI are essential in promoting AAPI women's voices and addressing the systemic barriers they face in politics. A strong narrative and effective communication strategies are critical in countering divisive rhetoric and ensuring successful electoral outcomes for AAPI candidates.
Diana Hwang is the Founder and Executive Director of the Asian American Women's Political Initiative. In this episode, Diana talks growing up in Houston in a Taiwanese-immigrant family, her political awakening after college in Boston, what led her to start the AAWPI, how the organization has grown over the past 10+ years, her analysis of partisan trends within the AAPI community...plus her own experience running for State Senate in 2016. This is a great conversation with an innovative political thinker on the frontlines of expanding political opportunity.
IN THIS EPISODE
Diana's roots growing up in Houston in a Taiwanese immigrant family...
How Diana became interested and involved in politics in Massachusetts...
How the process around mental health legislation revealed a shortcoming in state politics...
The "life changing" experience when Diana ran for a State Senate special election in 2016...
How and why Diana start the Asian American Women's Political Initiative in 2009...
The hurdles in getting traction for Asian American political advocacy...
The impact of the 2021 Georgia mass shooting of Asian American women on Diana's work...
Diana talks the mission and tools of the AAWPI...
Diana on the importance of the election of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu...
Diana's 101 on some of the partisan differences within the AAPI community...
Diana's analysis of why Republicans ran more competitively in some places with AAPI voters in the last election...
The significance of the WeChat app in organizing the AAPI community...
Diana speaks to both short-term and long-term goals of AAWPI...
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