Bold, Outspoken, and Powerful
When we are children, we dream big. When asked what we want to be when we grow up, children eagerly answer with a myriad of prospective professions: politician, astronaut, doctor, singer, lawyer, dancer, teacher, actor, scientist, musician, athlete, and plenty more. When I was a kid, I would have never said politician. Growing up, I rarely ever saw any politician who was of Asian ethnic origin. I noticed and observed that those who dominated the political playing field were either white and/or male. As a kid, this observation led me to believe that politics was not for me, but simultaneously led me to wonder: was there a place for people like me, a Chinese American girl, in politics?
The answer to that question: absolutely, yes. Now, at 17 years old, I do dream of becoming a politician at some point in my future career. In 2009, Representative Judy Chu (D-California 27) was the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress. By being the first, Representative Chu cast a light for Chinese and all Asian American women to confidently believe that we do have a place to serve in politics.
Being a politician is a very particular mainstream job. Due to keen public observation, the typical guise of a politician is constructed by the following qualities: bold, outspoken, and powerful. With that, the stereotypes put on Asian women make us out to not necessarily fit this guise. There is a seemingly cemented notion from an extensive history of suppression and marginalization that Asian women are docile, quiet, and subservient, thus, incapable of being leaders. This characterization imposes an illusory image of Asian women as easily utilized and overshadowed. I refuse to accept this notion. I refuse to let people's perceptions of Asian women dictate who I am as a person and what I want to become in my life. I refuse to be confined by the labels meant to restrictedly define what an Asian woman should be. There is no one mold for an Asian woman. We can be bold, we can be outspoken, we can be powerful. We can and always will be leaders. Being an Asian woman is not a personality or character trait; it is an identity—an identity that embodies the unconditional representation and everlasting value— in the Asian American community.
As Asian women in politics, we are remodeling the guise of a politician, diversifying the political playing field, and standing as proud representatives of the Asian American community. It does not end there: we must encourage other women of color and, more broadly, people of color to get involved in politics. We all have a cultured perspective to bring to the table, and in ensuring those seats at the table, we will urge our way to a society that is truly inclusive, just, and uplifting for all people in every corner of our communities.
