#ElectAAPIs2020: An Interview with Qasim Rashid
Traditionally, Democrats tended to nominate moderate, white candidates to appease conservative voters, especially in swing or Republican-leaning districts. However, in recent years, this trend has changed, with the Democratic base selecting a more diverse set of nominees racially and ideologically. In 2018, a record 116 people of color won seats in Congress, nearly all of them Democrats, and that number is only likely to go up this year.
Democrat Qasim Rashid is the perfect example of these trends. He is challenging incumbent Representative Rob Wittman, a Republican, for Virginia’s 1st congressional district, which covers the cities of Fredericksburg, Gloucester, Stafford, and the surrounding area [1]. The district is rated as Safe Republican by all of the major forecasters, but regardless of the outcome of the general election, Rashid’s nomination is itself quite an accomplishment for a ruby red district like Virginia’s 1st.
A human rights lawyer by profession, Rashid has written eye-opening articles about issues affecting the Muslim-American community in prominent publications such as Time Magazine, the Independent, and the Washington Post, and his advocacy and academic scholarship have been recognized nationally. We sat down with Rashid to talk about his background and his run for the US House.
Fact checks and additional information are in the footnotes posted at the bottom of the article.
For those of us who don’t know much about Virginian politics, could you give our readers an idea of who you are?
I’m a proud immigrant and a devoted father and husband. As a human rights lawyer who has dedicated my life to supporting women who are survivors of domestic and sexual violence and serving children from vulnerable communities, I’m running to transform my advocacy into policy for the working families of Virginia’s 1st District. After spending most of my career advocating for marginalized people and for vulnerable communities, I realized that I can help one person at a time, or at best a handful of people at a time — but if we have progressive leaders in elected office who can affect policy, we can make long-lasting, systemic changes that will improve the lives of everyone.
In 2010, you conducted a peace rally with Muslim youth and were featured in various national publications. How did that happen, and what do you think made your story stand out?
People want ways to make a positive difference and reasons to believe the world can get better. That’s why the rally worked, and that’s why it resonated.
BJ Pak, who is a prominent AAPI politician in my home state of Georgia, has said that he prioritizes “inclusion over diversity.” How do you think that AAPI officeholders can try and get more power instead of just being present?
Well, presence is a form of power, but it’s not enough. Those of us who’ve climbed higher need to do what we can to make the road easier for the next person, and to help other marginalized communities. It’s unfortunately a slow process, but it’s the best one we have.
Has your heritage influenced the legislation you support and the issues you care about?
I believe in the inherent dignity and equality of all human beings — regardless of faith, color, creed, sexual orientation or gender identity. I am an American immigrant born in Pakistan, and that aspect of my identity has reinforced the importance of holding on to that belief [2]. I know what it’s like to be persecuted.
As the stereotypical Southern Democratic base (white, rural, moderates who speak with Southern drawls) gradually erodes away, how should we continue our suburban expansion?
We have to lead with compassion, even if it hurts. What binds us together is ultimately greater than anything that tears us apart, even right now. I’m reminded of some words from President Kennedy: “For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.”
We have to do in the suburbs what we have to do everywhere: show up, speak to priorities, acknowledge concerns, and make a persuasive case for why we have the best path to a more perfect union.
So Asian Americans, as a whole, tend to care a lot about immigration, but they are not really that involved with the DACA issue. So how do you think we can get more Asian refugee and DACA advocates?
We need to help more people see and appreciate one another as human beings.
Historically, even though Asian-Americans overwhelmingly voted Democratic, they’ve been ignored by the campaign committees and the pundits. So, what can campaigns do to better include the AAPI community? How should we improve our AAPI turnout, and has your campaign used any AAPI specific methods?
I believe my campaign provides a model for others. We are continuing to engage with the Asian American communities of faith within our district to increase voter turnout, improve civic engagement and understanding, and break down barriers of misunderstandings on how elections and policies impact them in particular. I am speaking at multiple predominantly South Asian attended mosques, setting up voter registration drives at Jummah worship services on Friday, and ensuring we engage with Asian American women in particular.
Through my social media presence of roughly 400,000 followers, we are addressing important issues impacting the Asian American community such as immigration rights, the need to raise the living wage to $15/hour, and how to combat discrimination and preserve the rights afforded to them.
Can you give us a primer on some of the major swing seat contests playing out in Virginia?
I’ll leave that to those candidates [3]. I think we’re seeing Virginia become more understanding and compassionate with each election, which has led to electing leaders who support human rights and justice for all.
What challenges have you faced running in what the pundits call a Republican safe seat? Are you confident in your victory in November?
As with any election, there is bound to be some mud-slinging. But my campaign is about transparency and accessibility. I’m saying the same things and acting the same way in front of crowds in conservative areas and liberal areas [4]. When you are coming from a place of honesty, supporting policies that will help communities, you’re bound to receive that compassion back.
That being said, no one can say how this election will go. We believe our message resonates with the people of Virginia’s First District. But no outcome is certain in politics.
[1] Scroll to 3:38:01.
[2] Rashid has served as the national spokesman for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA and as a human rights lawyer.
[3] Here you can see some district-level partisan lean data for state legislative districts in Virginia as well as the candidates running in the closely contested races.
[4] While Rashid has taken liberal to progressive views on nearly every issue, he has opposed “defunding the police,” which has become a clarion call for Democrats across the country, and (in light of the budgetary malaise cause by COVID-19) has resulted in large cuts to police budgets in many large, Democratic-controlled cities.
