The Lack of AAPIs in President Biden’s Cabinet
AAPIs as business owners, consumers, and active members of America’s economy have an important role in shaping the future of our collective communities. The decisions made by today’s leaders must reflect the growing needs and roles of AAPIs in American society, beginning with appreciating the power of our votes.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders remain the fastest growing populations in the United States, at a rate of 46% and 40%, between the years 2000 and 2010. This stands in comparison to a 10% population growth rate nationally. AAPI population growth partially stems from growing numbers of Asian immigrants, with more immigration coming from Asia since 2008 than any other part of the world. So why doesn’t our new administration understand that? On the campaign trail, then-candidate Biden promised to build a cabinet that represented America. AAPI voters showed up for him, so why can’t President Biden show up for us? In the 2020 Presidential Election, about 61 percent of all AAPI voters helped Biden get elected.
What makes good AAPI representation? AAPI representation is only great when you know the struggle and remember the shoulders of the giants we stand on. Connecting with our collective struggles, helping create opportunities, and making sure you’re not closing doors for those who come after you is essential. Working to raise awareness on issues regarding AAPI people is also important. In recent days, I’d hope our first South-Asian Vice President, Vice President Harris, would raise awareness about the ongoing farmers’ protests in India, but it did not happen.
Performative representation is never appreciated. There are so many experienced Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the Washington climate. The fact that we are the fastest-growing population and key voting demographic yet almost always pushed to the side is disappointing.
Many AAPIs are first-generation, influenced by the situations their parents have fled. As a first-generation myself, being politically involved isn’t something my family imagined.
It is important to understand that children of immigrants often carry the struggles of our immigrant parents with us. Many first-generation children want to provide a stable lifestyle to their parents in their elderly years. Our parents have had odd jobs to provide a better future for us and to give us the lifestyle that they only could’ve dreamed of. When we achieve that “American Dream” our parents nurtured for us, we want to give them the life that they never had. Coming from countries struck by political conflict, political involvement isn’t ideal for many immigrant parents. Many times, they don’t believe it is ideal for us either.
But we have seen what can happen when we aren’t involved. The experience of Japanese Americans with internment camps during World War II or the Chinese Exclusion Act are just a few examples from history. Growing up in a post 9/11 world today, we’ve seen the rise of Islamaphobia and the targeting of Sikh-Americans as many of them wear turbans. None of these events were caused by AAPI, but they were allowed to progress under a governing power where AAPI were excluded.
Thus, more AAPIs should run for office even at the smallest levels: council members, mayors, state reps, and state senators. If we raise awareness in our neighborhoods and are supported by intersectional advocacy, together, we can create a platform for our community. We can inspire the people in our community to run for Congress and hopefully the Presidency. We are the change we so desperately not only want but need in today’s political climate.
The Young Politicasian is a project of the High School Democrats of America Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus. Follow us on Instagram @hsda_aapi, join the caucus, and apply to be a staff writer. The opinions expressed in The Young Politicasian do not necessarily reflect those of the AAPI Caucus or the High School Democrats of America.
