Watch Judy Chu and a squad of AAPIs reppin' at the DNC

Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus take the stage in support of Hillary Clinton.



On Wednesday, if you were watching the proceedings at the Democratic National Convention, you may have seen a squad of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders take the stage, repping the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and talking about their support for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Rep. Judy Chu, Chair of CAPAC, recalled that there was a time, not too long ago, that seeing an Asian face in the U.S. Capitol was a rare sight. But there are now a record number of API members of Congress.

"We have gone from being marginalized to becoming the margin of victory in key swing states and districts all across our nation," Chu said. "America needs a president who will fight for us. Someone who rejects the hateful rhetoric too often used to divide us and believes that America's diversity is our greatest strength. That is why we've got to elect Hillary Clinton as our next President of the United States."

Chu highlighted how CAPAC's membership includes Rep. Doris Matsui and Rep. Mike Honda, who both spent part of their childhoods incarcerated in internment camps as Japanese Americans -- a dark chapter of our country's history that Donald Trump doesn't seem to have any problem with. The congresswoman also paid tribute to the late congressman Mark Takai, who died last week after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Mark Takano: Courage is Choosing Compassion Over Fear

"What takes wisdom is recognizing that history is now repeating itself."



Many of us are still fairly angry about Roanoke mayor David Bowers' remarks calling for the refusal of assistance for Syrian refugees, citing the incarceration of Japanese American during World War II as model policy and historical precedent. Bowers is a moron who gets his facts dangerously wrong.

Of course, the hammer fell swift and hard, with Bowers getting blasted from all sides. Voices from across the Asian American community, from George Takei to Mike Honda, have spoken out about Mayor Bowers' remarks.

In remarks on the House floor last week, Rep. Mark Takano (D-California) also addressed Bowers' comments and urged fellow lawmakers not to give into fear regarding the resettlement of Syrian refugees, sharing about his own family's experience of forced relocation after the bombing of Pearl Harbor:

Congressman (and former teacher) Mark Takano schools Republicans on immigration reform

From the official Tumblr of Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA)... So this is an actual draft of a letter circulating among Republican House members, urging to John Boehner to tackle immigration reform through an "incremental, step-by-step approach" rather than consider the comprehensive Senate bill.

The congressman, who taught high school English for 23 years, used the opportunity to take the GOP members to school with a red pen -- and he's a tough grader. The letter gets a big fat F ("see me after votes").

But Rep. Takano does generously offer some follow-up: "If you don't understand the bill - come by my office and I'll explain it." Schooled. Here's a bigger version of the letter:

CAPAC Twitter Town Hall on Immigration Reform, July 12

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) invites you to participate in a Twitter Town Hall on comprehensive immigration reform, happening this Friday, July 12th from 2:00-2:30 pm. You're encouraged to join in the conversation by using the hashtag #AskCAPAC.

Participants will include, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Congressman Mike Honda, Congressman Mark Takano, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth and more. Here are some more details on the Town Hall

historic election night for asian americans

Good morning, America. Recovering from Election Night 2012? Of course, voters re-elected President Barack Obama, giving us another confetti-obscured glimpse of Konrad Ng (aka "that Asian guy with Obama's family") in the First Family victory huddle. That's always fun.

Early national exit polls data suggests that Asian American overwhelmingly voted for President Obama, with 73 percent pulling for a second term, while only 26 percent supported Mitt Romney: Exit Polls Show Asian Americans Backed Obama by Wide Margin .

Elsewhere, around the country, it was a historic night...