US Congress welcomes record number of lawmakers of Chinese descent

The incoming US Congress is set to include a record six lawmakers of Chinese descent after Democrat Richard Pan won a California House race.

Pan defeated incumbent Kevin Kiley in California’s 6th Congressional District by 15 percentage points, according to the latest results on Wednesday morning, adding another Chinese-American member to the House when the 120th Congress convenes in January.

“I’m proud to be part of the growing Asian-American representation in Congress,” Pan said in a statement to South China Morning Post. “I look forward to continuing that work in Congress by lowering costs for working families, protecting access to healthcare, defending our democracy and ensuring the Asian-American community has more champions in Washington.”

Pan, a 61-year-old doctor and son of Taiwanese immigrants, is not new to California politics. He served in the California legislature from 2010 to 2022, first in the State Assembly and then in the Senate, where he focused on public health issues. He also served as chair of the California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus.

His victory was widely anticipated in the newly redrawn Sacramento-area district, where Kiley, a former Republican, ran as a candidate with no party preference. A USC poll released shortly before the election showed Pan leading Kiley 51 per cent to 38 per cent among likely voters.

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Another high-profile Chinese-American candidate, San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, trailed state Senator Scott Wiener in the latest results in the race to succeed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in California’s 11th District.

Chan’s race drew particular attention among Chinese-Americans, given San Francisco’s large Chinese-American community and her Hong Kong and Taiwanese roots.

Fluent in Cantonese, Chan campaigned heavily in the city’s Chinese-speaking communities, particularly in Chinatown and the west side. She spoke Chinese during debates, used Chinese-language advertisements and visited a Chinese temple to pray in the final days of the campaign.

Her campaign also touted endorsements from prominent Chinese-American political figures, including Gary Locke, a former governor of Washington state and former US ambassador to China.

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Pan’s election brings the number of lawmakers of Chinese descent in Congress to six, including four other House members: Republican Vince Fong and Democrats Judy Chu and Ted Lieu, all from California, and Grace Meng of New York. The count also includes Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat of Thai and Chinese ancestry.

Chu, who was elected to Congress in 2009, said representation matters because it makes Asian-Americans feel they belong in government and ensures their lived experiences are reflected in policymaking.

“I am proud of the increased representation we see today and how it has strengthened our ability to advocate for our communities,” Chu told SCMP. “Congress works best when it looks like the country it serves.”

“Dr Richard Pan’s victory marks a historic milestone for Chinese-American representation in Congress,” Meng said in a statement to the SCMP. “Together, we will continue fighting to ensure our diverse communities are seen, heard and represented in the halls of power.”

In August, Meng, Lieu and Chu issued a joint statement condemning comments on a right-wing podcast advocating the internment of Chinese-Americans in camps in the event of a war with China.

“As Chinese-American members of Congress, we are appalled by recent comments made on a pro-Trump podcast while discussing a hypothetical war with China,” their joint statement said.

“These comments invoke centuries-old racist tropes that cast Chinese Americans as perpetual foreigners and question their loyalty to the United States.”

Duckworth, who was born in Thailand, generally identifies as Asian-American.

The number of Chinese-American and other Asian-American lawmakers in Congress remains small but has grown over time.

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According to Wikipedia’s list of Asian-American and Pacific Islander members of Congress, 22 members of the current Congress are of Asian descent, out of 535 voting members.

Chinese-American representation in Congress dates back to Hiram Fong, a Republican from Hawaii who became the first person of Chinese descent elected to Congress when he entered the Senate in 1959, following Hawaii’s admission to the Union.

“It’s been a long time coming to see this growth,” said Christine Chen, executive director of APIAVote and a long-time advocate for Asian-American representation. “California has a large Chinese-American population, and you would expect to see more representation.”

Chen said the increase was particularly timely as Chinese and other Asian-Americans face proposed laws restricting land ownership and rhetoric framing them as caught between US-China competition.

“It’s important to have Chinese-Americans represented so that we have a voice to continue educating their peers,” she said.