AAPI Women in Government & Politics
Susan Ahn Cuddy
1915–2015
“I can change by what happens to me. But, I refuse to be reduced by it.”
Susan Ahn Cuddy was the first Asian American woman to serve in the US Navy during a time when a majority of the country had anti-Asian sentiments following the bombing of Pearl Harbor during WWII. She reached the rank of lieutenant in the Navy and went on to work for the US Navy Intelligence. During her career, however, she experienced many encounters with racism and sexism as a Korean American woman. Despite such incidents, Cuddy led the path for Asian American women in the Navy and continued to advocate for the quality of life for Asian Americans later in her career. She is the recipient of the 2006 American Courage Award for her commitment to civil rights and justice.
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Tammy Duckworth
Tammy Duckworth is a US politician who is one of the first Asian American women elected into the Senate. In addition, she has earned over ten military honors including the Purple Heart, serving as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot in the Iraq War. Duckworth has also helped pass many bills to protect the rights of veterans and individuals with disabilities as well as promoting birth rights. By fighting for these issues, she has raised significant awareness and helped advance equality in America.
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Grace Meng
b. 1975
“I want to see America thrive. I want to see all different families here succeed.”
Grace Meng stands as the first Asian American elected to Congress from New York and has helped represent Asian American voices and experiences both locally and nationally. In response to the rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 related hate crimes towards Asian Americans, Meng introduced the House Resolution 151, condemning all forms of anti-Asian sentiment and hate crimes. She is also a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) where she meets alongside other members to advocate for issues affecting the AAPI community. Meng is the recipient of the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization's Government Pioneer Award for her service in both the New York Assembly and the US House of Representatives.
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Patsy Mink
1927–2002
“We have to build things that we want to see accomplished, in life and in our country, based on our own personal experiences... to make sure that others... do not have to suffer the same discrimination.”
As the first women of color to be elected into the House of Representatives, the first Asian American women to serve in Congress, and the first Asian American to run for US president, Patsy Mink has held an extremely influential role in American politics. She fought for gender and racial equality as well as bilingual education during her six terms as a Congresswoman. Mink was also a strong advocate against discrimination and passed acts like the Women’s Education Equity Act in 1974. However, she faced a series of hardships in both her medical and law career due to her race, gender, and interracial marriage. Despite this, she was able to achieve groundbreaking success and break barriers, and her story remains an inspiration for Asian American women in politics today. She is the recipient of the posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 by President Barack Obama and was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame for her achievements.
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Tye Leung Schulze
1887–1972
“I learned about the new laws. I wanted to know what was right, not to act blindly”
Being the first Chinese woman to be employed by the federal government and the first Chinese woman to vote in America, Tye Leung Schulze has held a critical role for the advocacy of Asian American justice. She worked as a translator for detained Chinese immigrants on Angel Island in 1910, a station designed to enforce the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. She helped lessen the harsh conditions of the island and made the environment more welcoming as many immigrants were detained for months on end. Even when she was younger, she was dedicated to the rights of women in her community, helping 3,000 Chinese women and girls escape from sex trafficking in San Francisco's Chinatown.
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