On July 25, Bay Area-based AAPI media outlets united to host the Asian American Roundtable with California Assemblymember Evan Low. Assemblymember Low is running for the congressional seat in District 16 in 2024, vying to replace outgoing Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.
The virtual event was the first of a series through which the media can ask questions about specific issues to local politicians running for office so that readers can get to know them better. Diana Ding from DingDing TV; Dan Orozco from Filipino-American Press Club of California; Minh Than Tran from Vietnamese Americans in San Jose; Joel Wong from National Asian American United; and Vandana Kumar from India Currents were the panelists at the event.
Assemblymember Low is a fourth-generation Asian American from the Bay Area and a seasoned campaigner. In 2006, he started an eight-year tenure on the Campbell City Council, making history in 2010 when he became the youngest openly LGBTQ+ mayor in the country at age 26. In 2014, he became a California Assemblymember, the youngest Asian American Assemblymember in the state’s history at the time.
Now after ten years in the state legislature, he is contesting the Congressional seat from District 16, which includes cities like Atherton, Menlo Park, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Campbell, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Saratoga among others.
“Understood the importance of historic preservation”
Talking about his background, Assemblymember Low spoke about his father, an optometrist who worked with the Chinese Historical Cultural Project, partnering with the City of San Jose to preserve the historic Chinatowns spread across the Bay Area. “Through that experience growing up, I understood the importance of history, and historic preservation, so that we can remember our past, know our present and focus on the future,” said Low.
Citing examples of Bay Area stalwarts like Norman Minetta and Mike Honda – Japanese-American politicians who held important positions in the federal government – he said that representation is key to protecting the interests of the many ethnic communities that reside here.
When Vandana Kumar and Dan Orozco asked him about the main issues that Low stands for, he listed the importance of public education, economic security for the middle class, more protections for individual family units, worker protections and housing as some of his priorities.
He believes that basic housing and leave protections for workers will encourage young people to start families in the Bay Area. This will not only help maintain a demographic balance in the region, but will also be a boost for schools that are seeing dips in enrollment.
On the unhoused crisis
Responding to Minh Tran’s question about the unhoused crisis in the Bay Area, Assemblymember Low said that his priority would be to get federal funding and resources to meet this challenge.
“For those who may have substance abuse and mental health challenges, we need to get individuals into treatment,” he said. “If they are involved in criminal activity, they should be compelled to seek substance abuse treatment.”
Earlier on Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing state agencies to “to move urgently to address dangerous encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them.” Additionally, the executive order encourages cities and counties to also follow suit, even though they are not legally bound to follow the order.
Commenting on this crucial directive, Low said that he supports the order and stressed once more on the need to make treatment and mental health support available and easily accessible to the unhoused communities.
On the environment
Low emphasized that on a federal level, it is crucial to fight back against the Republicans who want to dissolve the Environmental Protection Agency, and are pushing the narrative that environmental protections come at the cost of jobs.
“The only way we can tackle climate change is… by making it very clear that it will be a just transition that can be to the benefit of individuals – not by the loss of jobs, but maybe perhaps by retraining and reskilling, going from dirty, old technology to cleaner, renewable energy.”
He also believes in offering environmental incentives to companies and pushing them towards a greener standard.
Tensions with China
On another national issue, that of tensions with China, Low’s stance favored pragmatism over sentimentalism. He said that there will always be a natural tension between any two countries that are looking to protect their interests. However, “if we go towards an isolationist mode, and start to have anti-china laws, embargoes, and taxation, that’s only going to exacerbate the tensions,” he said. “The relationship between the U.S. and China is challenged, but what’s the future? What can we do to improve this?”
He also pointed out that representation of Asian Americans in influential government positions is crucial. “Why not have someone of Chinese descent – who is an American – understanding the intersectionality between the cultures and communities?” he asked. “We must have a symbiotic relationship, and be committed towards peace. We must be committed towards partnership.”
To watch a recording of the full event, click here. Stay tuned for more Get To Know events with politicians running for city, state and federal government in the months to come!