DNC Chairman Howard Dean Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with GWU Students
May 9, 2008
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean commemorated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this week at an event at George Washington University co-hosted by the school's College Democrats, Indian Students Association and the Racially and Ethnically Mixed Students Association (REMIX). GW College Democrats' outgoing President Tanya Choudhury opened the event, noting that the celebration "marks an important occasion in recognizing the significance of culture in politics.
"I have learned through experience that culture and politics go hand in hand," added Choudhury, "in fact, it is my heritage and culture that has pushed me to embrace the values of the Democratic Party because they so closely align with my values as an Asian American."
DNC Chairman Howard Dean, speaking on behalf of Democrats across the country, celebrated the contributions AAPI Americans have made to our country, and praised the increasing number of AAPI Americans running for office.
"We are honored to join all Americans in paying tribute to the contributions made by the 13 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to our nation's social, economic, and cultural identity," said Dean. "The Democratic Party is especially proud of the increasing number of AAPI candidates running for office at all levels. The fact is, Asian American and Pacific Islander Americans can represent Americans of every background - and in many parts of the country are already doing so. From Jay Goyal, the first Indian American elected to the Ohio State Legislature, to Sue Chew who serves as the first Chinese American State Legislator in Idaho, and all the way to Madaleine Bordallo and Eni Faleomavaega, our Pacific Islander members of Congress from Guam and America Samoa, respectively, AAPI leaders all across America and its territories are breaking new ground and representing not just the AAPI community, but the full diversity of the cities and districts they represent."
Dean added that the Democratic Party is working to engage AAPI Americans ahead of the November elections, and that "as a Party, Democrats want the AAPI community not just at the table, but also on the ticket at every level."
The event was hosted by the DNC's American Majority Partnership, a department created by Chairman Dean that engages in issues-based outreach to AAPI and other communities that make up the core constituencies of the Democratic Party. Since its inception, AMP efforts have included campaign trainings, national summits, issue forums across the country featuring Chairman Dean, and constituency-based tool kits provided to state parties to assist with GOTV efforts.
"The overwhelming majority of AAPI elected officials are Democrats, and we intend to keep it that way," concluded Dean. "Democrats have long championed the values we share with the AAPI community, including a strong work ethic, a commitment to education, and respect for families. As we commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Democrats renew our commitment to working together as we forge a future that strengthens our country, protects our democracy, and defends our civil rights for all our citizens."
