BEE BUZZ! A buzz in your ear about cool people/places/things/ideas and other hidden treasures!Lost amidst the drama of the Sotomayor hearings was another significant first for women of color: the election of Dr. Judy Chu, the first Chinese-American woman to be elected to Congress.
Congresswoman Chu, a California Democrat serving the 32nd district, won a special election run-off after former Congresswoman Hilda Solice vacated her seat to serve as U.S. Labor Secretary in the Obama administration.
Chu is a widely welcomed and trusted face in California politics, not something many politicians of either gender can claim. Her passion for public service was ignited during her days as a college student and political activist in the 70s. While studying at UC Santa Barbara, Chu learned about the backstory of the Chinese in America; in other words, she began to uncover an historical truth that was not presented in any of the history books she read in school. Uncovering this "hidden" truth was was an eye-opening experience for Chu, as it is for most minorities, and left her feeling angry and outraged. But Chu was able to parlay that anger into determination. She was driven to make a difference for her people and for all peoples whose American histories are ones marred by struggle, injustice, and systematic oppression. "It was like a light bulb went off in my head" she stated (source: LA Times).
Since those early days, she has served in a variety of public and political capacities and has built a reputation in her predominantly Latino district of being a strong champion and advocate of minorities and the poor. She is a woman many in California political circles describe as "unabashedly liberal." One of the "unabashedly liberal" acts Chu is most famous for is her response to anti-Asian backlash during the late 1980s when California experienced a new wave of Asian immigration. Monterey Park City Council had tried in 1986 to pass a resolution endorsing English as the nation's official language. Chu's response was to set about organizing a grassroots effort called the Coalition for Harmony. One of the organizations first projects was "Harmony Days," a festival celebrating the city's unique variety of cultures and ethnicities. Under Chu's direction, the Coalition led a petition drive that was so successful the city council was forced to rescind its racially charged and divisive English only resolution.
In a recent interview with NPR's "Tell Me More" host Michelle Martin, Chu seemed filled with nervous excitement and anticipation, but ready to face any and all challenges. She told Martin, "I'm overwhelmingly honored and humbled to be in this position." Chu also weighed in on the burning hot health care issue and in her "unabashedly liberal" style made no bones about the fact the she is a proponent of a single-payer system, but stated she would work with the president and her House colleagues to make sure a bill passes that will do three main things: 1) ensure a truly universal health care system; 2) provide for a public option so that all Americans have accessibility; and 3) make it impossible for insurance companies to treat human beings like expendable commodities by outlawing the practice of denying and dropping patients who are not "cost effective."
Chu sounds like a dream come true; then again so did many other progressive politicians who have gone by the wayside or caved under conservative pressure. But keep your eye on this lady, folks, 'cause something tells me this is a woman who will not be so easily blown by every breeze.
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