Diana Hwang is the Founder and Executive Director of the Asian American Women's Political Initiative. In this episode, Diana talks growing up in Houston in a Taiwanese-immigrant family, her political awakening after college in Boston, what led her to start the AAWPI, how the organization has grown over the past 10+ years, her analysis of partisan trends within the AAPI community...plus her own experience running for State Senate in 2016. This is a great conversation with an innovative political thinker on the frontlines of expanding political opportunity.
IN THIS EPISODE
Diana's roots growing up in Houston in a Taiwanese immigrant family...
How Diana became interested and involved in politics in Massachusetts...
How the process around mental health legislation revealed a shortcoming in state politics...
The "life changing" experience when Diana ran for a State Senate special election in 2016...
How and why Diana start the Asian American Women's Political Initiative in 2009...
The hurdles in getting traction for Asian American political advocacy...
The impact of the 2021 Georgia mass shooting of Asian American women on Diana's work...
Diana talks the mission and tools of the AAWPI...
Diana on the importance of the election of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu...
Diana's 101 on some of the partisan differences within the AAPI community...
Diana's analysis of why Republicans ran more competitively in some places with AAPI voters in the last election...
The significance of the WeChat app in organizing the AAPI community...
Diana speaks to both short-term and long-term goals of AAWPI...