The Asian Conservative

While home in Detroit I read a front-page article in the Detroit News about President Obama’s 24 year old Korean American advisor, Eugene Kang from Ann Arbor, Michigan. He happens to be a graduate of the University of Michigan (Go Blue).

Conservative or not, I like the story of Mr. Kang’s involvement in politics.

In the summer of 2002, before his freshman year at the University of Michigan, he was an intern on the re-election campaign of Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn.

At U-M, he felt frustrated that there were no student voices on the City Council. So he ran in 2005 — and lost by 90 votes.

The City Council “was I thought at the time kind of in need for a younger voice,” Kang recalled. “There were a lot of wonky reasons — the millages kept going up, the services kept getting cut — that I just felt (being on the City Council) would be a great way just to learn more about the process and to just try my hand and see if (politics) might be something I could succeed in.”

I was genuinely pleased and surprised by this article for a number of reasons. First, I was pleased that the Detroit News covered something about Asians that wasn’t about Japanese cars, tainted Chinese goods, or Asian cuisine.

Second, I was surprised that a kid could almost win an election for city council. Ann Arbor is a college town more progressive and more diverse than your typical town in the midwest but the point is that he seemingly had 2 strikes against him (young, Asian) yet lost by ninety votes. Assuming a few thousand votes cast that’s not a horrible margin of loss.

Finally, and most importantly, I am pleased that there is a young Asian American in the White House. I don’t know what his job function is, it has something to do with community building and online stuff. Maybe he’s not doing anything SUPER important or Earth shattering but, hey, there’s an Asian in the Oval Office. You gotta admit that’s pretty damn cool.

Asian Conservative’s long-stated goal, yet examplarized by Mr. Kang’s success story, is to fan Asian American activism. We want the Asian Conservative voice to be heard by our local, state, and national governments! I’m going to start by voting in the California Special Elections. Then if I ever buy a condo I’ll run for a seat on the HOA board. Then when I have kids I’ll run for PTA… Then who knows what else I’m likely to do.

America… Fuck Yeah!

jeff People obama