New Asian American lawmakers mark a changing New Jersey

The New Jersey legislature was sworn in Tuesday.

Asian American lawmakers doubled -- from three to six --  in New Jersey's state legislature after swearing-in ceremonies Tuesday.


“There were six of us standing there, and all six were people of color. I thought it’s a fantastic thing and I hope it continues because having us in the conversation is important. This is a door that opened for us for other people of color to follow,” said newly installed Assemblymember Salma Haider, who along with Saddaf Jaffer, are the first Muslims elected to the New Jersey Legislature.

Ellen Park, who won an Assembly seat in Bergen County’s 37th district along with Haider, was also sworn in as the first Korean American serving in the Assembly.

The three join current Assembly members Sterley Stanley (D-Middlesex) and Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson) as well as Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth). 

Although the progress in racial diversity was hailed as an improvement, the state legislature still doesn't come close to represent New Jersey residents.

“It’s nothing to brag about, but it’s a penchant for acceptability. We’d all prefer our Statehouse to look like what the state looks like,” said Saladin Ambar, a political science professor at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers in an interview by the New Jersey Monitor.

Of the 120 senators and members of the Assembly in the new Legislature, about 70% are white, compared to 76% in the current Legislature, according to data from the Office of Legislative Services. Fifty-five percent of the state’s population is white, according to census figures.

Asian representation in the Garden State's legislature saw the biggest jump on Tuesday — up from 2% to 5%; while Asian Americans comprise 10% of the state.

Latinos will account for 8% of the Legislature after picking up one seat in the November election but they make up about 19% of New Jersey's total population.

Black lawmakers make up 15% of the Assembly and Senate, roughly equal to the state’s population.

Women make up about 51% of the state’s population but just 34% of the new Legislature (up from 32%). Half of the female lawmakers are women of color.

For the first time in the state’s history, there will be Muslim representation in the state capitol Trenton, and the first Asian American women. Sadaf Jaffer, a Democrat representing the 16th district in the Assembly, will join Haider as the Legislature’s first Muslims.

Still, Asians and Latinos remain hugely underrepresented. Latinos make up nearly 22% of the state population and Asians, 10%.

“It’s an honor and I’m very excited to be the first East Asian, but it’s also a wake-up call that out of 120 legislators, only six are AAPI members,” said Park, 

Selaedin Maksut told the Monitor that he is excited to see what Jaffer and Haider will do in the Assembly. As executive director of the Council for American-Islamic Relations of New Jersey, Maksut knows that representation matters, especially as the Muslim population grows. New Jersey has more Muslims per capita than any other state, accounting for 3% of the state’s nearly 9.3 million residents, Maksut noted.

“It’s important for everyone to see people who look like them in political office. When you have that, it’s encouraging and inspiring,” Maksut said.

Muslims, in particular, “bring experiences and ideas that are unique to them,” Maksut told the Monitor. “Many are children of immigrants. They may know what it’s like to face state-sponsored oppression. They understand firsthand the difficulties marginalized groups experience. In public office, they can take that and translate it into policies that can help and uplift marginalized people.”

Park believes Asians and other immigrant groups have trouble breaking into politics because of the “immigrant culture to get up, put your head down, and work, work, work.”

New Jersey already has Rep. Andy Kim, one of 12 members in Congress  representing the state.

Ambar agreed there’s been a lack of representation by Asian Americans in politics, but nationally, he noted a trend toward improvement, reports the Monitor. The political science professor pointed to Michelle Wu, Boston’s first Asian American and woman mayor, and South Asian politicians like Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal.

“It’s the second- or third-generation that often decides, ‘I have a stake in this country, no matter where I’m from,’” he said. “I think we see that’s how it’s working now in the immigrant community.”