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| WILLIAM TONG |
ASAM NEWS
DEMOCRAT William Tong, 45, is looking to make history in Connecticut politics — again.
In 2006, he became the first Chinese American to be elected to the state legislature. After serving as a state senator for 12 years, Tong is looking to become the state’s first Asian American attorney general.
In Connecticut's primary held August 14, Tong, 45, was declared the winner in a three-way race , beating Democratic rivals Chris Mattei, a former federal prosecutor, and state Sen. Paul Doyle, a Wethersfield attorney, according to the Associated Press.
This year’s midterm elections bring hope to Tong’s campaign, with diverse candidates and anti-Trump backlash fueling unlikely victories for minority race candidates, such as Ayanna Pressley in Massachusetts.
He is running against Republican Sue Hatfield, a longtime prosecutor.
In an interview with Mother Jones, Tong laid out the uphill battle ahead, and shared a brief glimpse into his childhood, growing up in a Chinese restaurant run by his immigrant family.
“No Asian American had ever been elected at the state level in Connecticut’s history. I spent all my life as an outsider to this process just by nature of who I am. Never mind having a seat at the table—we weren’t even in the same room,” he said.
He also confirmed that the model minority myth existed in the state house as well.
“Being an Asian American politician is a lot like being an Asian American—you spend much of your time feeling invisible,” he said. nothing that when it comes to discussing issues of race, the most common adjectives are black and brown — ignoring Asians completely.
Furthermore, Tong has an interesting connection to President Nixon. His parents were nearly deported in the 1970s when their work visas expired. However, Tong’s father wrote a letter to the President, begging him to excuse their family and allow them to resettle in the U.S., instead of moving to Canada or back to China.
The day they were set to leave, an immigration official knocked on his door.
He said, “The president received your letter and you can stay. You have to go to the back of the line and wait your turn.”
Views From the Edge contributed to this report.
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In an interview with Mother Jones, Tong laid out the uphill battle ahead, and shared a brief glimpse into his childhood, growing up in a Chinese restaurant run by his immigrant family.
“No Asian American had ever been elected at the state level in Connecticut’s history. I spent all my life as an outsider to this process just by nature of who I am. Never mind having a seat at the table—we weren’t even in the same room,” he said.
He also confirmed that the model minority myth existed in the state house as well.
“Being an Asian American politician is a lot like being an Asian American—you spend much of your time feeling invisible,” he said. nothing that when it comes to discussing issues of race, the most common adjectives are black and brown — ignoring Asians completely.
Furthermore, Tong has an interesting connection to President Nixon. His parents were nearly deported in the 1970s when their work visas expired. However, Tong’s father wrote a letter to the President, begging him to excuse their family and allow them to resettle in the U.S., instead of moving to Canada or back to China.
The day they were set to leave, an immigration official knocked on his door.
He said, “The president received your letter and you can stay. You have to go to the back of the line and wait your turn.”
Views From the Edge contributed to this report.
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