Hillary Clinton made history as the first woman to become the presidential nominee for a major political party.
Another historic moment at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) — Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities were seen and heard on the main stage.
When Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) addressed the Convention on July 27, she said America needs a president who rejects hateful rhetoric and embraces diversity as the country’s greatest strength.
And that’s why we endorse Hillary Clinton for president.
Is she the perfect candidate? Absolutely not. Who is?
She is flawed and she is human.
She believes that our diversity makes us stronger, not weaker. The answer to the problems of illegal immigration cannot be solved by just building a wall.
America is a country of immigrants. Nearly two-thirds of the AAPI community is foreign-born.
Clinton has said she will introduce comprehensive immigration reform within her first 100 days as president. Asian immigrants make up 11 percent of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country — the vast majority of whom have lived here for over a decade. Clinton will offer them a path to full and equal citizenship. Applicants from the Asia-Pacific region make up about 40 percent of the family visa backlog. Clinton will address the backlog for those waiting for visas, which will help to reunite immigrant families.
Clinton believes that every child deserves a world-class education. She will work to help college graduates with their student loan debt. As announced in her New College Compact, Clinton will enable all borrowers to refinance their loans and enroll in income-based repayment, so they never have to pay more than they can afford. About half of Asian Americans graduate from college with debt, with the average indebted 4-year college graduate owing more than $20,000.
Hillary Clinton is pro-woman. She will fight to break down barriers that AAPI women face in achieving pay equity and ensure that all women are on equal footing with men. Not man-hating. Equality. On average, AAPI women earn 86 cents for every dollar earned by a white male, and the gap is even larger for specific segments of the AAPI community. For example, Vietnamese American women are paid only 61 cents for every dollar earned by a white male, and Bhutanese American women only 38 cents.
As secretary of state, Clinton promoted a number of AAPI employees who made the department and the conduct of our foreign policy stronger. As president, she will build on President Barack Obama’s progress of appointing AAPIs throughout the executive branch. From special assistants to cabinet members, AAPIs will play a key role in helping to shape her administration and its policy priorities.
The choice in this election is clear for the AAPI community. Join us in supporting Hillary Clinton.