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Support Duncan Hwang for Metro Council (Portland), Oregon’s highest-ranking Chinese American elected official

A dear friend just let me know that Metro Councilor Duncan Hwang (Portland, Oregon) is running for a full term, and his opponent received more than $35,000 in the final week. The election is on May 17.

Duncan is Oregon’s highest-ranking Chinese American elected official and one of a very few Asian American elected leaders in the state. If each of us could make a small donation to his campaign, it would really help him in the campaign's final days.

I asked Duncan for a short video so you can hear from him directly:
https://www.facebook.com/ProgressAAPI/videos/569836957777083

From Duncan Hwang:

Greetings -

Thank you for taking the time to learn about my campaign and consider supporting me in these final days.

We are less than one week away from when ballots are due in Oregon’s primary -- Tuesday, May 17. I’ve run a strong campaign and have solid endorsements across a broad range of trusted electeds, progressive leaders and organizations, labor, and the business community.

I’m turning to you because we are now down to the wire and my opponent doubled their fundraising with $35k from personal funds and one major donor. This race will be decided next week, and I need to be able to counter the impact of these funds.

Here’s what’s at stake:

This January, I was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Metro Council, Portland’s regional government. Metro coordinates land use and transportation policy among three counties and twenty-six cities across the greater region and is increasingly playing a larger role coordinating this region’s response to the housing crisis. I’m running to continue serving out my term.

When I was appointed, I became Oregon’s highest-ranking Chinese American elected official, and one of a very few Asian American elected leaders. For a community that’s been here for centuries and helped build this state, there have been painfully few of us elected to office. While the AAPI community is the fastest-growing group in the state, it lags well behind in elected representation. You can count on one hand the numbers of elected officials who currently represent the Portland Metro area, and I am one of those very few.

By way of background, I have served as a co-Executive Director at the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) – Oregon’s leading AAPI advocacy organization – for almost a decade. I’ve led the organization’s work in community development and advocacy by building affordable housing, securing funding for safer streets, and responding to the public health and economic crises recently brought on by the pandemic, including coordinating with small businesses to ensure they had the resources and technical assistance to access support.

I’ve also led the organization’s response to racist and xenophobic attitudes that still persist in our region. Just last week, I was interviewed about a series of acts of vandalism and break-ins targeting AAPI advocacy organizations and small businesses. Here’s the link to that article.

I grew up in an immigrant family in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where my mother opened the area’s first Chinese restaurant. Like so many children of immigrants, I vividly remember beginning school and learning that everyone else spoke a different language than my own. I was the one to translate for my parents at the doctor’s office. Growing up meant that every interaction with the government was scary and fraught with peril because it could impact my family’s livelihood.

I was motivated to seek election to Metro because I know the importance of representation. Elected officials from BIPOC communities with lived experience are critical to equitable and inclusive policymaking, particularly for Asian and Pacific Islander communities whose voices have historically been marginalized in this state. Prior to my appointment, I played a vital role on the Metro Committee on Racial Equity and helped create their racial equity strategy. As a Metro Councilor, I continue to engage with community-based organizations and their constituents, bringing marginalized voices into public decision-making and planning.

My successful election will further strengthen the transition we are working towards by bringing AAPI and other BIPOC leaders into elected office. My leadership in East Portland has established APANO as the leading community voice to shape redevelopment in the neighborhood, with significant success working in coalition to win funding for affordable housing and transit funding.

Simply put, the success of my campaign is going to come down to whether I have the resources to reach voters in this last week. Even though I am well-known in the AAPI and progressive community, I’m still developing name recognition with most Portland voters. I am eager to share my vision, accomplishments, and endorsements with my constituents. With your help, I hope I get a better chance to do that.

More information can be found on my campaign website duncanformetro.com and here is the link to donate.

Thank you for your support,

Duncan