APIA Power Play: John Liu Seeks Citywide Office

John Liu, Democrat from Queens and the only Asian American in the New York City City Council (that is bquite possibly redundant), is term limited, and is seeking a higher, citywide office. The New York Times article today gives him some love. Sorta. Here's the piece: Political Trailblazer is Quick to a Microphone

Still, there is praise in many corners for Mr. Liu, who holds the distinction of being the first and only Asian-American to win a major elective office in New York City. Peter Vallone Sr., a former City Council speaker, said that as the first Asian-American on the Council, Mr. Liu was simply fulfilling his responsibility as a trailblazer, breaking new ground in New York’s well-worn arena of ethnic politics. The opinion is echoed by Mr. Liu.

“It’s not something I sought,” Mr. Liu said in a recent interview at City Hall. “In fact, I wish I were the ninth, or the tenth. But I happily accept the responsibility that comes along with it. There’s a lot of pressures that come along with it, but also lots of opportunity.”

Given the precedent he has already established, there are those in City Hall who speculate about whether Mr. Liu aspires to become mayor.

“Am I interested in running for higher office?” Mr. Liu said in response to a question. “Yes, I am.”

Commenting on whether he might run for mayor, he said: “There’s no question that it’s good to be mayor. But I’m a member of the City Council. I’ve got enough on my plate.”

. . . Still, bounding through City Hall in an F.D.N.Y.-E.M.S. windbreaker, meeting with reporters on the building’s steps, shaking hands with lobbyists and constituents, he displays an enthusiasm for his job that is undeniable and practically infectious.

But then there's also the lead which highlights how Liu has some sharp elbows in terms of getting media coverage:

Few members of the City Council can mobilize news conferences as quickly and effectively as Mr. Liu, and few have shown his willingness to do so. In his five and a half years on the Council, that has become a hallmark of Mr. Liu and his seemingly tireless aides, who are known to send reporters as many as four news releases a day detailing Mr. Liu’s various undertakings.

Yet Mr. Liu’s tendency to stray across district lines to speak out on issues, particularly those affecting Asian-Americans, has also earned him sharp criticism from some of his colleagues. Some portray Mr. Liu’s aggressive marshaling of the news media as little more than grandstanding, and accuse him of not alerting them to news conferences in their own districts, much less inviting them to stand alongside him in front of the cameras.

What I found most interesting about the article were these paragraphs:

Well aware of the high-profile opportunities that come from his singular position on the City Council, Mr. Liu seems determined to broaden his appeal so that the mantle he wears does not yoke him to just one ethnic base. He has used his role as chairman of the Transportation Committee to promote other legislation, including a bill, which became law in May, to require the city to set aside 54 disabled-accessible vehicles.

Although he is an immigrant from Taiwan, Mr. Liu does not speak the Mandarin of his parents, and his comments to the Asian news media, which pay him a great deal of attention, must be translated. “There are non-Asians who look at me and see an Asian, and there are Asians who look at me and see an American,” he said.

I think that's a sentiment many of us understand. Despite his words, make no mistake - Liu has fought for Asian Americans throughout the five boroughs, including restaurant workers trapped in elevators.

He has smartly built a new political machine in Queens (The NY Daily News on Liu's fight against the rap station Power 105.1):

It was only a matter of time, and political fairness, before Asians, who make up 11% of the city's population, began to claim a seat at the table of power, alongside our black, Latino, Irish, Jewish and Italian communities. That long-overdue time has come, and we can thank Queens Councilman John Liu for it.

The danger for the community is if he stops fighting and instead gets co-opted. I think this is the last post for today, my wrists are tired of typing.