Asian-Americans Making Political Strides

San Francisco, which has the largest Asian population in the U.S., is set to welcome its first Asian-American mayor.

City Administrator Edwin Lee was elected to the position Friday in a 10-1 vote by the outgoing Board of Supervisors. Lee will serve as interim mayor until the November election.

Another California city, Oakland, inaugurated Jean Quan as Mayor on Jan. 3. Quan is the first Asian-American woman elected as mayor in any U.S. city.

The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) in Washington D.C. believes that Lee’s rise in San Francisco is overdue.

Lee has no current plans to extend his time as mayor beyond the interim term. But city Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting and Sen. Leland Yee are among those who have already announced their plans to run for the position in the fall.

The Asian population in the U.S. is expected to rise from 5 percent to 8 percent by 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Along with California, the success of Asian-American candidates in other states such as South Carolina, Minnesota and Idaho represents a dramatic shift.