Remarks at the 2016 Democratic National Convention - July 27, 2016

I am Congresswoman Judy Chu from California, and I am proud to be the first Chinese-American woman ever elected to Congress! Standing with me are my fellow Asian-American and Pacific Islander—or AAPI—Members of Congress. Many of them, too, are trailblazers in their own right. And we are all proud to support Hillary Clinton for President of the United States!

It wasn't too long ago that if you saw an Asian Pacific American walking in the U.S. Capitol, you had to stop and do a double-take. But how things have changed. We now have a record number of AAPI Members of Congress—and most importantly, we are organizing and making our voices heard. We have gone from being marginalized to becoming the margin of victory in key swing states and districts all across our nation.

America needs a president who will fight for us—someone who rejects the hateful rhetoric that is too often used to divide us and believes that America's diversity is our greatest strength. That's why we've got to elect Hillary Clinton as our next President of the United States! When it comes to the issues most important to us, Hillary Clinton gets it.

On immigration reform, she gets it. So many families have been kept apart for decades by an incredibly long family visa backlog. Hillary will fight to clear that backlog so that millions of American families can finally be reunited with their loved ones. We're with Hillary because she is committed to comprehensive immigration reform!

On education, she gets it. So many of our parents and grandparents sacrificed to come to the United States because they wanted their children to get a better education and live the American Dream. We're with Hillary because she'll make debt-free college available for all Americans.

On voting rights, she gets it. Today, almost 70 percent of AAPI adults are foreign born. Access to translated and absentee ballots is critical. We're with Hillary because she will work with Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act and ensure fair access to the ballot box.

On making sure we have a diverse federal government, she gets it. We're with Hillary because she will appoint an administration that looks like America.

And on safeguarding our civil liberties, she gets it. I am so proud to have Congresswoman Doris Matsui and Congressman Mike Honda as members of our caucus. During World War II, both Doris and Mike were imprisoned in internment camps for no other reason than their ethnicity. Donald Trump doesn't seem to have a problem with this part of our history. With Hillary Clinton, we know the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans will be protected!

Tonight, we are also grieving for our dear friend and colleague, Congressman Mark Takai from Hawai'i, who passed away last week at the age of 49 after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Mark truly had the aloha spirit, and was deeply committed to advancing the priorities of the people of Hawai'i and our veterans. I will never forget the tears in his eyes when he learned about the Cancer Moonshot initiative. It gave him and millions of Americans hope that we will finally find a cure for cancer. In his memory, we've got to keep hoping—and fighting.

Hillary Clinton is the best choice for all Americans to move our country forward. Our caucus members reflect the diversity of America. And that is why we are proud to stand with her.

2020 Democratic National Convention. "Congresswoman Judy Chu and members at DNC 2016." YouTube video, 14:49. July 27, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfnZc_8OF-I.