Michigan Politicians

Michigan Asian/Pacific-Islander American politicians and activists have played crucial — if often overlooked — roles as leaders within their communities and beyond. Activists such as Grace Lee Boggs and Helen Zia set precedent for generations of new activists, breaking down racial monoliths and stereotypes of identity with their intersectional work in Civil Rights and lesbian and gay activism. Michigan A/PIA politicians Padma Kuppa and Stephanie Chang are pioneers as the first Asian American members of the Michigan Senate and House. As a whole, Michigan A/PIA leaders have always been active within their communities. But it is only in recent years that they have begun to receive attention for their hard work.