Andrew Yang’s Running For Mayor: Here’s What You Need to Know
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Who Is Andrew Yang?
On January 13, 1957, Andrew Yang was born in Schenectady, New York to Kei Hsiung Yang and Nancy Yang. He grew up in Westchester and was treated differently at an early age. In his book “The War on Normal People,” Yang describes how many kids in his public school would bully him and shout racial slurs. Yang felt out of place, often unable to combat the bullies, and not welcome by his peers. But Yang rose above the ridicule and ended up getting a world-class education at Columbia Law School, which landed him a job at Davis Polk & Wardwell, a law firm in New York. However, he soon realized that he wasn’t cut out to be an attorney. Andrew Yang referred to this experience as the five worst months of his life and also remarked, “Working at a law firm was like a pie-eating contest, and if you won, your prize was more pie.” He knew in his heart that he had the potential to do much bigger things. In 2011, Yang found the perfect opportunity to test his limits. He founded Venture for America, a fellowship program for new entrepreneurs that created around 4,000 jobs for those who struggled in cities like Birmingham, Charlotte, and Cleveland after the Great Recession of 2008. This program’s incredible success allowed him to become the Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, which was one of the many honors he would receive in the future. Andrew Yang faced difficult and harsh conditions in his early years, but through the support of his family and his own drive, he rose through the ranks of the business world and eventually created an environment where he could succeed.
What Does He Plan To Do?
Currently, Andrew Yang is running for mayor of New York City. His campaign platform covers a wide range of topics and introduces some interesting policies. One of the major issues for Yang is COVID-19 financial relief. He plans to reopen 15,000 small businesses in 2022 and support them through a variety of policies. These include a low/no-interest loan program, a bill that protects small businesses from unfair lease renegotiation, and streamlined license and permit renewal. However, Yang doesn’t just want to reopen small businesses. He plans to completely revitalize New York’s nightlife by reopening museums, restaurants, theaters, sports arenas, and other centers of entertainment. To facilitate these reopenings, he plans to increase outdoor dining, allow carry-out alcohol, and keep track of who’s vaccinated through technology. In addition, he wants to “host the biggest post-COVID celebration in the world.” Yang also intends to create a basic income program for impoverished New Yorkers. This controversial idea will take one billion dollars of tax revenue every year and provide $2,000 to 500,000 New Yorkers. If implemented, it will become the biggest basic income program in the country.
Controversies
However, like all prominent politicians, Andrew Yang has had his fair share of criticism and pushback. On April 1, 2020, Yang published an op-ed for the Washington Post, in which he talked about the Asian American hate breeding in the US due to the COVID outbreak. He recounts evidence of dirty looks, racial slurs shouted, and much more, but what came next ruffled the feathers of many. Andrew Yang writes “We Asian Americans need to embrace and show our American-ness in ways we never have before. We need to step up, help our neighbors, donate gear, vote, wear red white, and blue…” This comment was taken very harshly by Asians like comedian Jenny Yang and famous actor George Takei. Jenny Yang tweeted, “I can’t even begin to form words about Andrew Yang right now… I [sic] am livid” and stated that she saw Yang’s article as giving Americans a pass for racism. It seemed as though he was telling Asian Americans that they need to change to fit in instead of standing up against racists. George Takei also tweeted, saying that Yang was “way off the mark here” and “We don’t have anything we need to prove.” Andrew Yang was seen by some members of the Asian community as a leader who was giving in to the anti-Asian stigma and brushing racial injustice under the rug. However, others believe that Yang was trying to convey the message that we should all unify under the US flag and he was just appealing to the Asian Americans. Others believe that he works and influences decisions for the betterment of society as a whole not as broken pieces.
Conclusion
All things considered, Andrew Yang seems to be a very promising candidate. He has a strong background in law and economics, a robust social media presence, and a large following. He’s also demonstrated a knack for fundraising, which is one of the biggest determining factors in a political campaign. Furthermore, Yang is unconventional—he doesn’t act like a conventional candidate and his status as a political outsider sets him apart from others. Finally, Yang also has the potential to become the first Asian American mayor in New York, which is an exciting prospect for the 1,000,000+ Asians living there. Andrew Yang understands the Asian American experience better than other candidates, which better equips him to address Asian issues. Asian Americans are usually underrepresented in politics, so it’s great to see someone stepping up to represent the community. Even though he’s faced his fair share of controversy, Andrew Yang will be an important figure to watch in the coming months.
