Kan Qiu lived through and participated in the Chinese pro-democracy movement in 1989, which culminated in the infamous Tiananmen Square Massacre. During college, students started to apply for graduate schools in the U.S. because they looked up to America and its ideals of freedom. After he followed suit and went to university in the United States, Qiu settled down in Seattle, Washington and started his own home security business. Recently, he has been spending time away from his business, sacrificing his time and effort to fight for the Asian American community by becoming the leader of the civil rights group Washington Asians for Equality. He has spent that time and effort fighting Initiative 1000, a bill that would alter the previously passed Initiative 200 (I-200), which stated that public employers, education or contractors could not discriminate based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Initiative 1000 (I-1000) would change this law such that schools could discriminate for or against applicants based on race. Despite being successful in Washington, Qiu knows that the fight for civil rights has not been won yet.

Q: Why did you get involved in politics?

“I got dragged into politics after arriving here in 1992. My 3 kids were born and raised here, and the oldest one graduated from Northwestern University. My second child just graduated from high school. As a first-generation immigrant, this is the American Dream. 10 to 20 years ago, America valued hard work and merit: That’s all it took if you wanted to achieve something. But over the last 5 years, there’s been lots of talk about race in the school district, about how Asian American students are overrepresented in school programs, especially in high-cap programs in grades K-12. They are talking about the overrepresentation of Asian Americans in the University of Washington. That is racist. During my past 20+ years in the U.S., I’ve experienced individual cases of racism, random incidents that I can just brush away. Now it’s different, because the media has started sponsoring this narrative of Asian overrepresentation in education. The West Coast has a history of anti-Chinese policy, with the Chinese Exclusion Act being the first and foremost policy. It is ironic that we are repeating history under the guise of progressiveness.”

Q: What are your thoughts on California’s ACA 5, a proposed constitutional amendment regarding affirmative action and civil rights meant to repeal Proposition 209? 

“Washington state passed Initiative 1000 last year, temporarily and unofficially repealing Initiative 200 (I-200). I-200 was a carbon copy of California’s Proposition 209. It’s important for states to emphasize civil rights, especially those with a history of anti-Chinese discrimination— Initiative 200 and Proposition 209 are part of state law that prohibits this discrimination. Within 90 days, we gathered thousands of signatures in order to put Initiative 1000 on hold and qualify for the November ballot. The media, big corporations, and even some government agencies were against us. We spent $600,000 on our campaign, but they spent $1.8 million. Additionally, the ballot wording, suggested by the Washington Attorney General, was deliberately confusing: We had to explicitly tell voters how to understand the ballot wording. Despite these disadvantages, Initiative 1000 was rejected. I know that the battle in California will be just as tough.”

Q:  Who are some local and state politicians in Washington that best support Asian American interests?

“John Carlson— he ran for governor once and was in charge of the actual campaign for I-200. In 1998, John Carlson mentioned that not many Asian Americans supported his position, and some even opposed him. Today, his loyal work has garnered praise from the Asian American community. Because not many legislators support our causes, it’s also important to support the O’Ban campaign this year. (Senator O’Ban has supported Asian Americans by giving a speech to the Senate urging against I-1000, sponsoring a resolution celebrating Asian Americans in Washington, and sponsoring a bill to make January Chinese American history month). We need to make sure the supportive incumbents keep their seats. As Asian Americans, we always work hard, and we will also work hard on campaigns. Last year, our volunteers sent out tens of thousands of mail to voters. We are putting in this work for our right to equal protection, and it is amazing that Asian Americans are waking up and finding their voices.”

Q: What are your thoughts on West-Coast politics? Do California, Oregon, and Washington really support Asian American values?

“We all know the politicians on the West Coast are predominantly left-leaning. In the past, they took for granted the Asian American pro-liberal vote. However, that image has been changing, particularly since last year. Washington State can be called one of the bluest states in the union. We’ve had Democrat governors in Washington for the last 30-40 years and the House of Representatives has been Democrat for decades. On issues such as I-1000, however, the voters have decided to reject these politicians: There is a difference between where the politicians stand and where the voters stand. Politicians care more about their party interests than their own voters. Last year, 34 out of 39 counties and 30 out of 49 legislative districts rejected I-1000. Clearly, there is a disconnect between the legislators and the people.” 

Q: What are your thoughts on the current situation on Capitol Hill, Seattle, and the group known as CHOP/CHAZ?

“First off, as a mayor, you are sworn to uphold the law: The Seattle mayor had to protect the average citizen’s life and property, yet she failed. Nevertheless, the situation in Seattle isn’t strange. The Cultural Revolution featured lots of young people: They were running around causing mischief, and there was no law and order. Any dissenting opinion got shut down. This is the American version of the Cultural Revolution. I don’t embrace socialism or communism— and the young people in CHOP/CHAZ certainly don’t understand what socialism or communism is.” 

Q: What would you tell young members of the Asian American community who are interested in getting politically involved?

“The education system, including public schools, has been indoctrinating students with narratives that are not wholly representative. We must encourage young people to do their own research and find the truth— don’t limit yourself within public school textbooks. Experience it. Reach out to society, volunteer, or get a job: You need to understand how hard it is to earn money because everything needs to be paid for. Being generous with other people’s money is inconsiderate. Free college and free healthcare— If you aren’t paying for it, someone else is.
It’s even better to help with campaigns that benefit Asian Americans, like Senator O’Ban’s campaign. All young people can participate in campaigns and engage in simple tasks such as writing letters or knocking on doors. However, remember that at the end of the day your vote counts the most. It’s the vote, not the protest, that makes a difference.” 

Q: Any last words you have to say to the Asian American community?

“We’ve recently had a great deal of Asian American participation in politics, and we’re calling for even more people to participate. We are coordinating with each other across the nation to fight for our rights. In Washington, California, Maryland, New York State, etc.— people are uniting to fight injustice, to fight discrimination. I’d like to call on Asian Americans to stay connected and continue to work together. We can all work together as a unified political force and really make an impact on American politics. By doing so, we can make either party recognize our voice and strength.”