AsianWeek Potstickers is a news outlet exclusively covering Asian Pacific American people and issues involved in California state policy making.
Consider that in 2020:
- 16% of California’s population is Asian Pacific American
- 25% of California’s 8 elected statewide constitutional officers is Asian Pacific American
- 16-17% of California’s 80 state assembly members is Asian Pacific American
- 5% of California’s 40 state senate members is Asian Pacific American
- 0% of California’s 4 district elected Board of Equalization members is Asian Pacific American (Statewide elected Controller Betty Yee sits as an ex-officio member of the Board of Equalization)
- Approximate 10% of California’s legislative staff is estimated to be Asian
- 2 legislative offices have FIVE OR MORE Asian staff members
- 70 legislative offices have ZERO Asian staff members
AsianWeek Potstickers covers the news, issues and happenings of Asian Americans involved in the politics and mechanics of making public policy for the state of California.
Join Us
If you are part of this dynamic group of people shaping California’s public policies, AW Potstickers is all about you. Please contact us with your news, information or issues anytime! We are here to spread the news about you and what you do.
We keep a close eye on AAPI elected officials’ agendas, initiatives, campaigns and announcements. We research and provide insightful information to encourage AAPIs in California to reach their full potential, increase the number and influence of AAPI elected officials, staff members, lobbyists and all those supporting them. We seek to add more diversity to state policy making bodies and processes.
AsianWeek History
AsianWeek was originally established in 1979 by Asian American media pioneer John Fang as the first and largest print and online English news organization for Asian Americans. Based in San Francisco, dozens of staffers and contributing writers contributed to chronicling the emerging history of the Asian American community, and encouraging readers to embrace their cultural identity.
Calling itself “The Voice of Asian America,” AsianWeek helped the California AAPI community stay connected, thriving and growing by promoting our histories and cultures until 2012. AsianWeek Potstickers carries forward the AsianWeek legacy, enhances public understanding of AAPI heritage and empowers the California AAPI community in the digital age.
Startup Members
Ted Fang is a writer-author. He has led the AsianWeek Foundation as the executive director since 2004. Ted is a former editor and publisher of AsianWeek, the Independent Newspaper Group and the San Francisco Examiner, serving in the latter position as first Asian American publisher of a major daily newspaper.
Carrolyn Kubota became AsianWeek Foundation director of operations in 2010 to 2014 Carrolyn has continued to work with AsianWeek in planning and carrying out projects to pursue her passions in culture, health news, public policies and other issues AAPIs are facing.
Samson Wong’s 20 years of columns in AsianWeek, Examiner, and Independent reached nearly 400,000 households in California’s San Francisco Bay Area as he covered emergence of Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Fiona Ma, Betty Yee, Ed Lee and other major figures in today’s state and national scene. His DNA is a uniquely Asian Pacific American perspective tapping experiences from non-profit world in public transit and small business, government appointee on elections, education and reapportionment, campaign manager for local measures and candidates and US-China exchanges. His leadership in APA voter registration contributed to reshaping Bay Area politics in the 1980s and 1990s.
Lawrence Chen joined AsianWeek Potstickers in 2020. He is a student at Stanford University. Lawrence analyzes the demographics of California AAPI state government employees and compiles staff profiles.
Anju Miura joined AsianWeek in 2020 to research and write stories on how AAPI state officials’ work would affect the AAPI community in California. Anju is an international journalist based in her home in Japan, her works have been published by the Boston Globe and the MetroWest Daily News. She is currently pursuing Master’s degrees in Journalism and International Relations in Monash University, Australia. Her interests include, but are not limited to anti-AAPI racism, discrimination and Japanese American history.