For Immediate Release: October 3, 2022
Contact: Benjamin Hermerding, benjamin@kathyfordelegate.com
Delegate Kathy Tran Elected New Chair of the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus
Richmond, VA — The members of the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus (VAAPIC) elected Delegate Kathy Tran as their new chair.
Following the vote, Delegate Tran committed VAAPIC to continuing its work to uplift Virginia’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.
“First, I want to thank former Delegate Mark Keam for serving as the inaugural chair of VAAPIC and being a long-time visionary leader,” said Delegate Kathy Tran. “I am honored to lead VAAPIC’s efforts to empower Virginia’s AAPI communities. Nearly 800,000 Virginians are AAPI, and we are the fastest growing racial minority group in the Commonwealth. Our community is diverse and strong, but we cannot overlook challenges we continue to face that demand action by our General Assembly. AAPI Virginians serve as essential workers on the front lines of responding to the pandemic. AAPI Virginian small business owners continue to experience economic hardships during this recovery. We have seen language access keep AAPI Virginians from receiving critical services. And AAPI Virginians continue to face racism and othering because our history is not acknowledged or taught. VAAPIC will continue to build a more welcoming, inclusive, and just Commonwealth where everyone thrives.”
The position of chair became open when former chair, Delegate Mark Keam, resigned from the House of Delegates after he was appointed by United States President Joe Biden to be Deputy Assistant Secretary for the National Travel and Tourism Office of the United States Department of Commerce.
Delegate Tran and her parents fled Vietnam as boat refugees when she was an infant. She is the first Vietnamese American elected to the Virginia General Assembly and a co-founding member of VAAPIC, previously serving as the First Vice Chair for Policy. Delegate Tran has represented parts of southeast and southern Fairfax County since she was first elected in 2017.
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The Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus (VAAPIC) is a legislative organization recognized by the General Assembly to serve as a collaborative voice for Virginia's Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities by identifying public issues of interest and to develop formal positions, facilitate discussions, and advocate for policy outcomes. Nearly 800,000 Virginians - or nearly 1 in 10 - are AAPI, and AAPI Virginians are the fastest growing racial minority group in the Commonwealth, growing by 45% in the last decade.