Just a few days away from election day, the candidate for the 49th Congressional District in California, prominent Chinese-American lawyer Liu Longzhu, went door-to-door in the city of Rosemead on Thursday (31st) to seize the last opportunity to gain more voter support. Prior to this, his supporters had already visited about 90,000 households.
On Thursday afternoon, Liu Longzhu and his team knocked on doors and interacted with local residents. He briefly introduced his political beliefs to the residents and listened to their top concerns. It was observed by reporters that just a few exchanges often eased the residents’ initial nervousness and gained their expressed support.
Before deciding to run for State Assembly, Liu Longzhu was already a successful lawyer who had established a sizable law firm in Southern California.
His competitor Fang Shuqiang is also of Chinese descent. Among Democratic colleagues in the California State Assembly, Fang Shuqiang is highly trusted, serving as the Chair of the State Assembly Higher Education Committee and a member of the State Assembly Appropriations and Budget Committee. He has a significant influence on the state’s annual tax expenditures. In the primary election, Fang Shuqiang garnered a higher vote share, indicating strong support in the district.
Fang Shuqiang often participates in community activities and enjoys making friends. According to his campaign website, he has secured new funding for local projects and drafted important legislation to assist local schools and small businesses, striving to create more job opportunities and protect community safety. According to CalMatters, the “Digital Democracy Database” shows that Fang Shuqiang is the only one among 120 state legislators to have never voted against a bill.
Even though it is the end of October, the midday sun in Southern California is still scorching. “This door-to-door canvassing is not easy, it’s physically demanding,” said Liu Longzhu. “Especially with the deteriorating public safety situation in California, when strangers knock on doors, many households may perceive you as ill-intentioned, and their attitude could be very cold.” His team encountered various reactions while visiting residents, sometimes even encountering small dogs that rushed out and pretended to bite.
“To do something meaningful, you will inevitably face difficulties,” Liu Longzhu expressed his determination with an English proverb, “What stands in the way becomes the way.” “I believe that in doing this, no matter how great the difficulties or risks, if it is the right thing to do, it must be done to the end.”
“If you seek, you will make a living; if you give, you will have a colorful life,” Liu Longzhu explained the reason for his immense effort in running for office. Unlike new immigrants, many Chinese-American elites who have been in the United States for many years have shifted their focus from family to community and society, hoping to contribute their wisdom to the prosperity and stability of American society.
Both candidates, despite being of Chinese descent, have vastly different political stances. However, Liu Longzhu hopes the public will not view his political beliefs based on party lines. He cited examples such as worsening public safety, children changing genders without parental consent as per state law, equal opportunity policies favoring certain races, and homeless shelters in Chinese neighborhoods as critical issues concerning the Chinese community, not limited to party affiliations.
In recent years, a surge in community crime and frequent robberies in Los Angeles has been attributed to the infamous “Proposition 47”. “Living in a fearful environment, this is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed,” he said.
As for children changing gender at school without informing parents and the difficulty for hardworking and high-achieving Chinese students to enter top universities due to affirmative action policies, these factors have left Chinese residents worried and dissatisfied.
Last month, Liu Longzhu also filed a lawsuit against California Governor for signing Senate Bill 1174, which prohibits verifying voter identities during elections. Jokingly, he said, “If I get pulled over for a traffic violation these days, can I refuse to show my driver’s license by saying I’m on my way to vote? If so, our society has become a joke.”
One of Liu Longzhu’s supporters, Tiffany, a business owner in San Gabriel, had her vehicle vandalized again in early October, with property worth over $20,000 stolen. Having been in the U.S. for 18 years, she emphasized the importance of safety. “If safety is not guaranteed, how can we continue to live? I dare not imagine what it will be like four years from now if things don’t change.”
Tiffany now only ventures out with a simple bag containing a few tens of dollars. “I’m too scared to go out at night because I feel particularly vulnerable, like I could be targeted on a whim,” she said. “This is the current state of our society that must be changed.”
The 49th District of the California State Assembly comprises nine cities including Arcadia, South Pasadena, Monterey Park, Alhambra, Temple City, and four unincorporated areas.