In a morning in 2018, a major event occurred that changed the course of first-generation Chinese immigrant Phil Wong’s life in the United States. Prior to that, he would have been like many Chinese immigrants, focusing on his small business and the daily routine of taking his daughter to and from school, never considering getting involved in politics or running for city council.
On that fateful morning in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York, where Wong resided, a three-star hotel was suddenly overrun by over 600 homeless individuals. The hotel had been emptied by the city, tourists were dispersed, and the place was being transformed into a shelter for the homeless.
As Wong accompanied his daughter to school that day, he witnessed 60 homeless families’ children crammed into the school hallways awaiting classroom assignments. The school was already overcrowded, and there was no space to accommodate the sudden influx of children. For several months, Wong’s daughter couldn’t even attend physical education classes because the gymnasium was occupied by homeless children.
From that moment on, Wong, who had always steered clear of politics, embarked on a path of activism. His initial protest was against then-mayor Black Shoah’s plan to establish 90 homeless shelters citywide.
Wong discovered that the accommodations at the Pan-American Hotel were illegal. According to the law, each household was required to have its own kitchen. Therefore, the contract for this homeless shelter was problematic. Through their protests, Wong and his allies successfully improved the living conditions at the hotel, reducing the number of residents to just over 400.
As Wong ventured further into politics, he began to see the parallels between the extreme left-leaning policies in the U.S. and socialism practiced by the Communist Party — a system he was familiar with due to his grandfather’s experiences with oppression and property confiscation in China.
Wong’s patriotic dedication was further fueled by moves to abolish the entrance exams for three of New York City’s top high schools in favor of a lottery-based admission system, led by Mayor Shoah, who had initiated the construction of the homeless shelter near Wong’s home, disrupting his family’s life.
Subsequently, Wong joined the fight for merit-based admissions in education, demonstrated against various policies, and even became a key figure in the lawsuit against Harvard University for discriminating against Asian-American applicants in its admissions process.
After a lengthy legal battle, the Asian-American community, led by Wong and other parents, achieved a historic victory in court against Harvard’s discriminatory practices.
Wong acknowledges that the struggle is far from over and continues to monitor universities’ compliance with the law, emphasizing that the fight for equal opportunities in education will be ongoing.
After serving as chair of the 24th District School Board, Wong currently holds the position of President of the New York Alliance. Recently, he declared his candidacy for City Council in the 30th District of Queens, expressing a desire to amplify his advocacy within the political arena.
Despite initial reservations from his family, Wong’s decision to enter politics was supported by his grown daughters. With his daughters established in their careers, he views this as an opportune time to contribute more to the community.
Wong encourages the Asian-American community to support his vision by donating even $10 through his campaign website to help him meet the qualification threshold for running for office.
As Wong embarks on this new phase of his political journey, he aspires to be a voice for the Chinese community and advocates for more moderate and conservative approaches in governance.
To support Wong’s campaign, visit his campaign website at www.phil2025.com and contribute at https://contribute.nycvotes.org/campaigns/philwong/contributions/new.