Republican candidate Yiatin Chu from the 11th District of Queens in New York State recently visited The Epoch Times and shared with the chief editor, Guo Jun, her journey from being a political novice to becoming an advocate for public school education and then entering politics. Despite her change in roles, Yiatin Chu remains committed to promoting high-quality public school education, public safety, and common sense principles.
During the interview, Yiatin Chu mentioned that she has observed a significant dissatisfaction among voters in the 11th District over bail reform, as crime rates have increased after the pandemic. She pointed out that crimes related to retail theft in the jurisdiction of the Flushing 109th Precinct of the New York City Police Department have risen by 24%. She emphasized the need for additional measures to combat commercial crimes, even though the current governor has introduced legislation to address the issue. Yiatin Chu also highlighted the challenges faced by New York, including the rising cost of living and the impact of the immigration crisis on the quality of life.
“My values revolve around ‘common sense,’ not being too conservative or too progressive,” Yiatin Chu said. “While party lines are clear in New York City, I aim to represent the values of the district, where voters seek safety, clean communities, and good schools. These are desires shared by everyone and values I will fight for on behalf of the voters in the State Senate.”
Yiatin Chu was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the United States with her parents at a young age, starting from scratch to build a life. She graduated from the Bronx School of Science and Hamilton College, and pursued an MBA at Boston University on a full scholarship. She previously served as the Vice President of Marketing at a healthcare information services platform. After marriage, Yiatin Chu chose to forgo a high-paying job to devote herself to supporting the growth and education of her two daughters.
In 2019, Yiatin Chu shifted her focus to public school education issues due to having children attending New York City public schools. She ran for a seat on the New York City School District Education Council and joined the founding of the parent advocacy organization “PLACE NYC.” She has advocated for retaining specialized high school entrance exams and gifted programs, opposing high school lottery admissions and reduced class sizes, as well as advocating for opening charter school licenses.
Her successful advocacy for quality education earned her the “Unsung Shero Award” from New York State Assembly members in 2020. In October 2023, Yiatin Chu was named one of the “49 Unsung Heroes of New York” by New York Magazine.
Two years ago, Yiatin Chu participated in founding the non-partisan Chinese American voter organization “Asian Wave Alliance,” aiming to encourage Asian Americans to engage in politics through actions. She has actively organized candidate forums and interactions between ethnic minority elected officials and the Asian American community.
In the party’s internal primary election on June 25th this year, Yiatin Chu did not have any opponents in the Republican party. She will face the 84-year-old incumbent State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky in the 11th District of Queens on November 5th, covering areas such as Bayside, College Point, Douglaston, and Jamaica Estates.