Francesca Hong Running for the 76th Assembly
District
The Home Stretch
Part 2 of 2
District
The Home Stretch
Part 2 of 2
“Unfortunately, we’re still going to be dealing with multiple crises here, the crisis of a worldwide pandemic, which is not going to be going
away by the time I’m sworn in and the crisis of racism that is a severe public health crisis that the state needs to recognize and all
lawmakers need to recognize and reckon with,”
Hong said about the issues that will be most pressing when the state legislature convenes in January. “And so I intend to put forth and
push for policies that enter equity and center care. What that means for me is that we are looking at policies that are providing preventive
measures dealing with the root causes of systemic racism in the sectors of public education, housing and living wages. So access to
affordable housing, access to affordable health care and health insurance as well as finding sustained funding for k-12 education and
making sure that these values, which are very much bipartisan values across the state, deal with problems that all families face. We as
lawmakers have a responsibility to address that. As I mentioned, public education and then really revisiting raising the minimum wage to
$15 per hour, which based on the last Marquette poll, over 60 percent of the state agrees with raising the minimum wage. We need to
receive and accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid.”
Hong is especially concerned with the criminal justice system and its adverse impact on people of color, especially African Americans.
“Our criminal justice system is deeply racist and a product of white supremacy,” Hong said. “We need to focus on decriminalizing minor
drug offenses and reducing the amount of Black and Brown folks who are incarcerated. We need to focus on ending cash bail. We need
to revisit and pretty much abolish qualified immunity in the state. We have to look at the fact that we’ve ended collective bargaining rights
for so many units through ACT 10 that the police union is still intact and has tremendous power. And unfortunately many reform bills are
not going to pass unless we challenge the police unions and renegotiate those contracts. It’s a very complex issue that must be
addressed from a state policy level as well as a cultural level. And so I think campaigns are kind of talking about — and I know defunding
the police is a controversial statement that people think about — defunding the police, which means reinvesting in the community and
making sure that we are reinvesting in our communities and taking preventive action in terms of making sure that we don’t increase our
jail populations, that we are providing social services. The Rainbow Project here in town has been an organization that has helped folks
for over 40 years and it has had wait list for every year that they have been open. The need is great and there are amazing organizations
that are helping our community. But they need resources. Investing in these community organizations is a need that is apparent across
the state.”
When Hong is sworn in in January, she will become the first Asian American to serve in the Wisconsin legislature. Hong takes a rather
egoless view of being “the first.” It’s a good thing if it empowers other Asian Americans to become more visible.
“Visibility is key,” Hong said. “And I think also breaking down some of those glass ceilings and those stereotypes that we are complicit,
that we are quiet, that we are obedient and adhere to authority. That is also a product of white supremacy if people really think about it. Our
proximity to whiteness gives us great privileges in the Asian American community. But our community is also vastly different and there are
socio-economic and racial diversity. We have our own issues with inclusion. And it is important to bring those to light. And it
is important to form relationships that are multidimensional and multiracial. And I think government needs to be a representation of what
needs to start happening when it comes to rebuilding and forming better racial relationships in our community. Having more
representation does that.”
The Asian American community is very diverse almost any way you slice it. And so it is important for there to be more than “just one” if the
issues of the Asian American community are to be dealt with.
“It is important that we have representation in the caucus in order to be ble to identify and have difficult conversations with the community
in how we are engaged, how our problems are different and we may stand on different spaces of the political spectrum,” Hong said about
the AAPI community. “But there are a lot of values that we come together on and I think when it comes to the harmful rhetoric that the
federal government and leadership has perpetuated in terms of xenophobic and racial slurs during the pandemic, it has brought us
together to have a common enemy. I think it is important that we organize from that.”
Hong doesn’t necessarily want to be a role model with people wanting to be like her as much as she hopes her election is a call to action.
“I would hope that I provide a glimpse of opportunity and inspiration for folks to be empowered to be agents of their own change,” Hong
said. “I think following one individual’s actions and decisions can sometimes be dangerous. And so, I’m not quite sure if I would go as far
as to say I am a role model. But if my campaign and the fact that change can happen and change does happen when you bring in outside
voices, we’re stronger when we bring in outside voices and prioritize diversity and inclusion, equity and justice, lives are better for
more people. If I can inspire one other person to think like that and act, then I’m happy.”
Francesca Hong will bring a new voice, sense of activism and leadership style to Wisconsin’s 76th District and the diverse people it
represents. The winds of change are blowing.
away by the time I’m sworn in and the crisis of racism that is a severe public health crisis that the state needs to recognize and all
lawmakers need to recognize and reckon with,”
Hong said about the issues that will be most pressing when the state legislature convenes in January. “And so I intend to put forth and
push for policies that enter equity and center care. What that means for me is that we are looking at policies that are providing preventive
measures dealing with the root causes of systemic racism in the sectors of public education, housing and living wages. So access to
affordable housing, access to affordable health care and health insurance as well as finding sustained funding for k-12 education and
making sure that these values, which are very much bipartisan values across the state, deal with problems that all families face. We as
lawmakers have a responsibility to address that. As I mentioned, public education and then really revisiting raising the minimum wage to
$15 per hour, which based on the last Marquette poll, over 60 percent of the state agrees with raising the minimum wage. We need to
receive and accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid.”
Hong is especially concerned with the criminal justice system and its adverse impact on people of color, especially African Americans.
“Our criminal justice system is deeply racist and a product of white supremacy,” Hong said. “We need to focus on decriminalizing minor
drug offenses and reducing the amount of Black and Brown folks who are incarcerated. We need to focus on ending cash bail. We need
to revisit and pretty much abolish qualified immunity in the state. We have to look at the fact that we’ve ended collective bargaining rights
for so many units through ACT 10 that the police union is still intact and has tremendous power. And unfortunately many reform bills are
not going to pass unless we challenge the police unions and renegotiate those contracts. It’s a very complex issue that must be
addressed from a state policy level as well as a cultural level. And so I think campaigns are kind of talking about — and I know defunding
the police is a controversial statement that people think about — defunding the police, which means reinvesting in the community and
making sure that we are reinvesting in our communities and taking preventive action in terms of making sure that we don’t increase our
jail populations, that we are providing social services. The Rainbow Project here in town has been an organization that has helped folks
for over 40 years and it has had wait list for every year that they have been open. The need is great and there are amazing organizations
that are helping our community. But they need resources. Investing in these community organizations is a need that is apparent across
the state.”
When Hong is sworn in in January, she will become the first Asian American to serve in the Wisconsin legislature. Hong takes a rather
egoless view of being “the first.” It’s a good thing if it empowers other Asian Americans to become more visible.
“Visibility is key,” Hong said. “And I think also breaking down some of those glass ceilings and those stereotypes that we are complicit,
that we are quiet, that we are obedient and adhere to authority. That is also a product of white supremacy if people really think about it. Our
proximity to whiteness gives us great privileges in the Asian American community. But our community is also vastly different and there are
socio-economic and racial diversity. We have our own issues with inclusion. And it is important to bring those to light. And it
is important to form relationships that are multidimensional and multiracial. And I think government needs to be a representation of what
needs to start happening when it comes to rebuilding and forming better racial relationships in our community. Having more
representation does that.”
The Asian American community is very diverse almost any way you slice it. And so it is important for there to be more than “just one” if the
issues of the Asian American community are to be dealt with.
“It is important that we have representation in the caucus in order to be ble to identify and have difficult conversations with the community
in how we are engaged, how our problems are different and we may stand on different spaces of the political spectrum,” Hong said about
the AAPI community. “But there are a lot of values that we come together on and I think when it comes to the harmful rhetoric that the
federal government and leadership has perpetuated in terms of xenophobic and racial slurs during the pandemic, it has brought us
together to have a common enemy. I think it is important that we organize from that.”
Hong doesn’t necessarily want to be a role model with people wanting to be like her as much as she hopes her election is a call to action.
“I would hope that I provide a glimpse of opportunity and inspiration for folks to be empowered to be agents of their own change,” Hong
said. “I think following one individual’s actions and decisions can sometimes be dangerous. And so, I’m not quite sure if I would go as far
as to say I am a role model. But if my campaign and the fact that change can happen and change does happen when you bring in outside
voices, we’re stronger when we bring in outside voices and prioritize diversity and inclusion, equity and justice, lives are better for
more people. If I can inspire one other person to think like that and act, then I’m happy.”
Francesca Hong will bring a new voice, sense of activism and leadership style to Wisconsin’s 76th District and the diverse people it
represents. The winds of change are blowing.
| Francesca Hong will be the first Asian American in the Wisconsin legislature when she assumes the 77th Assembly Seat in January. |
By Jonathan Gramling
Francesca Hong, running as a Democrat for the 76th Assembly District
in November, is a virtual shoo-in to be the next representative from the
area, although she has a Republican challenger, due to the demographic
and political makeup of the district, which covers much of the isthmus
area.
Hong is not a politician. She is a worker and a small business owner. And
her positions on the issues affecting the 76th district reflect that
perspective.
Francesca Hong, running as a Democrat for the 76th Assembly District
in November, is a virtual shoo-in to be the next representative from the
area, although she has a Republican challenger, due to the demographic
and political makeup of the district, which covers much of the isthmus
area.
Hong is not a politician. She is a worker and a small business owner. And
her positions on the issues affecting the 76th district reflect that
perspective.