Contesting the Last Frontier

Women of color, including Asian Pacific American (APA) women, have made considerable inroads into elective office in the United States in recent years; in fact, their numbers have grown more rapidly than those of white women. Nonetheless, focusing only on success stories gives the false impression that racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression are not barriers for APA candidates to public office. It also detracts attention from the persistent and severeunder-representation of all women and nonwhite men in elective office in the United States. In Contesting the Last Frontier, Pei-te Lien and Nicole Filler examine the scope and significance of the rise of Asian Pacific Americans in US elective office over the past half-century. To help interpret the complex experiences of these political women and men situated at the intersection of race, gender, and other dimensions of marginalization, Lien and Filler adopt an intersectionality framework that puts women of color at the center of their analysis. They also draw on their ownoriginal dataset of APA electoral participation over the past 70 years, as well as in-depth interviews with elected officials. They examine APA candidates' trajectories to office, their divergent patterns of political socialization, the barriers and opportunities they face on the campaign trail, and how theseelected officials enact their roles as representatives at local, state, and federal levels of government. In turn, they counter various tropes, including the "model minority" myth that suggests that Asian Americans have attained a level of success in education, work, and politics that precludes attention to racial discrimination. Importantly, the book also provides a look into how APA elected officials of various origins strive to serve the interests of the rapidly expanding andmajority-immigrant population, especially those disadvantaged by the intersections of gender, ethnicity, and nativity. Ambitious and comprehensive, Contesting the Last Frontier fills an important gap in American electoral history and uncovers the lived experiences of APA women and men on the campaign trail and inelective office.

The book excels especially in its meticulous tracking of this history...a recommended addition to courses on race, ethnicity, politics, and Asian American studies., Lien and Filler offer a truly masterful assessment of Asian American and Pacific Islander elected representation, not only with critical attention to gender, but with an expansive view on historical trends, geographic and ethnic variation, and level of office. This book is bursting with compelling stories, original data, ethnic and racial comparisons, and rich theoretical context. A must-read for students of minority politics., This empirically rich study greatly expands our knowledge of female Asian American elected officials and makes a major contribution to the study of political incorporation. Lien and Filler have not only created the most extensive current database of APA elected officials but have also assessed the extent to which those officials have contributed to significant empowerment for their communities. An invaluable resource for scholars that will also engage students in the classroom., Asian Americans are the fastest growing population in the United States, but their political participation has seldom been studied in systematic fashion. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, informed by keen theoretical insight, this groundbreaking book explores community activism, regional differences, party affiliations, ethnic organizations, and social justice issues. Particularly welcome is its detailed information about political pioneers, female leaders, generational changes, and the elective offices won in the different Asian American communities., This wonderful book provides an unparalleled understanding of the perspectives and motivations of Asian Pacific American elected officials at all levels of US government. Drawing on in-depth interviews, published profiles and interviews, and a comprehensive dataset of APA elected officials spanning nearly a century, Lien and Filler incisively analyze and illuminate the historical contexts and the racial, ethnic, gender, and social class intersectional challenges faced by these public servants to reveal the critical roles they have played in the ongoing development of the American political order.

Pei-te Lien is Professor of Political Science, affiliated with Asian American Studies, Feminist Studies, and Black Studies, at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is an award-winning author, co-author, and co-editor of numerous publications on the political participation and representation of Asian and other nonwhite Americans. Nicole Filler was an instructor at Highline College and is currently research coordinator at the Institute for Asian American Studies, University of Massachusetts, Boston.