Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., who recently became the first Asian American to be elected vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, took a moment to reflect with NBC News on how he got there. “It’s actually more of a recognition by my colleagues of the growing importance of the Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities,” he said. In two decades the Asian American electorate surged 139%, according to Pew Research. The congressman added that beyond Asian Americans, his win also showcases the power of a broad collective. “If you look at what the House Democratic Caucus did, it was, I feel, remarkable.

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