A record number of Asian-Americans will serve in the next Congress, and several achieved groundbreaking firsts in last week‘s elections.

The first Hindu will arrive in January in Congress, as will the first Buddhist and Asian-American woman senator. Asian-Americans are the fastest-growing minority group in the U.S., and they voted overwhelmingly for President Barack Obama.

Here’s a look at notable Asian-Americans elected on Nov. 6:

HAWAII

Mazie Hirono, 65, will be the first Buddhist, the first Asian-American woman and the first Japanese-born senator. Born in Fukushima, Japan, she moved in 1955 to Hawaii with her mother, who raised her as a Jodo Shu Buddhist. The Democrat was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, becoming the first Asian Buddhist member (Hank Johnson of Georgia, also elected that year, shares the title of first Buddhist).

The Hawaii Democrat who won Hirono‘s House seat is also a pathbreaker. Tulsi Gabbard, 31, is the first Hindu to win an election for Congress, where she will also be the first member born in the U.S. territory of American Samoa (which is represented by a non-voting delegate). Gabbard became the state’s youngest-ever legislator at 21 before resigning to serve in Iraq. After beating a former Honolulu mayor in a Democratic primary, she spoke at this year‘s Democratic National Convention. Gabbard is not of Indian heritage. Her mother converted to Hinduism and raised her in the Vaishnava tradition.

CALIFORNIA

Democrat Ami Bera, a 47-year-old physician, holds slim lead over a Republican congressman. If it stands, he will become first Indian-American Hindu and just the third Indian-American ever elected to Congress. The first was also from California: Dalip Singh Saund, a Sikh who was elected as a Democrat in 1957 and became the first member of Congress who was not a Christian or Jew.

Five other Indian-American candidates lost their races this year in California, Michigan and New Jersey.

Democrat Mark Takano, a 51-year-old high school teacher whose parents were detained in Japanese internment camps during World War II, will be the first openly gay non-white member of Congress.

Democrat Mike Honda, 71, who lived in an internment camp for Japanese-Americans as a child, was re-elected in California’s 17th District, which after redistricting is expected to soon become the first majority Asian district outside of Hawaii.

ILLINOIS

Tammy Duckworth, a 44-year-old Iraq war veteran born in Bangkok, beat a first-term Republican in Illinois in one of the most closely-watched House races. Duckworth, who became a double amputee when her helicopter was shot down in Iraq, is the first woman to serve in Congress after being seriously injured in combat. She will also be the first Thai-American woman in Congress and the first Asian-American representative from Illinois, where she defeated an Indian-American in a Democratic primary.

NEW YORK

Grace Meng, a 37-year-old lawyer and Democrat, is from what‘s known as New York’s other Chinatown, the predominantly Chinese neighborhood of Flushing in Queens. She becomes the first Asian-American elected to Congress from New York. (AP)



<관련 한글 기사>



亞 달라진 위상, 美상원 역대 최다입성


미국 차기 의회에 역대 최다 인원의 아시아계 미국 의원들이 입성한다.

내년 1월에 출범할 국회에는 최초의 힌두계 의원, 첫 번째 불교신자 의원, 그리고 아시아계 미국인 여성 상원의원이 이에 포함된다. 아시아계 미국인은 전체 미국 내에서 가장 빠르게 입지를 키워가고 있는 소수인종으로 이번 대선에서도 버락 오바마 대통령에 크게 힘을 실어주었다.

지난 11월 6일에 당선된 아시아계 미국인 가운데 마지에 히로노(65) 하와이 민주당 상원의원은 최초의 불교신자이자 아시아계 미국인 여성 의원으로 일본에서 출생했다. 일본 후쿠시마에서 1955년 태어나 어머니를 따라 하와이로 왔으며 불교 신자로 성장했다.

47세의 외과의사로 공화당 라이벌에 근소한 차이로 승리를 앞서나가고 있는 민주당 아미 베라(47) 캘리포니아 상원의원은 최초의 인도계 미국인 상원의원이 된다.

일리노이 주에서는 방콕 출신의 이라크전 참전용사 태미 덕워스(44)가 박빙의 승부에서 공화당 라이벌을 물리치고 당선됐다. 그녀는 이라크전 참전 당시 헬리콥터 사고로 불구가 되었으며 이러한 배경을 지닌 첫 미국의회 입성자가 됐다.

한편 뉴욕에서는 주 역사상 최초로 중국계인 민주당 그레이스 멩(37)이 당선됐다. (코리아헤럴드)