Resolution Recognizing AADT's 35th Anniversary

WHEREAS, the Asian American Democrats of Texas (AADT) was founded in 1990 at the Texas Democratic State Convention in Houston by the Honorable Robert “Bob” Gee, former Houston Mayor Pro Tem Gordon Quan, Mark Lee, and Judy Lee, with the mission to empower Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) voices and increase political engagement within the Democratic Party; and

WHEREAS, since its founding, AADT has served as the officially recognized AANHPI caucus of the Texas Democratic Party, advancing the Democratic values of equity, inclusion, and justice across the state; and

WHEREAS, AADT has strengthened AANHPI representation within the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), ensuring that AANHPI communities have a lasting voice in party leadership; and

WHEREAS, despite being one of the fastest-growing constituencies in Texas and a vital part of the Democratic coalition, AANHPI communities have historically received disproportionately low investment and outreach from campaigns and electoral efforts, limiting engagement and representation during election cycles; and

WHEREAS, under the leadership of trailblazers including Rogene Gee Calvert, Judge Hannah Chow, Judge Toni Ingversen, Bien Tran, Mini Timmaraju, AJ Durrani, Farrukh Shamsi, Nabila Mansoor, and many others, AADT has mentored generations of AANHPI Democrats and expanded participation at every level of the party; and

WHEREAS, today, more than two million AANHPIs call Texas home, representing over six percent of the state’s population and more than one million eligible voters.