On the Rise: Asian American Women Elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Comprised of 160 State Representatives and 40 State Senators, the bicameral Massachusetts Legislature serves all residents and communities of the Commonwealth yet there has been limited racial, ethnic, and gender diversity reflected in the membership of the legislature for most of its existence. While Massachusetts has a substantial and rapidly growing Asian American population, there has historically been very limited representation by Asian American women in the Massachusetts Legislature, as documented by the Asian American Commission of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts1, yet 2011 represented a turning point. This brief focuses on the narratives of five Asian American women who have served or are currently serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives

The Political Leadership of Women of Color in Massachusetts: Uneven Progress Amid Historic Advances

Since the 2015 release of Profiles in Leadership: Women of Color Elected to Office in Massachusetts which documented the electoral leadership of 94 women of color who had ever served in office in Massachusetts, at least 34 women of color have been elected to office, reflecting a 36% increase in the past four years