Asian American Alliance Newsletter 11/12/2025

1. Zohran Mamdani and Chinese American Families
2. Recent Firing of Immigration Judges
3. The Impact of the SNAP Freeze

The Political Divide Among Chinese American Families

NYC’s recent mayoral election magnified the political divide in many families, with mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani garnering significant support from younger generations, but criticism from older ones.

This divide is only exacerbated for Chinese American families. For those that fled China’s collectivism, Mamdani’s campaign feels like a return to the exact system that failed them. His emphasis on wealth redistribution, rent freezes and expanding social entitlements raises fears about government overreach and the erosion of individual freedom—despite the fact that Mamdani’s democratic socialism centers on progressive taxation rather than the state control of property.

But for younger voters, Mamdani’s platform of affordability and change gives hope. He speaks to the daily struggles of living in an increasingly expensive New York City—where rent, transit, and even groceries feel out of reach for many young workers. His campaign also embodies the idea that meaningful change is possible, challenging the typical cultural message among Asian Americans to “keep your head down” and avoid politics.

Read more here.

Immigration Judges are the Most Likely to be Fired

Since January, over 125 of the 700 judges at the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) have been fired or resigned. Most of these terminations happened in the middle of court proceedings, without solid reasonings as to why these judges had their contracts terminated.

NPR conducted an independent review of these firings, and found that judges that had backgrounds defending immigrants and no prior work at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were the most likely to be fired. In contrast, many of the new onboarded judges have backgrounds working as asylum officers and ICE attorneys.

Many Asian immigrants—particularly from China, India, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia—rely on the EOIR for asylum and residency hearings. When judges with experience in immigrant defense are replaced by those with enforcement backgrounds, the outcomes of these hearings can shift dramatically. These disruptions may also lengthen wait times for families pursuing legal immigration through the proper channels, only further delaying paths to residency and citizenship.

Read more here.

How the SNAP Freeze is Impacting Asian American Families

Forty-two million people rely on SNAP for their groceries. Asian American families are often left out of discussions about the program’s impact, because of how broad population data can hide the differing needs within the community. But in New York City alone, more than 253,000 Asian Americans are affected by the current SNAP freeze.

The freeze only deepens the systemic inequalities many Asian Americans already face. An estimated 91% of Asian Americans who rely on SNAP work in positions limited by language barriers and have restricted access to upward mobility.

Read more here.