Growing up, Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., said he was called a "chink." People threw eggs at his home, his family's tires were slashed, and peers would parody the Chinese language to him.

Lieu went on to join the Air Force in 1995 in part, he says, to further assert his Americanness after confronting racism in his younger years. Having immigrated to the United States from Taiwan when he was 3 years old, he says he also did it to give back to his country. Lieu served active duty both in the country and abroad, and says his time in the Air Force, where he remains a colonel in the reserves, was one of many experiences that fueled his desire to speak out in the memorable and impactful ways for which he has become recognized.

Lieu is now known for acts like calling out internet trolls for “stupid racist shit” comments about COVID-19. Or playing an audio of crying migrant children, who had been separated from their parents, on the House floor In response to Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy in 2018. The congressman, who’s currently running for re-election, cemented his status as a critic of xenophobia and racism in the political sphere. Supporters say Lieu’s voice is particularly critical at a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric is on the rise.

“If I'm not going to be doing things or speaking out, then I should give this job to someone else,” he said weeks before the lockdown took hold of the U.S.

With a background in the armed forces and an upbringing in an Asian immigrant household, Lieu doesn’t necessarily match the profile of a typical internet resistance hero. Yet, his snappy criticisms of the Trump administration have drawn in more than 1.3 million followers.

Karthick Ramakrishnan, a public policy and political science professor at the University of California, Riverside, explained that Lieu is representative of a new generation of outspoken, activist-savvy Asian American politicians like Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who’ve carved similar paths, gaining favor with younger generations and party support alike.

“Ted Lieu is emblematic of a new kind of AAPI representation, where he is able to carve out a particular brand that is based in part on his social media savvy and also from his background and expertise in national security,” Ramakrishnan said. “He has been able to leverage his experience to build a strong following among the Democratic base more generally, and not just among AAPIs or among residents in his district.”

As the three-term congressman gears up for re-election, Lieu gets introspective about his time serving constituents. He said his career has always been cause-driven and by continuing to keep his motivations front of mind, he’s got through any bad days.

“I believe I could never give back to America everything this amazing country has given to me.”

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