I come from humble beginnings.
Born and raised in Georgia, I am the grandson of refugees from the Korean War and the son of immigrants. From an early age, my mother instilled in me the importance of faith, family, and hard work. Every Sunday I attended church where my mother played the organ, and got baptized multiple times, just in case. As a single mother and an immigrant to a new country, she struggled to make ends meet. However, my mom did all she could to put a roof over our heads, food on the table, and made sure her kids got an education. She sacrificed so that I could have an opportunity to pursue my American Dream.
Education and an Opportunity to Thrive
I went to Providence Christian Academy for elementary school, which is located in Gwinnett County where I grew up as a kid. I then attended Taylor Road Middle School and Chattahoochee High School, two great public schools, which provided me a quality education and an opportunity to go to college. After graduating high school, I helped my family open and managed our small business while taking a few classes at Georgia Perimeter Community College. The economic security from our small business, along with the HOPE scholarship, allowed me to graduate from Georgia State University with a B.A. in Political Science and B.S. in Economics without student debt. With the opportunities I was provided, not only did I become the first lawyer in my family, graduating from Georgia State University College of Law, I went on to obtain my Masters in Law, Politics, and Legislation from American University Washington College of Law. Today, I work as an attorney for Positive Impact Health Centers, a nonprofit working to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Georgia.
Transforming Pain into Purpose
A few months after I passed the bar exam, in December of 2014, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Without treatment or chemotherapy, she was given four to six months to live. Thanks to public health insurance, Medicaid and Medicare, she had access to healthcare and a fighting chance. Because she had access to healthcare, she was able to live out her final years without pain and in peace. My family and I were blessed to have a long goodbye with her. And my mom had an opportunity to see her son live out his American Dream and become the first Asian American Democrat and first openly gay man elected to the Georgia State Legislature.
Taking my mom to her chemotherapy appointments every two weeks taught me firsthand that access to healthcare is a matter of life or death. Her fight inspired me to stand and fight for the hundreds of thousands of Georgians who still do not have access to healthcare today because of Republican opposition. So, I decided to run for office. In 2016, I challenged a three-term Republican Chairwoman who not only voted to block Medicaid expansion, she voted to allow state sanctioned discrimination against the LGBTQ community. Though my odds were slim, I had fire in my belly. With a grassroots, people-powered campaign, we built a diverse coalition and made history!
Continuing the March Toward Justice
With an opportunity to serve in leadership as Whip for the Georgia House Democratic Caucus and as Chair of the Gwinnett State House Delegation, I’ve worked to increase access to healthcare by expanding Medicaid, lift up working families by enacting a state earned income tax credit, and prohibit discrimination against minority communities in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Alongside my Democratic colleagues, I’ve also fought against Republican initiatives to cut taxes for the wealthy while making massive cuts to public education. While Republicans ultimately prevailed, I stood in solidarity against allowing guns on college campuses, and taking away a woman’s right to determine her future. As challenging as it has been, I have not given in or given up. I remain fired up, ready to go, and committed to building a better Georgia for all.
The values that made me the man I today continue to guide me. By faith, I remain ever hopeful that we the people will bend the arc of history toward justice and move our nation forward. I will continue to demonstrate love for my neighbors, as I love my family, by helping those in their time of need and fighting against the injustices they may face as “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” No matter how long or difficult the journey ahead, I stand firm in my commitment to fight for a healthier, stronger Georgia; to protect the American Dream for the next generation; and to continue the unfinished work of perfecting our nation to ensure liberty and justice for all.
