Like many of you, I was appalled to see Trump’s hate-fueled twitter rant railing against four of my colleagues in Congress. All four women. All four from diverse backgrounds being told by a sitting president they should “go back” to their countries since they don’t agree with his policies.

Let’s be very clear: What President Trump said was patently racist. But unfortunately, as a Filipino-Chinese American, I’m no stranger to this type of attack. In my eyes, there’s no difference between what Trump said and the kid who slapped me on the back of the head and called me a “f****** chink” on the school bus when I was eight.

These type of insults aren’t just cowardly — they’re un-American. One of the reasons I decided to run for Congress was to put an end to the demeaning and divisive politics that Trump has brought on like no other president in memory.

Today, I am thinking of my mother who immigrated from the Philippines and my father who immigrated from China. Life was not always easy for us, and I don’t think they could have ever imagined that that I’d be the first Filipino-American elected to Congress from the state of California.

It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come as a country since I was an eight-year old. In light of Trump’s attacks, it’s a reminder of how important it is that our citizens never feel ashamed or less than American for who we are, or from where our families came. The fight against racism and discrimination is a fight that I’ll never give up on, and I’m glad to have you by my side.

With all my very best,

TJ Cox

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