New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani

A long way from 1971, when America inaugurated its first Asian American mayor of a major city, our country will have 8 Asian American mayors leading major U.S. cities in 2026. New York City (NY), San Antonio (TX), Boston (MA), Bakersfield (CA), Wichita (KS), St. Paul (MN), Cincinnati (OH), and Fremont (CA) will all be led by an Asian American mayor—a testament to the growing representation of Asian Americans in government. While most are Democrats, one is a Republican and another is a Libertarian. Notably, more Asian American women than men were elected. By ethnicity, the 8 mayors/mayor-elects are nearly equally represented among East Asian, South Asian, and Southeast Asian Americans.

America inaugurated its first Asian American mayor to lead a major U.S. city in 1971. A city is considered a major city if its population is among the 100 largest U.S. cities by population size. In 1970, the voters of San Jose, California elected Norman Mineta (1931-2022), a Japanese American, as its 59th mayor. Mineta served as mayor from 1971 to 1974, and later went on to build a barrier-breaking political legacy as a U.S. congressman and then as the first Asian American U.S. Cabinet Secretary.

Nearly a decade later, the first Asian American woman mayor of a major U.S. city was Eunice Sato (1921-2021). A Japanese American, Sato served as mayor of Long Beach, California from 1980 to 1982. Sato was the first woman to lead San Jose, guiding the city through a period of economic turmoil.

Growing political representation

This upcoming January, America’s largest city, New York City, along with 7 other major cities, will inaugurate an Asian American mayor—San Antonio (TX), Boston (MA), Bakersfield (CA), Wichita (KS), St. Paul (MN), Cincinnati (OH), and Fremont (CA). This is a testament to the growing representation of Asian Americans in government.

To read the entire article: https://www.myasianvoice.com/8-major-u-s-cities-will-be-lead-by-an-asian-american-mayor-in-2026

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