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A tight race in California’s 45th Congressional District between two Asian-American candidates has turned ugly with both candidates accusing each other of using red-baiting tactics.
That’s when someone is discredited by linking them to Communism. Just check out these mailers sent to voters in the Orange County district by Republican Michelle Steel’s campaign linking her opponent, Democrat Derek Tran to Mao Zedong and showing Tran with the Communist symbol, the hammer and sickle.
“Michelle Steel has been known for red-baiting her entire campaign and career this is something that’s very disgusting. We’re seeing xenophobic attacks by here. It’s just baseless claims by someone that’s losing and she’s expecting to win based on that messaging. it’s not going to work this time around. I am son of Vietnamese refugees who fled communist Vietnam,” said Tran.
Steel’s campaign says red-baiting has also been used by Tran who’s campaign has referenced Wall Street Journal and Orange County Register reporting accusing Shaun Steel, Michelle Steel’s husband of bringing Chinese spies into American politics in exchange for money saying voters can’t trust steel to stand up to China.
In a statement, steel’s campaign said in part “since may, cry baby Derek Tran has leveled false and despicable attacks on Michelle Steel’s family, even putting a CCP flag in his own advertising, but now sobs when our campaign accurately highlights his connections to communist china.” Michelle Steel the incumbent is Korean-American and Derek Tran is Vietnamese-American, running to represent a district that is 39% Asian. The district has the largest Vietnamese population in the united states. Here’s what Michelle Steel recently told a local Vietnamese TV outlet.
“I think I am more Vietnamese than my opponent. My opponent might have Vietnamese name, but you know what i understand Vietnamese community and I’ve been working with Vietnamese-American community for last more than 30 years,” said Steel.
“This is a community that loves our country and our heritage and for her to come in and try to court and take our votes and say she’s more Vietnamese American than a son of Vietnamese Americans, a son of refugees. that’s insulting and disgraceful,” said Tran.
The use of Anti-Asian rhetoric in this race prompted AAPI leaders to write a letter to the OC Democratic and Republican parties sharing concerns the candidates have falsely implied that candidates of Asian decent are national security threats.
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