About 70 guests showed up Tuesday to a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco’s Sunset district. They were there not only to enjoy a bowl of Hong Kong-style noodle soup but to ignite a long-shot political movement.
It was the Asian American Republican Dinner, hosted by the San Francisco Briones Society, which labels itself as moderate, as opposed to hardcore MAGA. The group chose to host the event on the city’s west side for its large, middle-class, Asian American population.
“How can we better serve Asian American interests?” Jennifer Yan, a Briones Society member and incoming Republican County Central Committee member, asked the crowd. “I know many of us are not satisfied with the current situation.”
As major political candidates court Asian American voters, Republicans in San Francisco are targeting the community’s moderate-leaning members for new blood. In Asian Americans, they see an opportunity to revitalize the long-marginalized Republican Party, which barely claims 8% of San Francisco registered voters, versus 64% for Democrats.
Since the pandemic, the number of Asian immigrant registered Republicans in the city has surged 60% over concerns about crime and public education. In March, Briones Society members won in a landslide in elections for the Republican Party governing board, signaling a wave of moderate change. Two of the top winners were Chinese Americans, including Yan.
“This is the start,” Yan said. “If we want real change, we need to have a long-term plan.”
Besides the dinner, the Briones Society spent big promoting itself to the Asian American community through social media ads, direct mail, and educational events.
“Democrats have failed San Francisco’s Chinese American community, turning their backs on public safety and education,” a Facebook ad reads.
Founder Jay Donde said the Briones Society will spend “low five figures” on materials specifically targeting Asian American voters. The group’s website has a voter guide showing its support for many moderate-leaning Democrats for public office.
Among the attendees of the dinner was Ann Hsu, a school board candidate and founder of a private school. Hsu is not a registered Democrat or Republican but a member of the Common Sense Party. She is endorsed by the Briones Society.
“It was good to meet a group of like-minded people who just want common sense to govern our schools and our city,” Hsu said.
Still, in San Francisco, electing a Republican seems an impossible mission. The last Republican mayor left office in 1964, and the last elected official from the party, James Fang of the BART board of directors, exited a decade ago.
Josephine Zhao, president of the Chinese American Democratic Club, said she’s glad Republicans are seeing the importance of Asian votes and described it as fair competition. However, she argued that Democrats in recent years have zeroed in on issues to elevate the Asian American community’s voice, such as the recalls of the school board and district attorney.
“You don’t need to join the Republican Party to support public safety and public education,” Zhao said. “We Democrats can lead on that too.”