What if we elected an environmental activist to the Pennsylvania legislature?

In Jay’s own words.

On November 8th, 2016, I went to bed not knowing who was going to become President of our country. But I did know one thing: I was not happy with what let us to this point.

I woke up in the middle of the night, feeling disgusted and like I had zero impact on our government at all levels. And, looking around, I realized none of the people I was connected with had any influence on how our lives were governed.

I found myself trying to engage, like many people, starting by calling Senator Toomey’s office endlessly. I became involved in more activist organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the Green Party. And many small events shaped me into who I am today: meetings, rallies, public hearings, protests, pickets. Hundreds of these events combined to bring me to run for office.

I’m the son of an immigrant single mother. I was born in the projects of Alphabet City in downtown Manhattan. My family was on welfare, wrapped up in drugs. We were suffering from the PTSD of my father being drafted into Vietnam.

My mother whisked me away to Taiwan to live with her family. I was eventually kicked out of Taiwan because, in Taiwan, citizenship is passed along through your father, not your mother. So we moved back to America.

When my mother and I came back to the United States, we couch-surfed for over a year, year-and-a-half, until my mother, working multiple jobs, was able to afford to get us a place on her own.

Fast forward ten years: I got lucky. I got into a dream public high school filled with many smart people who came from similarly rough and immigrant backgrounds. My mother was able to become a unionized teacher, which helped her purchase a home with very little money, and I was able to attend college.

So many people who start in the same place as me are not as lucky.

I’m running so people across Pennsylvania don’t have to be lucky to thrive in our society.

more about jay.