Interview with Mayor Lisa Wong of Fitchburg
by Wennie Fang
NAAAP Boston: When you became the female first Asian American Mayor in Massachusetts, how did it make you feel?
Mayor Lisa Wong: I felt very proud. It sends a signal to the Asian community that Asian Americans can succeed in politics and that we have a bigger role to play. Over the last few years, I've seen more Asians running for office in Massachusetts.
NAAAP Boston: Do you think race and gender hindered or propelled you to win the first time around?
Mayor Lisa Wong: It was not a significant factor at all. We won by a large margin. Our strategy was very much focused on my management and leadership experience. That was what people wanted during the time of economic hardships four years ago.
NAAAP Boston: What made you want to run for a third term as Mayor of Fitchburg?
Mayor Lisa Wong: There's a lot of work that needs to be done. A two year term is very short compared to a four year term in some of the other cities. Not enough time to achieve goals in two years.
NAAAP Boston: Why did you want to enter politics? Did you study politics in college?
Mayor Lisa Wong: I didn't study politics in college. When I ran for mayor, I didn't view it as running for politics. I viewed it as applying for a management position, even though it's a political position. Being mayor is like a CEO. I could apply my management skills to help people.
I usually tell young people when they want to enter or play a leadership role, whether for a corporation or politics, you should view it as applying for an executive position.
Thinking of it in a different way feels more natural.
NAAAP Boston: What were some of the first few jobs you had after finishing college?
Mayor Lisa Wong: I studied at Boston University and majored in International Relations and Economics. By the time I was 20 years old, I received my Masters in Economics. Having finished college a bit earlier than I expected, I had to option to travel around a bit and see what I wanted to do. Some of the jobs that I felt impacted my life was when I:
1. Taught Economics in the University of Wyoming for half a year
2. Director of an economic development agency for over five years
3. Director of Housing Non-Profit
When I was the Director, I became interested in fixing the city I lived in. I had always played a small role and wanted to step up and play a bigger role as mayor.
NAAAP Boston: What do you think was your biggest obstacle when you first entered politics?
Mayor Lisa Wong: I was relatively unknown. A lot of people knew about the work I had done and my professional work. I didn't grow up in Fitchburg so didn't have classmates and childhood friends. My opponents did. I had to really boost the campaign for myself. An important aspect of the mayor is the need to be someone who's a high level professional and not your friend and neighbor. As mayor, he/she oversees the budget and 1,000 employees.
NAAAP Boston: Were your parents and family supportive of your decision initially to enter politics? If not, how did you change their mind?
Mayor Lisa Wong: My parents were very surprised. So few Asian Americans enter politics and they had the same reaction expected of most people. So I had to explain to everyone that it's a CEO position and a way to make a major impact. Parents are born in HK and she was born here.
NAAAP Boston: Did your parents set out career goals for you?
Mayor Lisa Wong: No, my parents pretty much let me decide what I wanted to do as long as they didn't have to pay for it. They learned their lesson. I have two older brothers and money was set aside for my oldest brother. There is a six year gap between my oldest and second oldest brother and we knew since we were young we were expected to go to college without burdening our parents. Both my older brother and I earned scholarships. As the youngest, I had more leeway in choosing what career path I wanted.
NAAAP Boston: Do you feel like people stereotyped against you while you ran for office? While you were in office? Did you use that to further your goals? How?
Mayor Lisa Wong: No, not at all. If there was one stereotype, it was that a lot of people thought I was smart and hardworking.
NAAAP Boston: As Mayor of a largely Caucasian population, do you have to adapt to your environment? How do you still maintain your own identity?
Mayor Lisa Wong: I don't think so. Being an elected official, you have to represent a large diversified population. Because I lived and worked in Fitchburg, I adapted to the community long before I ran for office.
NAAAP Boston: Do you think being Asian, that your constituents think of you any differently? If so, can you elaborate?
Mayor Lisa Wong: I don't see it. I feel like I should go ask people that question. I interact with a lot of people, so I don't see them treating me any differently. Except for schools, where there's a higher minority population, it's a big advantage for me being young and Asian. A lot of kids remember who I am, telling me they want to enter politics and want to be mayor. If I grew up in an Asian American population, people would think it won't be unusual.
NAAAP Boston: What advice would you give to Asian Americans who want to enter politics?
Mayor Lisa Wong: I think the biggest challenges are funding-raising. A lot of Asian Americans don't want to ask people to for money but in politics, that's one of the things that you need to do.
It's my 3rd term and I still find it difficult. I reached out to a bunch of Asian American organizations to help and I've found success with these organizations. However, you can't rely on one source of funding. So you have to put in the time to do it. It would be good to have training classes or ways in which we can learn. It's not enough to get out, vote and organize field campaigns, but have the ability to raise funds.
