Everybody Needs a Rachel Chu Moment
High stakes, high reward weekend with seven Members of Congress in San Francisco.
I know I’ve been ripping into
and the Crazy Rich Asians movement. But here’s the irony:I like Crazy Rich Asians, the movie. I just don’t like the movement Gold House glorified— and monetized.
This past weekend, I spent time with seven Asian American Members of Congress—including the Vice Chair of the Democratic Party, Ted Lieu. He’s the second highest ranking House member.
We weren’t there for a photo op. We were there to talk strategy, power, and how to protect our communities from the violence—and silence—we continue to face.
And it took a village.
TL;DR
Secured support for the Michelle Go Act ✅
Called out 5 strategic failures on the Left and how to fix them.
Proved what happens when the community shows up with clarity. We have real talk, not photo ops. Sparks were ignited. And the movement accelerates.
“A point of pressure, when applied with the right force…”
I watched this Mulan scene on repeat as a kid.
I was the youngest of three. My two older brothers ruled my world. That meant backyard tackle football, brutal games of chess to the American Me soundtrack, and Monopoly games that left scars (for real).
I was constantly proving I could take a hit - and get up.
Going into battle comes second nature. And I’m always scanning the environment for points of leverage—to win the war.
This weekend, the first battle I chose was simple: Get our Asian American Members of Congress to endorse the Michelle Go Act.
For those who have been following along, this didn’t go so well the last time.
Who is Michelle Go and Why Does She Matter?
Michelle Go was a 40-year-old Asian American woman who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area—born in Berkeley, raised in Fremont. A baby UCLA Bruin turned New Yorker, she built a life that many of us could recognize: smart, successful, grounded in family.
On January 15, 2022, Michelle was standing on a subway platform at Times Square when she was shoved in front of an oncoming train by a mentally ill, homeless man.
Her death came at the height of anti-Asian violence.
And it tore open a wound in our community that still hasn’t fully healed.
It’s been three years...
But Family Never Forgets
I met Justin Go, Michelle's father, two years ago when I asked him to speak at the Always With Us event that I organized.
Since losing Michelle, he has made it his mission to turn personal tragedy into public good by pushing for the Michelle Go Act—a federal bill that calls for increased funding for psychiatric beds, community mental health services, and the kind of crisis response that could prevent future tragedies.
It’s not punitive. It’s compassionate. It protects everyone. It’s smart policy. (Here’s a breakdown from GrowSF on how the lack of psychiatric beds is failing our city.)
And it’s the right thing to do—for Michelle, for our streets, for every person who deserves safety.
“Judy, I want you to know Mr. Go will be there tomorrow.”
It’s Friday night at the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco. A private reception with Members of Congress. I’m dressed to the nines—because let’s be real, I like to do battle in 3-inch heels.
Mr. Go was coming to our Saturday event. He’d done this last year—met the members, shook their hands, told Michelle’s story.
And nothing happened.
I didn’t want to put him through that again. But this time, I was there for him. Backup, in heels.
Toward the end of the evening, I spotted Rep. Judy Chu.
“Judy, I wanted to let you know that Mr. Go will be at the Conversation with Community event tomorrow.”
She paused. Then:
“I’m so glad you told me, Wendy. I talked to my staff. There was an oversight with Rep. Dan Goldman’s office. Of course I’ll endorse the bill—and I’ll ask the other CAPAC (Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus) members to endorse it too.”
I exhaled.
“I thought something like that might have happened.”
My friend Jay Cho says DC is 90% Veep and 10% House of Cards. Thank goodness it was an oversight.
“I remember how genuinely moved you were when you met him last year,” I said.
Check.
The board shifted. Quietly. Deliberately. The way power actually works.
“It was because of me. A poor, raised-by-a-single-mother, low-class immigrant nobody.”
Everybody needs a Rachel Chu moment. You know the scene. When she’s playing Mahjong and the movie climaxes.
I was about to have my personal Rachel Chu moment.
Seated to my side and in front of me were seven elected Members of Congress. And the stakes felt high.
Could I convince them it’s time to think differently?
Because if I could shift their mindset—just a little—it might set in motion the kind of work that actually gets this country back on track.
Not just for Asian Americans.
For everyone who's been told to wait their turn, soften their message, or settle for a system that was never built for them in the first place.
I gave it my best shot.
I’ll dive into the 5 Strategic Failures of the Left and how to fix them later. Stay tuned.
“Most people want simple things.”
And then Marilyn Strickland, born to a Korean mom and Black serviceman, took the floor (metaphorically).
She said things that cut through all the noise:
“People want simple things. They want to afford a home. Send their kids to good schools. Retire with dignity. They don’t want the government in their business.”
Then she added:
“We’ve lost our way on the Left. It’s both the message—and the bearer of the message.”
It hit me like a clean blade through fog—because it was simple, and finally, easy to understand.
No jargon. No performance. Just clarity.
Marilyn wasn’t giving a speech. She was naming what we’ve all been circling around:
The messaging isn’t landing. The messengers don’t look or sound like the people we claim to serve.
And the communities who need the most? They’re tired of being an afterthought.
If Rachel Chu was my moment of defiance— Marilyn Strickland was my moment of clarity.
She reminded me of Yu Shu Lien from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Strategic. Composed. Not there to charm anyone. She reads the room, sees ten moves ahead, and speaks truths no one else is willing to say.
No theatrics. Just power.
What Comes Next
We’re just getting started. We’re barely ten minutes into the Conversation with the Community.
Next up: 🧠 5 Strategic Failures on the Left—and How We Fix Them
This is only Part 1. Call it: The Mahjong Gambit.
I’m hoping for all of us, it pays off.
More coming soon, but I’ve been writing for a long time, so catch up on my old editions:
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