Judy Chu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Judy Chu
Official portrait, 2019
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
Incumbent
Assumed office July 14, 2009
Preceded by	Hilda Solis
Constituency	32nd district (2009–2013) 27th district (2013–2023) 28th district (2023–present)
Member of the California State Board of Equalization from the 4th district
In office January 3, 2007 – July 14, 2009
Preceded by	John Chiang
Succeeded by	Jerome Horton
Member of the California State Assembly from the 49th district
In office May 21, 2001 – November 30, 2006
Preceded by	Gloria Romero
Succeeded by	Mike Eng
Personal details
Born	Judy May Chu (1953-07-07) July 7, 1953 (age 72) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mike Eng ​ (m. 1978)​
Education	University of California, Los Angeles (BA) Alliant International University (MA, PhD)
Signature
Website
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	趙美心
Simplified Chinese	赵美心
Hanyu Pinyin	Zhào Měixīn
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhào Měixīn Wade–Giles Chao4 Mei3-hsin1 IPA [ʈʂâu̯ mèi̯ɕín] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jiuh Méihsām Jyutping Ziu6 Mei5 sam1 Canton Romanization Jiu6 Méi5 sem1

Judy May Chu (born July 7, 1953) is an American politician. She serves as a U.S. representative for California. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Judy Chu has been in Congress since 2009. She is the first Chinese American woman to be elected to Congress.

Before joining Congress, Chu was elected to the California Board of Equalization in 2007. She also served on the Garvey Unified School District Board of Education. She was on the Monterey Park City Council, serving three times as mayor. She also served in the California State Assembly. In 2009, Chu won a special election to fill a seat in Congress. This seat became open when Hilda Solis became the U.S. Secretary of Labor.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in California

Judy Chu was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1953. Her father, Judson Chu, was a Chinese American veteran of World War II. Her mother, May, came from China. Judy grew up in Los Angeles before her family moved to the Bay Area when she was a teenager.

College and Beyond

Judy Chu went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In 1974, she earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics. Later, in 1979, she earned a Ph.D. (a high-level degree) in psychology. She got this degree from the California School of Professional Psychology.

Career in Public Service

Teaching and Local Government

Before her political career, Judy Chu taught psychology. She worked for 20 years in the Los Angeles Community College District. Thirteen of those years were at East Los Angeles College.

Her first elected job was on the Garvey School Board in 1985. In 1988, she was elected to the Monterey Park City Council. She served as Mayor of Monterey Park three times, from 1989 to 1994.

Chu in 2007, while serving on the Board of Equalization

Chu was elected to the California State Assembly in 2001. This was a special election. She was reelected for full terms in 2002 and 2004. This district included several cities in Los Angeles County. After her time in the Assembly, she was elected to the California State Board of Equalization in 2006. She represented the 4th district.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Congressional Elections

First Election in 2009

Judy Chu decided to run for Congress in 2009. This was a special election for California's 32nd congressional district. The seat became open when Hilda Solis joined President Barack Obama's team. Chu won the election on July 14, 2009. She became the first Chinese American woman in Congress.

Reelection Campaigns

Chu was reelected to her first full term in 2010. Her district was very supportive of Democrats. In 2012, her district was redrawn. She then ran in the new 27th congressional district. This district has a large Asian American population. She won reelection against Republican Jack Orswell.

She continued to win reelection in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. In 2018, she won against another Democrat. In 2020, she won her seventh term in Congress.

Key Actions in Congress

Judy Chu has been involved in many important votes and issues. She has voted to increase the national debt ceiling. She has also voted against reducing spending on non-security items.

..... In 2011, she voted against a bill that would give immunity for reports of suspected terrorist activity. She believed it could lead to discrimination.

In 2014, the House Ethics Committee formally reprimanded Chu. This was because she sent emails to her staff about an investigation into her office. The committee found she interfered with their work.

In December 2017, Chu was arrested during a protest. This happened outside the U.S. Capitol. She has also been named "honorary chairwoman" of a group that supports Chinese unification. As of October 2022, Chu often voted in line with President Joe Biden's positions.

Committee Roles

For the 118th Congress, Judy Chu serves on important committees:

• Committee on Small Business
  • Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access
  • Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development
• Committee on Ways and Means
  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Subcommittee on Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Work and Welfare

Group Memberships

Chu is part of several groups in Congress. These groups are called caucuses. They focus on different topics. Some of these include:

• American Sikh Congressional Caucus (co-chair)
• Congressional Progressive Caucus (vice-chair)
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (chair)
• Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment (vice-chair)
• Congressional Taiwan Caucus
• Creative Rights Caucus (co-founder and co-chair)
• LGBT Equality Caucus
• House Baltic Caucus
• Climate Solutions Caucus
• Medicare for All Caucus
• Congressional Armenian Caucus
• Rare Disease Caucus
• United States–China Working Group

Personal Life

Judy Chu married Mike Eng in 1978. They live in Monterey Park. Mike Eng also served in political roles. He took Chu's seat on the Monterey Park City Council in 2001. He also took her seat in the California State Assembly in 2006.

Chu's nephew, Lance Corporal Harry Lew, died in 2011. He was a U.S. Marine serving in Afghanistan. Chu said her nephew was a patriotic American.

In 2019, Judy Chu and her brother Dean donated money to the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles. Chu is one of three Unitarian Universalists serving in Congress.

See also

In Spanish: Judy Chu para niños

• History of the Chinese Americans in Los Angeles
• List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress
• Women in the United States House of Representatives