【华e生活毛苌子、唐哲报道】北卡历史上第一位站出来竞选州政府官员的刘广亚，发起选战的誓师动员会，选在凯瑞市拥有百余年历史的马修斯庄园（The Matthews House）举行，而这里，绝大多数华人此前闻所未闻。
竞选的初心和动力是“服务社区”，将要发挥的是“桥梁作用”，将“华人社区和主流社会联结起来。”刘广亚为自己设定的州议员的角色定位，从动员会的地点，以及到场华人和其他族裔几乎一半对一半的人员结构，已初显端倪。
与3年前的7月13日刘广亚竞选凯瑞市议员动员会的场面大不相同，这次动员会的开场嘉宾——凯瑞市市长哈罗德·温布雷希特 （Harold Weinbrecht），3年前为她的竞争对手背书。在这次动员会上，这位担任了15年市长的“常青树”说，“她做了大量工作，尤其是在环境保护方面。我们需要她在州议会代表凯瑞、莫里斯维尔（Morrisville），共同成就我们想做的事情。”
上次动员会支持刘广亚的北卡州参议员威利·尼克（Wiley Nickel），在昨晚的致辞中说，他是第一个鼓励她竞选州议员的人。作为北卡州今年联邦国会议员民主党候选人，他的支持更有分量。
几乎从未在华人社区露面的北卡州议员盖尔·爱德考克（Gale Adcock），专程来为刘广亚背书。这位北卡100名优秀护士荣誉称号获得者，致力于改变公共政策，为护理行业和公民健康做出了巨大贡献。她鼓励大家为刘广亚投票，“她让凯瑞变得更好，就一定会让北卡州变得更好”。
匆匆赶来的国会议员黛博拉·罗斯 （Deborah Ross）用极具感召力的话语，称赞她“是一位仆人式的领袖”，“她能竞选州议员太令我高兴了，她会很快在那里留下印记,不仅仅因为她知道如何立法,她将会是最聪明的、最勤劳、最可爱的议员，每个人都喜欢她，因为她想要有所作为，而且她每天都在为之努力。”
现场，不失时机或者不约而同发出欢呼的人们，除了华人熟悉的侨领、企业家，几乎一半是“老外”，威克郡（Wake）委员会及学区董事，刘广亚凯瑞市议员同僚，莫里斯维尔（Morrisville）市市长及议员，达勒姆市议员及学区董事等，各级政要云集。刘广亚在演讲之前，一一介绍，一并感谢包括没有来得及到场、捐款助力的所有同胞。
“祖父是一个没有受过任何教育的农民”，“父亲是一所高中的生物老师”……在面对100多位观众、其中有自己3个孩子的演讲中，刘广亚用过去从未提及的“家世”，现身说法强调“教育可以改变命运“，不仅是一个人，还有其所处的社会。这与她20多年来服务和回报社区的理念一脉相承。成为凯瑞市议员后，她热心于环保、老年服务、健康医疗、教育等方面的工作，“希望成为州议员后能在这些方面获得更多资源和信息，回报华人社区，同时给华人第二代实习、工作的机会，把华人社区和主流社会联系起来。”
她说，“我还是那个相信教育能给她带来梦想和机会的女孩。现在我想通过竞选公职，为许多像我一样的女孩和男孩争取同样的梦想和机会。我想邀请你和我一起参加这场选战。”
在接受【华e生活】专访时说，她说她从不关心党派之争，“服务社区是参选的初心和动力”，愿意发挥桥梁作用，将华人的智慧、好点子带到议会，用从议会学到的知识、获取的资讯，回报华人社区。“希望大家帮助我成长”，在“联结”过程中一起学习、成熟，带给社区更多的信息和资源。
华人社区侨领赵西隆作为“娘家人”的代表，在讲话中称赞“她是一个实干家”，有资格也有能力竞选州议员。细数刘广亚近年来主持的一系列意义非凡的活动，他豪迈地说：“加油！在我们美丽的家乡北卡罗来纳州，我们正在为亚裔美国人的历史树立一个新的里程碑。”
【特别鸣谢：华二代高中生陈伦勋（Bill Chen）现场记录支持】
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刘广亚竞选州议员动员会致辞
大家好。我是广亚，凯瑞市D区议员。有你们在这里支持我，为我喝彩，我深感荣幸。
你们中的一些人可能知道我是三个孩子Mason, Leia和Mia的母亲。今天和我在一起，你们中的一些人知道我是凯瑞市的议员，你们中的一些人知道我是社区组织者。我想告诉你我的故事，这样你离开这里的时候，就能多了解我一点。
我的祖父是一个农民，他没有受过任何教育，但因为他在生活中经历的挑战和奋斗，他明白教育在振兴家庭中的价值。他让他的四个孩子都上了学，其中包括我父亲在内的两个孩子上了大学。我的父亲是一所高中的生物老师，我的母亲大部分时间都是家庭主妇。他们在我很小的时候就告诉我教育的重要性。当我还是个小女孩的时候，我就知道教育是实现我所有梦想的关键。
大约20年前，我有幸获得了一笔奖学金，前往世界上最伟大的国家继续我的研究生学业。我收拾好行李飞往美国。我在北卡罗来纳州立大学获得了医学社会学博士学位。在研究生阶段的训练中，我很幸运地获得了教授法律研究方法的机会，并成为了杜克大学法学院的一名教师。
当我在杜克大学做全职工作时，我开始了一个夜间项目，并在北卡罗来纳中央大学法学院获得了法律学位。现在我的经历已经涵盖了杜克大学、北卡州立大学和北卡中央大学。我还在北卡大学公共卫生学院做过研究助理。
几年前我创办了自己的法律事务所，为全州36个县的2000个家庭提供法律服务，他们大多数就住在北卡三角区。
作为第一代移民，就像今天在座的许多人一样，我从未想过要从政。我的从政之路是建立在我从政之前的社区服务之上的。我对政治的热情是由我为我们的社区做出积极改变的愿望所驱动的。能在凯瑞市议会工作是我的荣幸，他们欢迎我并给予我指导。当我竞选议会议员时，我竞选的主题是老年人服务、环境保护和基础设施建设。我遵守了我对选民的承诺。
在议会任职期间，我支持成立老年顾问委员会，倡导环保举措，支持改善我们的交通和基础设施方面的投资。而今你们支持我去竞选州议员，你们可以相信我会为获得更多的教育、医疗保健和清洁的环境而奋斗。
我坚信代表权很重要，我们的管理机构应该反映它所服务的人民。你知道亚裔美国人只占美国人口的5%吗?知道亚裔美国人当选官员的比例不到1%吗? 2019年，你们选举我成为第一位进入凯瑞市议会的有色人种女性。有了你们的支持，一定会将第一批亚裔美国妇女送到州众议院。
在疫情结束后，许多工薪家庭和小企业仍在苦苦挣扎。许多人挣扎着找工作或做多份工作来维持生计。我是一个小企业主，和你们一样经历着奋斗。你们可以永远相信我将成为我们工商界的有力倡导者，以确保我们拥有一个为每个人发展服务的政策环境，确保每个人都有公平的成功的机会。
现在，我仍然是那个相信教育可以带给自己梦想和机会的小女孩，我想通过竞选公职，为你们服务，为许多像她一样的男孩和女孩争取同样的梦想和机会。我想邀请你加入我的旅程，邀请你加入我的战斗。在你所在的21区，我为成为州议员候选人感到骄傲。
Hello everyone. My name is Ya Liu, Cary Town Council Member for District D. I am extremely humbled by your presence here supporting me and cheering for me.
Some of you might know me as a mother of 3 young children Mason, Leia, and Mia who are here with me today, some of you know me as Cary council member, some of you know me as a community organizer. I want to tell you my story so you could walk away from here, knowing a little more about me.
My grandfather was a farmer who did not have any education but because of the challenges and struggles he went through in his life, he understood the value of education in lifting up a family. He worked had to send all 4 of his children to schools and two of them including my father were able to go to college. My father worked as a biology teacher in a high school and my mother was a housewife for most of her life. They taught me the importance of education at an early age. Even when I was a little girl, I knew that education is the key to achieving all my dreams.
Almost 2 decades ago, I was fortunate to receive a scholarship to pursue my graduate studies in the greatest countries on earth. I packed my belongings and flew to America. I went on to get my Ph.D in medical sociology from NC State. With my graduate training, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to teach Research Methods in Law and become a faculty member at Duke Law School. While I worked full time at Duke, I started an evening program and got a law degree at NC Central Law School. Now I have covered duke, NC State, and NC Central. Have I got everyone covered here? Oh wait, I also worked as research assistant at UNC school of Public Health. I started my own firm a few years ago and have provided legal services to about 2000 families in 36 counties across the state, most of them live right here in the triangle.
As a firstgeneration immigrant, like many of you who are here today, I never expected to get into politics. My path to politics was grounded in my community services before I got into politics. My passion for politics was driven by my desire to make positive changes for our community. It’s been such an honor and privilege to serve on the Cary Town Council which has welcomed me and mentored on local government issues. I campaigned on senior services, environmental protection, and infrastructures when I ran for council and I have kept my promise to you. During my time on the Council, I championed for the creation of the Senior advisory board, advocated for the environmental initiatives, and supported the investments on improving our transit and infrastructures. You can count on me to fight for greater access to education, healthcare, and a clean environment when you send me to the general assembly.
I am a firm believer that representation matters and our governing body should reflect the people it serves. Do you know Asian Americans only make up 5% of US. Population and less than 1% of elected officials are Asian Americans? In 2019, you elected me to be the first women of color to the Cary Town Council. With your support, we will send the first Asian American women to the General Assembly.
Coming out of the pandemic, many working families and small businesses are still struggling. Many people struggle on finding work or work multiple jobs to make ends meet. I am a small business owner and living through the struggles that you go through. You can always count on me to be a strong advocate for our business community to make sure that we have a striving economy that works for everyone; to make sure everyone gets a fair chance at success.
Here I am, still the same little girl, who believed in the dreams and opportunities that education could bring to her but NOW I want to fight for the same dreams and opportunities for many boys and girls like her by running for public office and serving you. I would like to invite you to join me on this journey and invite you to join me in this fight. I am proud to your nominee for the NC House in District 21.
赵西隆在刘广亚竞选州议员动员会上的讲话
尊敬的广亚议员，尊敬的各位当选官员，各位候选人，各位来宾，女士们,先生们：
今天，是应该被铭记的一天。在凯瑞，我们正在我们美丽的家乡北卡罗莱纳州，为亚裔美国人的历史树立一个新的里程碑。
自1789年北卡罗莱纳州成立以来，广亚博士是首位在该州竞选州议会议员的华裔美国人。这是一条从过去走向未来的漫长征途，也是一条通向光明未来的漫长征途。
作为社区活动家和热心人士，广亚博士是北卡华人联合会的资深理事，她积极服务于当地华人社区，举办涵盖商业地产、税收和租赁住房、青年论坛等多个领域的教育研讨会。
广亚博士协助组织了罗利中国美食文化节、教堂山点灯节等大型社区活动。最近，广亚博士与华联青年小组一起在凯瑞好望农场公园创建了一个帝王蝶传粉花园。
我们清楚地记得，新冠肺炎疫情爆发之初，广亚博士就积极参与了采购防护口罩的大规模捐赠活动，协调向当地医院、老年中心和社区发放口罩和面罩。
此外，广亚博士还帮助协调了大亚洲市场的防疫接种活动，并为有需要的社区家庭提供食品。
广亚博士还参与倡导种族平等和公民服务，去年在凯瑞组织了声援亚特兰大受害者的集会和选民登记活动。
最后，广亚博士是一个实干家。她有资格也有能力。加油，广亚博士! 让我们再次树立里程碑。
谢谢大家!
（唐哲编译）
Today, it’s the day that should be remembered. Here in Cary, we are setting a new milestone in Asian American history in North Carolina, our beautiful home state.
Dr. Ya Liu is the first Chinese American in North Carolina to run for state legislature since its establishment in 1789. This is a long journey coming from the past, this is a long journey leading us to our bright future.
As a community activist and enthusiast, Dr. Ya Liu is a devoted board member of the Chinese American Friendship Association, and actively serves the local Chinese communities by hosting educational seminars covering multiple areas in commercial real estate, tax and rental housing, and youth forum and so on.
Dr. Ya Liu helped to organize the large community events such as the Raleigh Taste of China Food and Culture Festivals and Chapel Hill LightUp Festivals. Also recently, Dr. Ya Liu helped to create a monarch butterfly pollinator garden in Cary Good Hope Farm Park together with CAFA Youth Group.
We clearly remember, at the very beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Ya Liu actively participated the large-scale donations for purchasing the PPEs and coordinated to distribute the masks and face shields to local hospitals, senior centers and the local communities.
Also, Dr. Ya Liu helped to coordinate the covid vaccination events at Grand Asian Market, and delivery of foods to community families in need.
Dr. Ya Liu also engaged in the advocacy of racial equity and civic services by organizing CAFA Candle Vigilant Rally in Cary last year and the voter registration advocates.
Last but not least, the take home message is: Dr. Ya Liu is a doer. She is qualified and capable. Go Dr. Ya Liu! Let’s make a new milestone！
