Asia Cho

**Asia Cho** (born 18 April 1990) is a Hawaiian politician who has served as minister of social affairs and labour in the second Kanazawa ministry since 2021. She has additionally served as a member of the House of Representatives for Oahu since 2018, becoming the first openly transgender legislator in Hawaii. She has been a member of the Green-Progressive Party since its foundation in 2021, and previously was a member of the Green Party.

Cho was born in Seoul and immigrated with her family to Honolulu when she was four years old. She was raised in the Ala Moana neighborhood of Honolulu, and graduated from President William McKinley High School in 2008. After graduating from high school, Cho enrolled in the University of Hawaii, West Oahu, receiving a bachelor's degree in sociology in 2012. Cho initially came out as a gay man while in high school, and later came out as a transgender woman in 2013. She also identifies as pansexual. After completing her education, Cho first started working for the Hawaii government at the Ministry of Education and Culture as a researcher. She left the position in 2016, and afterwards became a transgender rights activist while also working in the nonprofit sector. She left the job in 2018, in order to enter elected politics.

Cho began her career in elected politics in 2018, after she was elected to parliament in Oahu for the Green Party in the 2018 general election. After taking her seat in the House of Representatives, Cho became the first openly transgender legislator in Hawaiian history, and also focused her legislating on civil rights issues and civil liberties. Following the 2021 general election, Cho was nominated by Kenzie Kanazawa to serve as minister of social affairs and labour in the second Kanazawa ministry, becoming the first openly LGBT person to serve in a Hawaiian cabinet.

## Early life and education

Cho was born on 18 April 1990 in Seoul to parents Cho Nam-seon (조남선; born 1960) and Jung Min-kyung (정민경; born 1962), while Cho's birth name is Cho Jae-sung (조재성). The family emigrated from South Korea to Hawaii in 1994, settling in the Ala Moana neighborhood of Honolulu. After arriving in Hawaii, Cho's parents changed their names to David and Minnie Cho, while Cho used the name Jae Cho. Cho is the eldest child of three siblings; her younger siblings include Kevin (born 1996) and Maggie (born 2000), both born in Hawaii. After settling in Hawaii, David, a dentist, opened his own dentistry practice, while Minnie later began working as a dental hygienist at the practice.

Cho began her education in 1995, attending public schooling in Honolulu. She began high school at President William McKinley High School in 2004, where she has described herself as being an "outsider," and later graduated in 2008. Afterwards, she studied sociology at the University of Hawaii, West Oahu, graduating with her degree in 2012.

## Early career

After completing her bachelor's degree, Cho was hired as a junior researcher at the Ministry of Education and Culture. While she did not initially mind the work, she grew to find it "boring and monotonous," and ultimately quit in 2016. After leaving the position, Cho was hired as an outreach specialist at the Hawaiian transgender rights nonprofit Kona's Foundation.

While working at Kona's Foundation, Cho appeared on Hawaiian television advocating for transgender rights, while also participating in rallies and demonstrations for transgender rights in Hawaii. In 2017, she was invited to lobby on behalf of transgender rights at the House of Representatives along with Kona's Foundation and other Hawaiian LGBT rights organizations. She left the position in 2018, in order to enter elected politics.

## Political career

### Early politics

Cho began her political career in 2018, after she was included on the Green Party electoral list in Oahu during the 2018 general election. Cho was ultimately elected to parliament, and took her seat in the House of Representatives on 30 July 2018. Upon taking her seat, she became the first openly transgender legislator in Hawaii, and began focusing her legislating on civil rights and civil liberties.

In 2019, during a parliamentary debate, Cho got into an argument with Democratic-Conservative Party politician Lena MacPherson-Meeks. During the argument, MacPherson-Meeks repeatedly misgendered Cho, and referred to her as "Mr. Cho." MacPherson-Meeks's comments led an official censure from Speaker Cristine Hyodo Larson, which restricted her right to participate for the remainder of the debate. Cho later criticized MacPherson-Meeks's comments as "unacceptable" and "immensely hurtful," while MacPherson-Meeks was also criticized by Ann Johnson, Kenzie Kanazawa, and a number of other politicians and members of the media.

### Social affairs and labour minister

Following the 2021 general election, the Hawaiian media reported that Cho was in talks for a possible nomination to the second Kanazawa ministry. Ultimately, she was nominated to serve as minister of social affairs and labour, ultimately becoming the first openly LGBT person to serve in a Hawaiian cabinet.

As social affairs and labour minister, Cho is responsible for overseeing social work, social protection and assistance, pensions, welfare, social security, elder care, labour unions, and workplace standards.

## Personal life

When she was 17 years old in 2007, Cho came out as a gay man to her family and friends. She has stated that she received support from her friends and siblings, while her parents were "a bit unsure" about her coming out. She later came out as a transgender woman in 2013, aged 23, changing her name to Asia Cho. After coming out as trans, she stated that her relationship with her parents "took an even larger hit" but that they eventually "came around to it." She began medically transitioning that same year, and received numerous gender-confirming surgeries over the next five years. Cho also identifies as pansexual.

Cho is fluent in both Korean and English, and naturalized as a Hawaiian citizen with her family in 2007, aged 17. After receiving Hawaiian citizenship, she renounced her Korean citizenship in order to avoid military conscription. Cho was raised as a Christian, but now identifies as an atheist.