Stephanie Gray Chang is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
politician and a
Democratic member of the
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ado ...
, representing the
1st district. She previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives in the
6th District, in the
Michigan House of Representatives
The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...
after being elected in November 2014.
She is the first
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...
woman to serve in the
Michigan Legislature
The Michigan Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ...
.
She was the first woman to give birth while serving as a Michigan State Senator.
Early life and education
Chang was born at Sinai-Grace Hospital in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
. She was raised with her older sister, Josephina, in
Canton, Michigan
Canton, officially the Charter Township of Canton, is a charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township had a population of 98,659.
Canton Township is Michigan's second most-populated townshi ...
and is the daughter of parents who emigrated from
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
to pursue work in the auto industry.
In 2005, Chang graduated from the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
with a bachelor's in psychology and a minor in Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies. In May 2014, she received a master's in public policy and a master's in social work at the University of Michigan.
While at the
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, Chang was a
David Bohnett
David C. Bohnett (born April 2, 1956) is an American philanthropist and technology entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of the David Bohnett Foundation, a non-profit, grant-making organization devoted to improving society through social ...
Leadership Fellow, interning at the Detroit mayor's office, as a paid intern via the
David Bohnett Foundation
The David Bohnett Foundation is a global private foundation that gives grants to organizations that focus on its core giving areas – primarily Los Angeles area programs and LGBT rights in the United States, as well as leadership initiatives and ...
.
[Wogan, J. B]
"Big-City Mayors Tap Grad Students for Their Teams"
''Governing
Governance is the process of interactions through the laws, social norm, norms, power (social and political), power or language of an organized society over a social system (family, tribe, formal organization, formal or informal organization, a ...
''. January 22, 2015.[Stephanie Chang, MPP, MSW, 2013]
. David Bohnett Fellows – UM Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. David Bohnett Foundation
The David Bohnett Foundation is a global private foundation that gives grants to organizations that focus on its core giving areas – primarily Los Angeles area programs and LGBT rights in the United States, as well as leadership initiatives and ...
. ''BohnettFoundation.org''.[David Bohnett Fellows – UM Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy]
. ''BohnettFoundation.org''.["Stephanie Chang, Diana Flora named 2011 David Bohnett Foundation Leadership and Public Service Fellows"]
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
. May 31, 2011.[David Bohnett Foundation Leadership and Public Service Fellowships]
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
.
Career
Community activism
Before her election, Chang worked for about a decade as a community organizer in Detroit.
During that time, she worked for
NextGen Climate
NextGen America is a progressive advocacy nonprofit and political action committee created in 2013 by billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer. The group mobilizes young voters on issues including climate, health care, reproductive freedom, im ...
Michigan as the state director,
Center for Progressive Leadership
The Center for Progressive Leadership (CPL) was an American 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing leadership training for advancing progressive political and policy change.
Training
The organization offered 9-month part-time leadership d ...
in Michigan as the alumni engagement and evaluation coordinator, the James and Grace Lee Boggs School as the community engagement coordinator, the Campaign for Justice as deputy director, Michigan United as an organizer, and as an assistant to
Grace Lee Boggs
Grace Lee Boggs (June 27, 1915 – October 5, 2015) was an American author, social activist, philosopher, and feminist. She is known for her years of political collaboration with C. L. R. James and Raya Dunayevskaya in the 1940s and 1950s. In th ...
.
She is also a co-founder and past president of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote-Michigan and previously a mentor with the Detroit Asian Youth Project.
She also co-founded and is a board member for Rising Voices of Asian American Families. She is a board member of the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center.
Politics
Chang became the State Representative for Michigan's House District 6 in January 2015. In her first term, she served on the Committees on Criminal Justice, Education, and Judiciary. In her second term, she served on the Committees on Education Reform, Law and Justice (where she serves as Minority Vice Chair), and Natural Resources.
Much of her legislative work is focused on air quality, affordable and safe drinking water, education and criminal justice reforms.
She was the chair of the Progressive Women's Caucus, a founding member of the Asian Pacific American Legislative Caucus, and a member of the Detroit Caucus, Michigan Democratic Latino Legislative Caucus and Michigan Legislative Black Caucus. She also served on the federal Environmental Protection Agency's Local Government Advisory Committee, which provides advice and recommendations to the EPA administrator to help develop strong partnerships with local governments to deliver environmental services and programs. Chang also focuses much of her work with residents in the district with the Mary Turner Center for Advocacy, the Neighborhood Service Center, ranging from saving homes from tax foreclosure to hosting a community baby shower for low-income pregnant women. In 2016 she launched the Girls Making Change fellowship, a leadership program for high school girls of color in District 6.
Chang faced
Bettie Cook Scott
Bettie Cook Scott (born May 31, 1953) is an American Democratic Party politician who served in the Michigan House of Representatives from the 2nd district from 2017 to 2018. She previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives from the ...
in a Democratic Party primary for
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ado ...
District 1 on August 7, 2018, winning 49% to Cook Scott's 11%. During the election, Cook Scott made racially charged comments about Chang, referring to her as "ching-chang" and "the
ching-chong", but later issued an apology through a representative.
Chang currently serves as State Senator for District 1 and as the Minority Floor Leader in the State Senate. She is the Minority Vice Chair for the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety and for the Committee on Finance.
She has passed legislation related to female genital mutilation, criminal justice reform, nitrous oxide "
Whippits
A whipped cream charger is a steel cylinder or cartridge filled with nitrous oxide (N2O) that is used as a whipping agent in a whipped cream dispenser. The narrow end of a charger has a foil covering that is broken to release the gas. This is u ...
," business improvement zones, domestic violence, and reentry services for exonerees.
Personal life
Chang and her husband, Sean Gray, live in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
with their young daughter.
References
External links
*
Campaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chang, Stephanie
American politicians of Taiwanese descent
American women of Taiwanese descent in politics
Living people
Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives
Democratic Party Michigan state senators
Politicians from Detroit
University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni
Women state legislators in Michigan
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
Year of birth missing (living people)
University of Michigan School of Social Work alumni
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy alumni
Asian-American people in Michigan politics