Kevin Leung's American Dream: From Hong Kong Public Housing to the Colorado State Senate
One hundred and fifty square feet, eight people. That was the home Kevin Leung grew up in, a tiny public housing unit in Hong Kong. His father was a cook, feeding the whole family with his two hands and a wok, day after day.
His parents had come to Hong Kong from mainland China with nothing, and neither had ever had a formal education. In a home like that, life was tight, but there was one thing his parents never let their children go without: they passed down, bit by bit, the values of hard work, integrity, perseverance and education. Many years later, looking back on those days, Leung put it this way: "Those humble beginnings shaped my values and taught me that opportunity should never be taken for granted."
Thirty-eight years ago, he left Hong Kong for America. He was a young adult then, with a heavy accent and limited resources, carrying a single hope, to build a better future than the one his parents had known. Recalling that departure, he once said: "I never imagined that one day I would have the honor of representing my neighbors in the Colorado State Senate."
Once he was settled in America, he went back to school first. The schooling his parents never had, he would finish for them. Two master's degrees from the University of Colorado were the first account he rendered to himself on this new land. The thirty-five years that followed were spent in technology, one stretch of them at a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory; he also started small businesses in Colorado that put local people to work. The years went by quietly, without fanfare, but solidly.
He and his wife have lived in Douglas County for more than thirty-five years, and raised their three daughters there. The community gave his family a home. An immigrant who has been taken in by a place for thirty-five years can hardly think of himself as just a tenant. As Leung tells it, that home is what inspired him to give back through public service.
In 2017 he joined the Douglas County School Board and served four years. On his watch, voters approved a $250 million school bond and a $40 million annual mill levy override for the local public schools. A child who grew up in public housing probably knows better than most what a good school means to an ordinary family. Later he took a seat on the South Metro Fire Rescue Board, turning his attention to the community's emergency services and safety.
On November 3, 2026, the voters of Senate District 30 sent him to the Colorado State Senate. In that district, roughly eighty percent of residents are White and only six percent are Asian. Through the campaign, countless volunteers knocked on door after door, introducing this Hong Kong-born candidate to his neighbors. After the victory, he thanked those people first, and then said something plainly: he is proud of his Hong Kong heritage and his immigrant journey, but he was elected to represent every resident of the district, regardless of background or party.
His election may have set two firsts in Colorado: the first Chinese American elected to the state legislature, and the first foreign-born Asian immigrant elected to the State Senate in its 150-year history. When Leung mentions these himself, he keeps the word "may" in place. The measure is steady.
What he thinks about more is his parents. He said: "Many immigrant families spend two or three generations establishing themselves, advancing through education, and eventually giving back to society. I am deeply grateful that, through my parents' sacrifices, the opportunities America has provided, and the support of my family and community, I have been able to experience much of that journey within my own lifetime." His parents left their homeland in search of freedom and opportunity; decades later, their son stands in Colorado, about to help write the state's laws. A journey meant for two or three generations, he has walked most of in a single lifetime.
The work ahead, he lists concretely: affordability, economic opportunity, strong public schools, support for small businesses, responsible growth, public safety, and protecting seniors. Good government, he believes, requires listening, working across party lines, and finding practical solutions. He hopes, too, that his story might encourage other immigrants and the generations after them to pursue their dreams and take part in civic life.
The young man who arrived thirty-eight years ago with a heavy accent and empty pockets is about to walk into the State Senate. Looking back over the whole road, his understanding of the American Dream is no longer what it was on the day he set out: "To me, the American Dream is not simply about what we can achieve for ourselves. It is about what we can contribute to others. My election is not the end of my American Dream. It is the beginning of a new chapter of service."
Related: 240 Years, Ten Generations: How Chinese Americans Went from Landing in America to Holding Office
Related: Colorado 2026 Election Results: Weiser Elected Governor as Democrats Sweep Statewide Offices
Source: Authorized special contribution by Kevin Leung
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：梁耀華（Kevin Leung）。照片来源：Kevin Leung 竞选官网（kevinfordougco.com）。 / Photo: Kevin Leung. Source: Kevin Leung's campaign website (kevinfordougco.com).
