En Route to Congress

Image From Vogue

Yuh-Line Niou is a New York State Assemblywoman running to become a representative of New York’s 10thDistrict in Congress. Niou is also an openly autistic political figure, becoming only one of three to serve in United States legislature. If elected, Niou will become the first member of Congress to be openly autistic.

In an interview with The 19th News’ Sara Luterman, an openly autistic journalist, Yuh-Line Niou recounts her diagnosis with autism and experience in politics. Niou was not diagnosed with autism until she was a young adult, though, looking back, she feels her grades and actions in school reflected signs of autism. Niou shared with The 19th that she is appreciative that her “story has given a lot of relief to some parents and has also helped a lot of young people navigate their world.”  

Niou feels her autism has been a great part of her success in politics. Because she has different needs from other individuals, it has allowed her to realize that there should be more inclusive representation. In order to gain more representation, Niou expressed to The 19th that “we need to become more visible to ensure our voices are heard.” And she has been doing just that as an assemblywoman, helping pass laws in New York State and running for Congress.  

Aside from some of the policies and Niou’s personal stances in politics, her empathy as a politician with autism was also explored. Empathy can sometimes be difficult for individuals with autism to express or understand. Niou, on the other hand, says that she has an abundance of emotions, which are helpful to her in considering different aspects of policies. Niou shared with The 19th that “autism is my superpower…I see other people’s perspectives differently, in ways a non-autistic person might miss.”

To learn more about Niou and her campaign for Congress, a link to her website is attached here.