In late May, House lawmakers were hours into a debate over a proposal to teach Texas school children about the dangers of communism.
Rep. Gene Wu, a Houston Democrat, stepped up to the podium of the House floor. He shared a story about when his family had its land confiscated by the communist Chinese government.
During the Cultural Revolution, his father, 13 years old at the time, was dispatched alone to fields and “and basically told to either farm or die,” Wu said.
Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
His father survived. Many others did not.
“When I hear people call me a communist spy, or when members of this body say those things, I get a little offended,” Wu said, clasping his hands atop of a podium and looking across the room at his fellow lawmakers.
“Because our family has been the victims of communism for a very long time, and we fled to this country as fast as we possibly could.”
Wu was opposing the bill which he said could lead to the stigmatizing and stereotyping of people who fled communist countries.
For years, Wu — the leader of the Texas House Democrats — has been the recipient of such remarks from Republicans inside the Capitol and out.
His GOP critics, which include party officials, have accused him on social media of being an operative of the Chinese Communist Party doing China’s bidding in the Legislature while baselessly questioning his loyalty to Texas and the U.S.
The spotlight on Wu’s race and country of origin has grown hotter amid the Texas Democrat’s departure from the state to block the passage of new congressional maps that could give Republicans five more seats in the U.S. House.
This week Gov. Greg Abbott filed a petition seeking to remove Wu from office for abandoning his job duties.
The national attention has yielded an increase of racist insults — and virtual silence from top GOP state leaders, some of whom in recent years have condemned other racist attacks hurled by fellow party members.
“Is Gene Wu back in China?” state Sen. Mayes Middleton, a Galveston Republican, posted on X on Monday — the first day the House did not reach a quorum due to the absent Democrats.
Democrats swiftly responded calling Middleton, who is running for attorney general, racist and a disgrace.
But Middleton doubled down on Wednesday, accusing Wu of “fighting to put China first and Texas second.”
“If he wants a refresher course on Marxism, I’m sure the CCP will take him back,” Middleton, whose spokesperson did not return an earlier request for comment, wrote on social media. “I’ll keep defending the Big Beautiful Map. No apologies.”
Wu was not available for an interview Wednesday.
Democrats say the unchecked anti-Asian attacks are dangerous and could encourage violence.
“There was a time where someone made a racist comment — especially in a community setting or in a testimony — we would have our elected officials move swiftly to correct them, to correct the record, to defend our elected officials,” said Amatullah Contractor, of the Asian American Democrats of Texas.
“When our elected officials start making these comments, then it is a free for all.”
Spokespersons for Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows — the state’s “Big Three” — did not respond Wednesday to requests for comment.
Rep. Chris Turner, a Grand Prairie Democrat who led the Democrats last quorum break in 2021, has sat next to Wu on the House floor since 2013 and considers him a good friend.
“Gene has strength and grace that not a lot of us probably would have if we were tested in similar ways,” Turner said.
“That said, it’s infuriating, it’s unacceptable and the people who are responsible for it ought to be ashamed. But again, in today’s Republican party, there is no shame.”
Republican Party of Texas Chairman Abraham George is among those who have referred to Wu as “CCP Wu.”
Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French, who recently came under fire from Republicans including Patrick for anti-semitic remarks, said he was contemplating a “deep dive” into Wu’s family, writing in a social media post Tuesday “the CCP connection is strong I bet.”
Most often, the comments have remained unchallenged by Republicans — in contrast to past instances.
In 2019, former state Rep. Rick Miller, R-Sugar Land, ended his reelection bid after drawing backlash for saying that he was facing primary challengers because they were Asian in a district with a sizable Asian population.
Abbott pulled his endorsement of Miller, with a gubernatorial spokesperson saying at the time that Miller’s comments were “inappropriate and out of touch with the values of the Republican Party.”
Miller was succeeded by former Republican Rep. Jacey Jetton, who in 2022 condemned remarks by then-GOP activist Shelley Luther — who now serves in the House — proposing that Texas prohibit Chinese students from enrolling in its universities.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
