Ellen Young

Who is Ellen Young?

Ellen Young is an American Democratic Party politician who represented the 22nd assembly district in the New York State Assembly. She was elected in 2006 to represent Flushing, Queens.

She lost in the 2008 primary for reelection to Grace Meng. The election was hotly contested as Young was supported by John Liu and Meng was supported by her father, previous Assemblyman Jimmy Meng.

Young came to New York at the age of 25 from Taiwan after graduating from Takming Administration College in Taipei, Taiwan. She become the first Asian woman elected to the state legislature. She had a more substantial record than many first-term Assembly members, by passing five bills into law, including a measure to extend senior-citizen services. Therefore, Young became the first Asian American to pass a law in New York State. She also presided over the body as speaker pro-tempore, a special honor.

After a lengthy recovery from a near-fatal bicycling accident in her Assembly District, Young was forced to direct her energy and expertise elsewhere. She enrolled at the St. John's University Institute of Asian Studies, earning her Master's Degree with a Certificate of Academic Excellence in 2012.