ALGEMEINER
by Dimitriy Shapiro
June 10, 2014

JNS.org – She may not be flashy, a firebrand speechmaker, or even very well known outside of her Queens congressional district, but despite her brief legislative career, freshman U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) has become one of Congress’s most steadfast supporters of Israel and Jewish issues. Along the way she has endeared herself to colleagues and supporters on both sides of the aisle and the Jewish community in her district.

Meng’s demeanor, both in conversation and in Congress, reflects a modesty and candidness many of her media-darling colleagues lack, or have lost. Though it may not put her in the national spotlight, her approach appears to have paid off in winning favor with the voters at home.

Meng, 38, represents New York’s 6th District, covering the largely immigrant communities of Central Queens, Forest Hills and Flushing. According to data from the Berman Jewish Databank, the district ranks ninth in the country in both population and percentage of Jewish residents. The largest population in her district is Asian-American and Meng sees herself as a bridge between the very different cultures she represents.

….In a phone conversation with JNS.org, Meng said that she feels a connection to the Jewish community, having grown up in multicultural Queens.

“Obviously, I’m not [Jewish] but I represent a district that has a large Jewish constituency,” she said. “I think honestly, growing up as a kid in New York, issues that are important to members of the Jewish community—especially now that I’m in Congress—I think they’re very important to Americans.”

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