As the country enters the throes of an already-turbulent election cycle, a growing number of people are noticing the increasing buzz around underdog Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. The man has been hustling. He’s kicked it with Ronny Chieng of “The Daily Show,” been grilled by Joe Rogan on the host’s podcast, and even sat down with the iconic New York hip-hop legends of Power 105.1′s “The Breakfast Club.” Media coverage of Yang has primarily concentrated on his support for Universal Basic Income ― the idea that every adult should receive a check every month “to do whatever they want” to help ease their transition into a technology-dominated future that could take away traditional jobs and workplaces. He’s also made headlines for taking a hard stance against circumcision. But this isn’t one of those interviews. SUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW Get the top stories emailed every day. Newsletters may offer personalized content or advertisements. Privacy Policy Newsletter Please enter a valid email address Thank you for signing up! You should receive an email to confirm your subscription shortly. There was a problem processing your signup; please try again later Twitter

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JOSHUA LOTT via Getty Images People on the campaign trail "care a lot more about the ideas I’m promoting that will help them, their families and their communities than they do about what race I happen to be,” Andrew Yang told HuffPost.

Whether or not mainstream outlets recognize it, Yang’s identity as an Asian-American matters. The rarity of an Asian man in the election game is an undeniable reality ― especially given the historical emasculation of Asian men in the West and the pervasive stereotype that Asians are not built to lead. Yang, an entrepreneur who’s new to politics, spoke to HuffPost about his connection to his identity and how it’s influenced him during his campaign. So far, he says, he’s definitely experienced racism online. The campaign trail, however, has been kinder to him. “I spend a lot of time in Iowa and New Hampshire, and I really haven’t experienced a lot of racism or discrimination,” he told HuffPost. “The people there care a lot more about the ideas I’m promoting that will help them, their families and their communities than they do about what race I happen to be.” That’s not to say his heritage isn’t an important part of what fuels him. Yang, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, grew up in Schenectady, New York, as one of the few Asian-Americans in his class — and his classmates “frequently reminded me of this,” he told HuffPost. “It was definitely a struggle to find my own identity as a first-generation Asian-American without a lot of representation in my neighborhood, or prominently in the public sphere,” he said. Yang added: “I think that’s what gave me a drive to relate to and help the underdog.”

It was definitely a struggle to find my own identity as a first-generation Asian-American without a lot of representation in my neighborhood, or prominently in the public sphere. Andrew Yang