Above: Allen Shen, U.S. Army Picture
By Jenny Liang, Associate Reporter at China Insight
The state of Minnesota, meaning the land where the waters reflect the clouds in Dakota tradition, became the 32nd state to obtain official statehood in 1858 (Minnesota Indian Tribes and Languages, Minnesota Secretary Of State – Minnesota Constitution 1858). The 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment was instrumental in the American Civil War, and the state had abolished slavery since the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 (Minnesota Secretary of State).
Currently, there are 201 elected state legislators each biennium, with 134 representatives and 67 state senators representing 67 state districts. Each State Senator represents around 78,000 constituents while elected Representatives represent around 39,000 (Senate Info Publications). State-level elections rotate on a two year cycle, with representative elections every two years and gubernatorial and senatorial elections every four years.
In contrast, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) operates under a One Party state model, with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) serving as the de facto authority since the end of the Chinese civil war (1945-1949) . There are no platforms for political discussion or debate, and elections for the National People’s Congress are limited in democratic scope, with candidates needing to be pre-approved by the CCP (BBC Bitesize). Although the world’s largest nation had imposed a two-term presidential limit since the 1990s, presidential term limits were removed under Xi Jinping, paving the way for “lifetime presidencies” (BBC).
This was the environment that Chinese Minnesotan Allen Shen grew up in before he moved to the US, later on joining the US Army and became a political candidate in Minnesota.
A New Journey
“They say,” Allen writes, “the strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire” (Shen Family Legacy). His ancestors came to Sichuan from Yellow Mountain (Anhui Province), becoming officials in the local political scene. Sichuan has a low elevation and is completely surrounded by the Hengduan, Qin, Yungui, and Daxue mountain ranges (Sichuan Province). With a heavy monsoon season and humid climate, residents escape the heat through playing mahjong, the local pastime, in the water while eating hotpot (Newsflare). Sichuan is best known for their ma la cuisine (translated roughly to “numbing spice”), where numbing peppercorns combined with burning peppers are stewed into a potent concocture. As one attempts not to tear up from the fumes alone, you are presented with a dizzying array of bright green veggies, meats, and noodles to cook in the stew. The overwhelming spices numb your sensation and burns through one’s digestive system, involuntarily producing heat, sweat, and tears. When paired with an iced glass of Snow Beer, one can understand why so many have hopelessly fallen in love with the province.
Allen’s grandpa was a master in traditional Chinese paintings, and from an early age, he was taught to express emotions and messages through the use of art.
Left: 仿黄公望《丹崖玉树》图沈承书67岁时画 / The Red Cliff and Jade Trees painting by C.S Shen
Middle: Calligraphy by Jay Shen
Right: 红树图笔意 / Imitation of Fall Colors in the Mountains by C.S Shen
“I think I was too young to care about politics when I was in China,” the future representative candidate told me. “But I was exposed to US politics. I remember my grandpa used to test me to name all the US presidents from current to the past. At that time the current president was George H. W. Bush, and I was able to name all the way back to FDR.”
He remembered Chinese openness to the West prior to Tiananmen Square, and the presence of American cultures and values in Chinese media. To Allen, the “US was the symbol of Freedom, the land of the Free.”
From his earliest recollection, Allen told me that “every time I saw the stars and stripes waving in the sky, I knew in my heart that the flag symbolized freedom” (Shen Family Legacy).
However, in an attempt to force his parents’ return, the CCP refused to issue him a passport. It would be former Governor Mark Dayton (then State Auditor) who would leverage his political connections to pressure the CCP through Henry Kissinger.
In 1992, at the age of twelve, Allen Shen flew from China to Tokyo and then to LAX all by himself to meet with his parents, marking the beginning of a new chapter in life. Shen would enter America, writing, “upon seeing the shiny cars dashing on the freeways while landing at LAX, I realized that I had arrived in the land of the Free, and thus my journey in the free world began.”
An Education, the Army, and a Professional Life
Left: A young Allen Shen in Beijing
Middle: A young Allen Shen in his prime at Mounds View High School
Right: Shen in the Army
Shen enrolled at Mounds View Senior High School, my own alma mater, where he thrived. “I was like the most popular guy on campus,” Allen remarked. “Anywhere I went, people cheered and treated me like a star.” At parties, Allen told me that he would purposely arrive late, as the crowds would go insane the moment he stepped in the room. “I almost felt like I was NSYNC!”
After graduation, joining the army seemed like an obvious choice.
“What first made me join the army was that I had too much energy and didn’t know what to do with it, and it sounded very cool, that I get to drive tanks and fly in choppers.” He laughed. “Also, they can help to pay for college.”
“This country has offered me so much, and allowed me to fully live out my potential. It was my desire and greatest honor to defend her freedom, carrying on the ideals of our nation and to protect the American way of life.”
Allen served the United States for seven years in the Army, where he was forever inspired by working for a greater purpose alongside brave patriots willing to sacrifice their lives for the United States. “They were truly the greatest people alive,” Allen told me wistfully.
Following his service, Shen conducted international business in Shanghai to obtain Far East consumer behavior, with the goals of assisting American corporations in expanding business interests into global markets. Shen also goes to college campuses, founding the American Marketing Association Marketing Students Case Competition to provide practical business experience. In addition, Allen speaks to college groups, educating students about the realities of communism (Alpha News).
Above: A Business and Marketing professional.
Politics and Running for Office
As a professional in Minnesota, Allen Shen became aware of the state political scene and sympathized with the conservative cause. I was curious about his affinity with the Grand Old Party – after all, the DFL often prides itself as the party for minorities.
Allen told me that his experience with socialism and his work ethic led him to the Republican party. The Republican party respects the dignity of hard work. His support for Trump also hinges on the concept of self reliance – the American dream is made by you; not made for you by the government. As Allen saw the political polarization, cultural divide, and racial hostilities, he was inspired to become involved in local grassroots politics.
Currently, Asian Americans comprise around 6% of the State population (State of Minnesota). Of that population, around 0.69% of Minnesotans are ethnically Chinese (Neilsberg). Minnesota houses 40,000 Chinese Minnesotans, compared to 95,000 Hmong Minnesotans (Hmong Population by State 2025). However, what immediately caught my attention was that there are eleven elected Hmong state legislators currently (as of 2025).
There has never been a single Chinese state legislator in Minnesota state history.
Why is this the case, that in centuries, not one individual from my community has managed to become elected into a Minnesota legislative office?
“I do notice that most Chinese want to stay away from politics,” Allen remarked. “Part of the reason is their mindset from China, because if you get involved in politics in China, well, you will either die or disappear very fast. Last time when Chinese citizens took to the streets to protest for freedom in 1989, we all know what happened next.”
“Many would fear getting into politics and thinking if you get into politics, someone will try to kill you. Many others will also fear that if they get involved in politics here in the US, the Chinese government will prosecute their family members in China.”
When I asked him the biggest difference between Chinese and American politics, I received an unexpected response:
“When people protest their government in China, they get on their knees outside of the government building. When we protest our government here in the US, we show up with our guns.”
As a trailblazer, Allen started by door knocking for candidates, before becoming a delegate for Convention. He rose through the ranks, and was elected the Vice chair for Minnesota 4th Congressional District GOP and a Vice Chair for the Senate District 40 GOP BPOU (Basic Party Operating Unit).
Left: Allen speaking at a state GOP event
Right: Mr. Shen speaking in a classroom
As a Christian, Allen credits his faith as instrumental to his decision to campaign for the 40B seat in the 2022 election. He believed that God called him to run for political office. After being called, he gave up what he built and entered the 40B race. His faith, Mr. Shen told me, “really helped to shape my values.” In stressful times, it was his faith that kept him grounded.
The race was very intense, and the odds stacked against him. House District 40B, the area he resided in, was heavily liberal. Nonetheless, he diligently knocked doors, attended fundraisers, and conversed with constituents, driven by the goal to protect free speech.
When I asked him to give advice to young Chinese Americans interested in running for office, Shen had a lot to say:
First of all, expect to work very hard. “You don’t get to sleep a lot,” he quipped. In addition, he stressed the importance of understanding your motivations and knowing exactly why you want to run for office.
“Remember that you are never trying to run for office for your own fame or to make yourself popular. You are doing it for the country, for the community we live in. You have to know that you are serving a purpose that’s larger than your life. You are doing it to protect the freedom of the people, securing the future for the next generation, promoting good work ethics and not promoting laziness. Those should be the reasons motivating you, it should never be for yourself, it’s about serving others.”
Above: Allen Shen with Rachel Japuntich, the SD40 GOP candidate for 2022
Right: Allen and his mother with former Governor Mark Dayton
Thus, Allen tirelessly spent the year promoting constitutional rights, healthcare and parental freedoms, supporting local businesses, enforcing public safety, reducing excess fees and regulations, limiting governmental power, and advocating for state term limits.
On November 8, 2022, Allen Shen waited for the results alongside a group of supporters. When the results were displayed on the Secretary of State website, he lost with a 67.7% to 32.2% margin (Ballotpedia). The notoriously blue district had stayed blue.
Despite the disappointment, Allen Shen continues to be involved in local politics while furthering his political career. He was a trailblazer, one of the few Chinese Minnesotans to run for political office.
When I asked him about his dietary preferences, Allen told me that “I prefer pizza and pasta, although I can pretty much eat all foods.”
“I can go half a year without Chinese food, but I can’t go a week without Italian.”
Allen Shen’s legacy is only the beginning, a small stream toward a larger wave of Chinese political representation in the State Legislature, which will eventually mold into a raging torrent that will burst the present floodgates.
And, as Allen would say, if God is for us, who can be against us?
*all pictures not credited provided by Allen Shen
*note: all views reflected in this article are the candidate’s own and may not reflect China Insight. This article does not reflect China Insight’s promotion of Mr. Shen’s campaign or initiatives.
Recommended Resources:
- Shen has a fascinating family lineage. Read more about it here: Shen Family Legacy
- Minnesota Secretary Of State – Home