A few weeks ago, I read Mr. Nam Pham’s column on his proud stance as a Republican. Although I admire and appreciate a diversity of opinion against the backdrop of an otherwise blue state, I found it frustrating that his piece focused squarely on criticizing Democrats without regard to historical or current context. I also noticed that he declined to tout any substantive legislative Republican accomplishments within the last decade. While I agree with the basic premise that voters should look beyond party labels for leaders, the current political climate makes it increasingly hard to find a welcome wagon under the Republican banner.

Too often, political discussions feature participants who talk past each other rather than directly address each other’s concerns. In his OpEd article, Mr. Pham addresses three key components that shape his political beliefs: civil rights, social and economic mobility, and immigration reform. To encourage dialogue, I will attempt to use those same points in defense of my Democratic affiliation as an Asian-American woman.

Mr. Pham’s observation that the Republican Party was the party of President Lincoln and the abolitionists is correct. However, presenting this fact alone obscures the progression of civil rights in our country and dismisses pertinent battles being waged today. An over-reliance on this past is akin to the overly simplistic argument that racism doesn’t exist because we elected a black president.

Many modern-day Republicans grossly deviate from any central concern for civil rights. States under current Republican leadership have moved to pass restrictive voter identification laws and projects to purge from the system voters who are just suspected of double registration with little to no notice. Both of these policies have a disproportionate impact on voters from communities of color. The struggle for civil rights is continual, as the protests against police brutality in recent days keenly demonstrate. We don’t have time to rest on our laurels.

A large part of social progress is ensuring that people and communities have upward mobility, or a “hand up” so to speak. But it is unrealistic to expect opportunity to materialize organically. Without public-private partnerships, wealth would only be concentrated in the hands of a fortunate few. President Obama sought to benefit small businesses by increasing the availability of government loans and tax credits coupled with tax cuts. The efforts of Democratic leadership have borne out with 57 straight months of consecutive, private-sector job growth.

Democrats are on the front lines for working families to increase the minimum wage and ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work. Democrats, with US Sen. Elizabeth Warren at the helm, are leading the fight for affordable higher education. Today’s Republicans have stood adamantly against these proposals, clinging onto the false hope that tax cuts and benefits for the wealthiest will trickle down to the rest of us.

As the daughter of immigrant parents, I heartily support immigration reform and believe in a path to citizenship for those who are undocumented. Last year, Democratic leadership in the US Senate passed a comprehensive measure with bipartisan support, only to see it stall in the Republican-led House. Last month, President Obama took executive action to expand deportation protections for 4.3 million unauthorized immigrants and legal immigration for skilled workers.

Simply focusing on the number of deportations under the Obama Administration – numbers that had been on the rise well before our president took office – misses the urgency of the work that must be done. The most frustrating part is that long-term solutions were already in motion but House Republicans never bothered to bring the comprehensive Senate bill to a vote before the 113th Congress adjourned last week.

There are many other reasons why I identify as a Democrat beyond those outlined here. I also understand that not all of those in my party share my beliefs. I have met like-minded Republicans as well as Democrats with whom I fundamentally disagree. But at its core, the modern-day Democratic Party is a big-tent party that takes into account the necessity of diverse perspectives and compassion for others. As a Democrat, I don’t have to reconcile my moral views with prominent party factions that promote exclusion, fear, and a cold shoulder to those who have fallen on hard times. To me, it’s easy to be a Democrat.

Mr. Pham, I don’t know how you do it.

Shu-Yen Wei is a graduate of Wellesley College. She has worked on political staffs in Boston, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Louisiana.