AAPI vote could be the margin of victory in Nevada

It is generally conceded that Hillary Clinton has had better outreach to the AAPI electorate. Above, Rep. Judy Chu introduces the candidate to a rally of Asian/American political activists last month. 

EVER WALK into a Nevada casino and notice the number of Asians working there? Waiters, cooks, servers, blackjack and poker dealers, security, maids, change makers, cab drivers - they are everywhere.

Filipinos are now the second largest minority group in Clark County where Las Vegas is located, behind Latinos. There are so many residents from Hawaii that they call the city The Ninth Island.

Asian/Americans comprise 6 percent of the U.S. population, and their numbers have increased 56 percent since 2000. In Nevada, Asian/Americans are 9 percent of the population.

“It’s a fast-growing population, it’s young, people are getting engaged,” said Shu-Yen Wei, who helps with Asian-American outreach for the Democratic National Committee. “That’s why people are interested.”

RELATED: Asian/Americans lean towards Democrats, Sanders

Asian/Americans comprise 6 percent of the U.S. population, and their numbers have increased 56 percent since 2000. In Nevada, AAPI are almost 10 percent of the state's population.

Since the closeness of the Democratic candidates is unexpectedly close, the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are scrambling for every vote. The AAPI vote could determine the outcome of the Feb. 20  Democratic caucus.

“Sanders is much more focused on the Latino community than the AAPI community”, said Emily Persaud, the Nevada state coordinator for the America Action campaign, a non-partisan group which campaigns for immigrants to take citizenship and then become involved in politics.

RELATED: AAPI PAC endorses Clinton

”This week Clinton activists announced a week of campaigning targeted at Asian Americans in Nevada, and the candidate has also received the endorsement of the Asian American political action committee CAPA21.

For many of Nevada's AAPI voters, this may be the first time to participate in a caucus. To help them, a coalition of AAPI organizations is holding a workshop on how the caucuses work. This training will give anyone intending to participate in either the Feb. 23 Republican or Feb. 20 Democratic caucuses hands-on, interactive practice to exercise your voice!

Wednesday, February 17, 2016
6 p.m.-8 p.m.

6330 Spring Mountain Road

Suite A

Las Vegas, NV 89146

RSVP→ bit.ly/nvcaucus

For more news of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, go to AsAm News.

###