"You know, we have always known — and we believe in speaking truth as leaders — we have always known that racism is real in America, that xenophobia is real in America, that sexism is real in America," Harris said May 20 at the inaugural AAPI Victory Celebration and AAPI Next Generation Reception.
"We are witnessing, again and again, the terrible human cost of this hate. We are seeing this hate manifest itself in violent acts," she said.
Harris made her remarks at the Kennedy Center on Friday for the AAPI Victory Fund’s first-ever celebration that also marked the first anniversary of the signing of the Hate Crimes Act.
The AAPI Victory Fund is a voter mobilization group for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Friday’s event was intended as a launch of the group’s voting efforts for the 2022 elections.
Harris, AAPI leaders, elected officials, artists and community leaders will gather on the one-year anniversary of the signing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to honor, empower and mobilize the country's fastest-growing voter bloc ahead of this year's midterm elections
After record-high voter turnout for the 2020 election, AANHPIs were the margin of victory in several key battleground states. It is imperative that the Asian American and Pacific Islander community continue the momentum of showing up and fulfilling their civic duty in the midterms.
"And because of the work of the Victory Fund and the support and the hard work in 2020, our country is, therefore, getting back on track. And this year, then, we need our voters to once again be the margin of victory. Asian voters were the margin of victory in 2020." Harris said.
"So as the midterm elections draw near, we know that so much is at stake: the progress we have already made; the progress we must make on voting rights, workers’ rights, women’s rights; the work we must do to bring down costs, to create good-paying jobs, union jobs; the work we must do to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to succeed, no matter where their grandmother was born.
"It is not hyperbole to say: What we do between now and November will determine the future of our nation.," said the Vice President.
The combined in-person and virtual event was hosted by actor Daniel Dae Kim. AAPI Victory Power Fund's AAPI Victory Celebration celebrated the political and civic leaders who inspire the AAPI community and the one-year anniversary of the signing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law. Besides Harris, others who were honored were:
- The Honorable Andrew N. Kim, U.S. Representative (NJ-03)
- The Honorable Aftab Pureval, Mayor of Cincinnati
- The Honorable Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston
- Daniel Dae Kim, Actor, Producer and Activist
- Jeannie Mai Jenkins, Emmy Award winning Host and Producer
- Aasif Mandvi, Actor and Comedian
- Prabal Gurung, Award-winning Fashion Designer and Activist
- Phillip Lim, Award-winning Fashion Designer and Activist
- Japanese Breakfast, Grammy-nominated Musician and Author
- Tamlyn Tomita, Actress and Producer
- Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist, Filmmaker and Immigration Rights Activist
- Min Jin Lee, Award-winning Author and Journalist
- Auli'i Cravalho, Actress and Singer from Disney's award-winning Moana
- Arianna "Ari" Afsar, Singer, Composer and Activist
- Beau Sia, Tony Award-winning Slam Poet
- MC Jin, Rapper, Songwriter and Activist
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