Every vote counts: AANHPI voters seen as critical by both Dems and GOP

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A scene from the Democrats' "Our America" ad geared towards Asian American voters.

With the Presidential race too close to call and Election Day only a week away, Democrats and Republicans are making every effort to find voters, especially Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island voters. As a result, engagement of AANHPI voters are as high as its ever been.

AANHPI voters could play a major role in determining the outcome in some battleground states, including Michigan, Georgia and Nevada.

Trump and his campaign held his first event in Las Vegas zeroing in on Asian American voters in Nevada with a rally at the UNLV Thomas & Mack Center. The Oct. 24 event included notable Asian American s that included former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who is Indian American, and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a Samoan American.

Besides the unapologetic use of the racist "China virus" wording when referring to COVID19, the only AANHPI specific comment Trump had to say was to compliment Filipinos' fashion sense.

“[Filipinos] had the most beautiful clothing,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Where the hell do all these people come from?’ And when they told me, that’s why I put that little paragraph in there … you are the greatest people, hardest working, and we’re gonna take care of you. You’re gonna take care of us! What great spirit.” 

He doubled down on his promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants even though surveys have found that the AANHPI community prefers finding legal pathways to citizenship for immigrants, some living in the United States for decades.

Michael Kagan, executive director of UNLV’s Immigration Clinic, says that would be a particular threat to Nevada.

FYI: Who are AANHPI voters favoring?

There are nearly 190,000 undocumented immigrants in Nevada, 84% of whom have been in the US for more than five years, according to the Pew Research Center. About 1 in 10 Nevada households include an undocumented immigrant.

Filipinos make up the largest subgroup in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community in Nevada. All together, the AANHIPI make up 12% of the state's voting population, or about 266,000 votes, according to AAPI Data.

Democrats continue their months-long effort in increasing outreach to the AANHPI communities that included town halls with Asian Americans, interviews on AANHPI media and the effective series of ads appearing on all media aimed at the AANHPI communities.

“The choice for Asian American voters in this election couldn’t be clearer. While Trump surrounds himself with loyalists to emulate the dictators he admires and intends to wield unchecked power to serve himself, Vice President Kamala Harris has only ever had one client: the people,” said Harris-Walz 2024 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander spokesperson Andrew Peng.

On Saturday, the Harris-Walz campaign rolled out “Our America,”  its latest television and digital ad targeting Asian American voters in every battleground state. The 30-second ad captures the enormous stakes of this election, highlighting the need to safeguard democracy and protect the fundamental rights of Asian American communities who have too often been vilified, excluded, and marginalized throughout history.

In the final stretch of the presidential race, “Our America” will appear across an array of digital channels like Meta, Snap, YouTube, connected TV, iHeartRadio, and Pandora. Starting this week, the ad will air on more broadcast outlets serving diverse Asian American audiences than ever before, thanks to an expanded television ad buy that bolsters Team Harris-Walz’ already unprecedented investments in AANHPI paid media.

FYI: AANHPI women strongly favor Harris-Walz

Since August, the Harris-Walz campaign has launched waves of ads addressing issues that resonate deeply with Asian American voters, focusing on introducingVice President Harris and her plans to create an Opportunity Economy, protect the Affordable Care Act, and keep Americans safe from violent crime while showing the dangers of Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda.

But with Trump’s alarming threats to be a dictator on “day one,” terminate the Constitution, and use the military against the “enemy from within,” the impacts of this election go far beyond policy. “Our America” shows the stark choice that voters face not on a specific issue, but on authoritarianism and Asian Americans’ very right to belong. 

The campaign ad spotlights symbols of American freedom under attack by Trump and his extremist allies, and alludes to moments when Asian Americans were denied their civil rights – such as the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin in Detroit. The ad ends by urging voters to rally around Vice President Harris and defend democracy.

“This November, we have the power to protect our freedoms and elect a president who believes in the aspirations of our communities – and will never view us as ‘other,’” says Peng.

on Sunday, Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz visited Mata Tripta Ji Gurdwara Sahib, a Sikh temple in Plymouth, Michigan to urge the Sikh community to vote for the hopeful, future-focused vision of Vice President Harris and Governor Walz.

Gwen Walz urged members of the Sikh community in Mihcigan to vote.

"Vice President Harris and my husband Tim know full well the many contributions that Sikh Americans have made to our country," said Walz. "It is my honor to be with you today to bring their respect and their greetings — and to celebrate your vibrant community.”

She was joined by US Representatives Debbie Dingell and Pramila Jayapal and Michigan state Representative Ranjeev Puri, the first Sikh American ever elected to the Michigan legislature.

There are more than 220,000 eligible Asian American and Pacific Islander voters in Michigan, making the Sikh community a key electorate to engage with.

Harris-Wawlz spokesperson Peng said: “This November, we have the power to protect our freedoms and elect a president who believes in the aspirations of our communities – and will never view us as ‘other.’”

Asian American Georgians, such as Gwinnett County residents Neetu Kumar and Sujatha Thota, volunteered at a recent phone banking event for supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris. 

AAPI voters are one of Georgia’s fastest-growing voting blocs, and for one of the first times, grassroots organizers  of both major parities are making sure to focus on wooing them. Georgia's AANHPI voters already proved their strength in 2020 when they helped turn the solidly red state into purple by voting for President Biden and propelling two Democrats to the US Senate.

This time around, the GOP has learned its lesson in 2024 has ramped up its outreach to the AANHPI voters. Although most Asian voters overwhelmingly went with the Democrats in the past, there is evidence that the GOP strategy has wooed some AANHPI voters.

There are nearly 239,000 registered voters in Georgia who are of Asian American descent. That’s about 20 times the margin by which President Biden captured the state fin 2020. Indian American voters make up the largest block with over 177,000 eligible voters, according to AAPI Data.

“Our numbers are still small, but we could be the deciding factor in terms of margin of victory,” said James Woo of Asian Americans Advancing Justice in an interview with CNN. . “We always mention that to our community members who see the difference every single vote can make.”

“Team Harris-Walz and Democrats know that Asian American voters are the margin of victory in this election – and we are working to earn every single vote," says Harris-Walz campaign spokesman Peng. "Our campaign has invested historic sums into paid media, hired and deployed dedicated Asian American outreach staff nationally and across the battlegrounds, and we are hosting frequent voter engagement events and activities to mobilize Asian American voters."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.