ELECTION 2026: AANHPI voters show up at the polls in a big way, favor a new Voting Rights Act

In an election that made it absolutely clear, Asian Americans joined the Blue Tsunamii that voted against Donald Trump and his policies that threatened democracy.

Going beyond the obvious reasons Americans overwhelmingly voted against Trump — the faltering economy, the war in Iran, Asian Americans Advancing Justice— AAJC and Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) released findings from their 2026 Midterm Election Voter Poll on November 5, revealing an overwhelming call from AAPI voters for a new Voting Rights Act and major democratic reforms.

“What stands out in these findings is the breadth of support for policies that help people participate fully in our democracy,” said Taeku Lee, director of AAPI polling at BSP Research. “Seventy-nine percent of AAPI voters support a new Voting Rights Act, 77% support language assistance for voters, and 89% support immigration changes that include pathways to citizenship and for families. Together, these findings put access, opportunity, and family unity at the center of the priorities AAPI voters are expressing.”

The data highlights a profound prioritization of civil rights, language access, and systemic equity as AAPI turnout continues to sustain post-2018 momentum—bolstered significantly by new and low-propensity voters.

Leaders from these national organizations are joined by researchers, experts, and leading scholars to discuss the issues AAPI voters said were most important to them as they voted in the midterm election.

Key Findings and Perspectives

• Democracy and Voting Rights: Nearly eight in ten AAPI voters (79%) support passing a new Voting Rights Act to eliminate voting barriers, while 77% favor expanding language translations and interpreters for those who struggle with English.

• Immigration Reform: An overwhelming 89% support pathways to citizenship and family unity, favoring enforcement models grounded in due process and fairness over punitive measures.

• Hate and Discrimination: Over half (57%) worry about government policies targeting communities based on identity, while 66% express concern that elected officials are failing to adequately condemn rising intolerance.

• The "Moveable Middle": Demonstrating political independence, AAPIs registered the second-largest partisan swing (9 points) from Republican to Democrat between 2024 and 2026, signaling that voters are driven by deliverables rather than party loyalty.

The poll website, 2026electionpoll.us, provides a detailed array of data, including crosstabs by state and race. The findings reveal how issues like voting rights and affordability influenced the vote choices of AAPI voters in the 2026 midterm election. The poll also includes oversamples of AAPI (n=2,000), Latino (n=3,050), Black (n=1,800), and Native American (n=1,400) voters.

“While the cost of living remains a central concern, Asian American voters showed up this midterm election with clear priorities to protect the freedom to vote of every voter, reform our immigration system, demand accountability for ICE actions, and addressing a rise in hate and discrimination against minority communities,” said John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC).  

He continues: "Voters are rejecting abuses of power, demanding government accountability, and calling for policies that protect their families, their rights, and their communities.” 

View from the Edge

“These election results made clear that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander voters stand firmly in solidarity with other communities of color. Any suggestion that our communities would serve as a wedge is entirely inaccurate and erases our shared struggle and political reality. We are in deep solidarity with our allied communities of color as we look to build our collective future,” Yang added.

AAPI voters are sustaining the higher turnout that started in 2018. This growth is being driven by new and low propensity voters with 1 in 3 AAPI voters last voting in 2022 or later and 1 in 8 AAPIs voting for the first time voters. We have also seen campaigns reach out more to our communities, but we know that these voters are not their primary target which is why APIAVote and our national network of trusted community based partners are a critical driver to AAPIs having their voices heard. 

This national call to fortify voting rights isn't happening in a vacuum — it is the direct reflection of a community realizing its political muscle at every level of government. The ballot box energy moving federal policy is turning heads right down to City Halls and County Boards. 

Look no further than Southern California, where Nithya Raman shattered historic ceilings to become the first Asian American (and first South Asian) mayor of Los Angeles. 

Up north, Daly City Councilmember Juslyn Cabrera Manalo took the fight to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, winning a seat as the county’s first Filipino American supervisor. 

For statewide offices, California's first Filipino American Attorney General, Rob Bonta, who in the early vetting, was considering a candidate for Governor, was an easy winner for reelection; Fiona Ma is leading in her bid to become Lt. Governor; and Jane Kim will take over the office of the Insurance commissioner.

From city halls to county seats and the halls of Congress, AANHPI communities are no longer settling for a seat at the table —t hey are pulling up their own chairs, writing the agenda, and proving that local grass-roots power is transforming democracy from the bottom up.

“Asian American and Pacific Islander voters continue to shape elections and are growing stronger by the year. One in four became first-time voters in recent years. Many are young people and new citizens — the first in their families to vote in this country,” said Christine Chen, executive director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote. 

"While AAPIs are not a monolith of identity, we are voting because we are unified on our policy priorities: affordability, cost of living, and civil rights under threat. Our message to elected leaders is clear: Don’t just court our votes; work with us and bring our community to the decision-making table.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, feel free to repost.

Supreme Court rules against Roe v. Wade; shakes up and angers AANHPI communities

A woman wept after hearing the Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade.

Even though the Supreme Court's decision on a woman's right to make decisions about her own healthcare was expected, today's ruling sent shockwaves reverberating throughout the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)  condemned the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women Health Organization. Today’s final ruling overturns nearly 50 years of legal precedent on federally protected access to abortion.

“This is a direct and pernicious assault on people of color, including Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities where the path to abortion care is riddled with language barriers, cultural stigmas, and low rates of insurance coverage among our most vulnerable community members,” says Isra Pananon Weeks, interim executive director and chief of staff of National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). 

The radical conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade on Friday, ending the constitutional right to abortion in those states restricting abortion and threatening access to reproductive healthcare nationwide.

The NAPAWF statement was issued after the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization was issued along ideological lines, with all three liberal justices in opposition.

"With sorrow—for this court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent," wrote Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer in their seething 59-page dissent.

“We believe in a Constitution that puts some issues off limits to majority rule. Even in the face of public opposition, we uphold the right of individuals — yes, including women — to make their own choices and chart their own futures. Or at least, we did once,” wrote the three moderate justices.

About one-fifth of pregnant Asian Americans may seek an abortion, a rate comparable to that of non-Hispanic white women, according to a study by City University of New York.

The restrictions approved by SCOTUS could take effect almost immediately in 13 states who have laws waiting for the Supreme Court ruling.

Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming—Republican-controlled legislatures have put in place "trigger bans" designed to outlaw abortion once Roe is overturned.

“This is a dark moment for our country,” said Caliofrnia's Attorney General Bonta, the first Filipino American AG for the state. “This court’s decision is outrageous, unprecedented, and dangerous. It blasts our nation back into the dark ages. Millions are now facing a stark reality when it comes to their right to choose. People all across the nation — their bodies, futures, and families — will be hurt by this decision."

California is home for the largest number of AANHPI in the country making up about 17% of the population, or about 6 million, based on the 2020 Census.

"In California, we refuse to turn back the clock and let politicians exert control over a person’s body. Despite the decision, abortion remains fully protected here in California," says Bonta. "We’ll keep fighting to strengthen and expand access to safe and legal abortion. ... Abortion remains a legally protected right in our state and, in California, we won’t backslide.”

“The cultural, economic, and logistical barriers for AAPI community members, especially those working for low-wages in frontline, service jobs, make traveling and getting an abortion often difficult if not impossible,” says Weeks.

AAPI women are overrepresented in the frontline and service industry, often working without health insurance and paid medical or family leave. Sixty-six percent of Asian Americans and 30% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders also speak a primary language other than English at home which creates difficulties in accessing health care due to overwhelming language barriers. In addition, nearly two-thirds of Asian Americans and one-fifth of Pacific Islanders are foreign-born.

Nikki Tran of Maryland protested outside the Supreme Court last May. Since then, Chief Justice
John Roberts joined the five Justices on her poster in today's ruling.

“As the country’s fastest growing racial and ethnic group, a third of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders now live in one of the 26 states where abortion access has vanished. Gutting Roe cuts off access to abortion care and puts the well-being and financial stability for millions of AAPI women and families at tremendous risk,” says Weeks. The AAPI population, for instance, in Georgia and Texas has grown 138% and 128%, respectively since 2000. Both states are now primed to ban abortion following today’s Supreme Court ruling.

“The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women’s Health Organization is tragically wrong – overturning decades of established precedent, eroding basic human rights for millions of Americans and taking our country backwards and endangering many other civil liberties we take for granted," said John Yang, president of Advancing Justice, legal rights advocates. 

"We filed an amicus brief in this case with the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum because of our concern for the Asian American and broader immigrant community," continued Yang. "Given that Asian Americans are among the fastest-growing populations nationwide with nearly two-thirds of the population being foreign-born, we have grave concerns about the impact this decision will have on our communities. 

"Bans on abortion care are going to heighten fears of adverse immigration consequences for undocumented individuals, refugees, and other immigrants regardless of their immigrant status. We will need to come together to find a way to support our communities while we explore every course of action to reclaim this fundamental human right.”

Justice Thomas' opinion said that he and his fellow right-wing justices are not done  taking away Americans' rights in other areas, as well.

“Today’s devastating reversal is not only about reproductive rights, but protections for the LGBTQ community, voting rights, and marriage equality. With legislators across the US repealing early voting and mail-in ballot expansions, and the Supreme Court refusing to protect the Voting Rights Act, AAPI interests, including the right to an abortion, are being sidelined,” says Weeks.

“After two years of increasing anti-Asian hate, NAPAWF is no stranger to legislators overlooking our concerns or witnessing attacks on our health and safety," continued  Weeks. "We will not back down. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, other communities of color, and a majority of all voters support legalizing abortion. It is time for elected officials to act on our interests.”

"The Supreme Court has now mandated forced pregnancy, taking away an intensely personal freedom for pregnant people to make decisions about our own bodies with a doctor or loved one, and instead bringing politicians into your decision and your bedroom," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. "Every woman, every family, every pregnant person should fear what this means for their futures."

"It is important that Americans understand that this Supreme Court and Republicans in Congress will not stop here," Jayapal continued. "In the opinion, the [conservative] justices say explicitly that the court should reconsider 'all substantive due process precedents,' including the right to contraception, to same-sex marriage, and to same-sex relationships."

EDITOR'S NOTES: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Judge acquits Chinese American researcher of espionage charges

University of Tennessee Professor Anming Hu

A federal judge from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee acquitted University of Tennessee (UT) Engineering Professor Anming Hu of all charges after his trial resulted in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked. 

"Dr. Hu is finally free to return to his life and be reunited with his family," said John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, said in a statement. But the "scars of the prosecution and investigation on Dr. Hu and his family are deep and long-lasting."

Dr. Hu’s case was the first to go to trial under the controversial U.S. Department of Justice's controversial China Initiative. The decision came after the U.S. government’s announcement to retry the case in July despite serious concerns voiced by elected officials, civil rights groups, and the Asian American community over the FBI’s conduct during the course of its investigation of Dr. Hu. 

U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan  wrote in his rulings: "[E]ven viewing all the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, no rational jury could conclude that defendant acted with a scheme to defraud NASA" in failing to disclose his affiliation with the Beijing University of Technology to UTK.

The judge added "there was no evidence presented that defendant ever collaborated with a Chinese university in conducting his NASA-funded research, or used facilities, equipment, or funds from a Chinese university in the course of such research."

The case against Hu was the first attempt at prosecuting a suspect under the Trump administration's China Initiative, that has come under fire from civil rights and AAPI community organizations.

"Although we celebrate this moment, we cannot forget the life-long consequences this injustice has had on Dr. Hu and his family," said John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. 

"Dr. Hu has lost years of his life, his job, his immigration status, his ability to obtain future federal grants, and possibly his career," he added.

Yang continued: "What happened to Dr. Hu and his family is not an isolated event and is part of systemic racial bias, discrimination, and profiling by our federal government against scientists and researchers of Asian descent across the country. ... We must put a stop to the racial profiling and the criminalization of our communities today, starting with ending the China Initiative.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For more commentary and references, follow me on Twitter @dioknoed.

Affirmative action at risk; Supreme Court wants to hear from the Biden administration on the Harvard admissions complaint

Asian Americans demonstrate in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building.

ANALYSIS

The U.S. Supreme Court's action asking for the opinion of the Biden administration on the Harvard admissions case may indicate that the justices are unsure if the case merits a ruling from the nation's high court.

Critics of Harvard's admission process, which they claim discriminates against Asian American applicants, appealed the case to the Supreme Court hoping the justices' conservative majority would reverse the decisions of two lower courts and rule in their favor.

Although Trump's Department of Justice already filed a friend of the court brief in favor of the plaintiffs, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), most legal experts expect that the Biden DOJ would reverse that brief.

The justices reviewed the case Thursday to decide whether or not to accept to hear the appeal. Instead, they requested a “call for the views of the Solicitor General” — known as a CVSG, not an unusual action.

However, Biden has not yet named a Solicitor General. That role is being filled by Acting Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar.  In this case, the CVSG may delay a decision on the petition until the fall, though the case could still be heard during the Court’s 2021-2022 term that begins in October with a ruling delivered in 2022.

The Supreme Court set no deadline for the filing in the admissions case that is filed by SFFA on behalf of Asian American students, although none of the student plaintiffs offered in-person testimony in the lower courts. 

SFFA claims Harvard's consideration of race in evaluating a student's application works against Asian Americans who scored higher in standardized tests than some of the applicants who were accepted.

SFFA President Edward Blum, an anti-affirmative action crusader, wrote in an email that the Supreme Court’s invitation for the current administration's position was not unexpected.

“Students for Fair Admissions remains hopeful that, regardless of the views of the solicitor general, the justices will grant to hear our case and end race-based affirmative action in college admissions,” he wrote.

Harvard did not comment on the justices' decision.

John C. Yang, president of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, which filed a brief backing Harvard's admission practices, said that the evidence reviewed by the two lower courts is proof that the Supreme Court should deny SFFA’s petition. “We think the evidence is clear, as demonstrated by both the District Court and the 1st Circuit opinion that there was no discrimination against Asian Americans. And we don’t think that this is a case that is worthy of Supreme Court review,” said Yang.

Yang said the evidence also proved that using race as one among many factors in admissions has helped to increase diversity in higher education more broadly, and that it is a “permissible goal, according to a long line of Supreme Court precedents.”

“And we have seen the damage that has been done when race is not allowed to be considered. So from a statistical perspective, it is clear,” added Yang. Statistics confirm that Harvard dropped the consideration of race in its application process, African American and Hispanic enrollment would decline from 14 percent to 6 percent and 14 percent to 9 percent, respectively.

Initially, the SFFA complaint, which was first filed 2014, was portrayed by mainstream media emphasized the irony of a minority protesting a program meant to help them, giving the impression that the majority of Asian Americans were against affirmative action. That more sensational image was far from the truth.  Recent surveys by  API Data indicates that 70% of AAPI support affirmative action.

“But just as important to us is the humanity of this," said Yang. "We cannot see how a student can tell their story without including race in many of their applications.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution -- this aanalysis is news laced with opinion, readers are encouraged to seek multiple sources to form their own opinion.

ADL REPORT; When Trump caught COVID-19, attacks against AAPI increase

In the 12 hours after the president’s initial tweet about his and the first lady’s COVID-19 diagnosis, there was an 85 percent increase in anti-Asian language and conspiracy theories tracked on the social media platform. according to a new study.

The Anti-Defamation League study of Twitter conversations and activity, conducted by ADL’s Center for Technology and Society, found From October 2-5, the percentage of anti-Asian language on Twitter remained higher than usual. Besides the spike of anti-Asian tweets, similarly, the rate of discussions about various conspiracy theories increased 41 percent, with some of those conversations also taking on antisemitic overtones.

The ADL unveiled the new findings Oct. 9 in a virtual press conference hosted by Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), Chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Also joining were Reps. Grace Meng (NY-06) and Brad Schneider (IL-10), and John Yang, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC).

“As this report shows, when confronted with news that reflects poorly on the president, like his COVID-19 diagnosis, his supporters respond with attacks that Asians or Jews are to blame – rhetoric that we know leads to violence," said Chu.

"That is why, since the very beginning of this crisis, we have urged leaders to avoid misinformation and xenophobia," said Chu. "But at every turn, Republicans not only doubled down on the use of slurs like ‘China virus’ and ‘Kung flu,’ they also denied the impact their own words were having on innocent Asian Americans who have been terrified by the anti-Asian hate we have witnessed throughout this pandemic." 

“The level of hatred and vitriol that was aimed at Asian Americans and Chinese people on social media is simply staggering,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “The hate speech and stereotyping are irresponsible and can spillover into real world violence. With the alarming increase in physical attacks and hate crimes against Asian Americans in recent months, it is clear that all leaders, including our president, need to stop blaming others for spreading the virus.”

ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today issued a new study showing a dramatic spike in anti-Asian sentiment and conspiracy theories about the spread of coronavirus in conversations on Twitter in the days immediately following the president’s first tweet about his positive diagnosis on October 2.

ADL unveiled the new findings this morning in a virtual press conference hosted by Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Also joining were Reps. Grace Meng (NY-06) and Brad Schneider (IL-10), and John Yang, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC).

The data was gathered with the ADL Online Hate Index (OHI), a new tool that uses state of the art technologies such as machine learning to investigate the prevalence of hate speech on social media platforms. This language was also analyzed with help from tools developed by The Alan Turing Institute.

ADL also found that one of the most common beliefs expressed by conspiracy theories was that a “New World Order” or “NWO” would be implemented – supposedly run by secretive actors who either gave President Trump the virus or plan to assassinate him under cover of his illness. Other common online conspiracy theories suggest the virus is a bioweapon created by the Chinese government, that Bill Gates caused the virus, and that the virus was “engineered” by humans.

These Twitter discussions also mention elements of the QAnon conspiracy theories, calling on “patriqts” deliberately misspelled to signal fellow believers in Q, to rescue the president. Some tweets made antisemitic claims such as President Trump is a “crypto Jew” or a “Zionist agent,” or that he is a pawn caught up in the machinations of Jewish interests.

“Misinformation and xenophobia are dangerous. That is why the CDC and WHO have both warned not to associate COVID-19 with a specific people or country because of the stigma it causes. And now, thanks to the ADL’s report, we are able to see that harmful impact in real time,” said Chu. “As the ADL’s report shows, the alarming anti-Asian hate incidents we have witnessed in recent months are not an accident. They are the result of an atmosphere of xenophobia and bigotry that is thriving on Twitter and other online platforms.”

The findings are based on an analysis of more than 2.7 million tweets between 8 p.m. UTC on Oct. 2 through 9 p.m. UTC on Oct. 5. Some of the tweets analyzed harkened back to remarks made by the president on September 29 in the first presidential debate, when he suggested that the pandemic was “China’s fault,” and referred to the virus as the “China plague,” the latest in a pattern of inflammatory remarks over many months.

Global anxiety about the outbreak of the coronavirus has spawned misinformation and scapegoating. Since the spread of the virus in the U.S., there has been a surge of incidents of bias, harassment, and violence against Asian Americans, immigrants, and Orthodox Jewish communities.

Building on ADL’s century of experience working toward a world without hate, the Center for Technology and Society (CTS) serves as a resource to tech platforms and develops proactive solutions to fight hate both online and offline. CTS works at the intersection of technology and civil rights through education, research and advocacy.

“This new ADL report showing a rise in anti-Asian bigotry on Twitter is sad and extremely disturbing. But unfortunately, it comes as no surprise," said Meng. "It is just a continuation of the ugliness we have seen; ugliness that has been fueled by the discriminatory and disparaging rhetoric that continues to come from President Trump and others."