Sep 19, 2024 - Politics

Kamala Harris and the political power of Asian American Pacific Islanders in Georgia

An individual stands at a lectern with a presidential seal affixed to the front. "Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote Presidential Town Hall" on a blue wall and two U.S. flags are in the background — Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Presidential Town Hall in Philadelphia on July 13. Photo: Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Harris campaign is expanding its outreach to Asian American voters in Georgia and other swing states.

Why it matters: Advocates on both sides of the political spectrum say the demographic could play a key role come November.

Asian Americans recorded the largest registration increase of any racial group from January to June compared with the same period in 2020.

Zoom in: Asian American and Pacific Islander people make up almost 5% of Georgia's population, according to census data.

Metro Atlanta's AAPI population more than doubled from 131,000 in 2000 to 301,000 in 2019, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.

The big picture: Roughly 200,000 Georgia registered voters identify as Asian American/Pacific Islander, according to the Secretary of State office's elections data hub.

More than 60,000 of those voters reside in Gwinnett County.

Yes, but: AAPI is an umbrella and includes a large number of languages and diverse cultures. Canvassing the communities requires time and investment.

State of play: A recent APIA Vote survey (PDF) found 42% of Asian American voters said neither the Democratic nor Republican parties or candidates had contacted them, making those communities well-suited for voter education and engagement."

What they're saying: "When you think about a community that historically has not had a lot of outreach, think about the impact of showing up at their door," Phi Nguyen, a senior strategist at the AAPI Victory Fund told Axios.

"You may be the first person who's ever knocked on their door to talk to them about an election."

Catch up quick: Engagement with Asian Americans, the nation's fastest-growing voting bloc, has often been an afterthought for major political parties — which had never had an Asian American presidential nominee before Harris.

The group has historically voted Democrat, but a 2021 analysis found that the GOP made gains with AAPI voters in battleground states in 2016 and 2020.

In 2020, 55% of AAPI voters in Georgia chose Joe Biden over Donald Trump.

State of play: The TV and digital ad "My Mother" pays tribute to Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a breast cancer researcher who immigrated from India at 19 and, as a single mother, raised Harris and her sister.

The ad — the campaign's third ad targeting Asian American voters — debuted this week in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin on digital and social channels.
It will also air on nearly 70 Asian-serving broadcast outlets, including The Filipino Channel, KHMER TV and TV Asia.
The campaign's strategy also includes hiring Asian American voter engagement staff in every battleground state.

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Kamala Harris and the political power of Asian American Pacific Islanders in Georgia

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