AANHPI Men for Harris launches with SF's David Chiu at the helm
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Democrats rally in support of Kamala Harris at San Francisco City Hall last month. Photo: Loren Elliott via Getty Images
San Francisco city attorney David Chiu, a longtime friend of Vice President Kamala Harris, launched the first Asians for Harris when she was running for district attorney. Now, he's leading a call to action focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) men for her presidential campaign.
Why it matters: AANHPI voters have historically backed Democrats, but there's been a slight shift in recent years. They're often the margin of victory in battleground states and have become a sought-after voting bloc ahead of November.
Driving the news: Chiu is one of several elected officials behind AANHPI Men for Harris, an online event that will serve as a call to action.
- Plans for the free livestream event, set for 5pm Wednesday, sprung up in the days after President Biden handed the torch to Harris. Several other groups have activated similar events, like Black Women for Harris, South Asian Women for Harris and more.
- "We thought it was important for Asian men to stand up and very publicly support and defend Vice President Harris," said Chiu, who met Harris while working in the DA's office over 20 years ago and started Asians for Harris as a member of the kitchen cabinet for her DA campaign.
Context: Former President Trump caught flak last week for falsely claiming that Harris "happened to turn Black."
- Harris, who is of Indian and Jamaican heritage, would be the nation's first Asian American president, as well as the first woman president.
- "We've seen how Trump and his allies have launched vicious racist and sexist attacks against our vice president, and we want to make sure that our diverse communities ... join us in helping her fight back," Chiu told Axios.
What to expect: Several elected officials are expected to make appearances at AANHPI Men for Harris, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), according to Chiu.
- Other guests, Chiu said, include actor Ken Jeong, venture capitalist Jeremy Liew and content creator Ryan Alexander Holmes.
- Chiu also listed Greg Louganis among the invited, but Beth Zinman, Louganis' manager, tells Axios details about the event had been misrepresented and the Olympic diver no longer plans to attend.
- Though it caters to AANHPI men, anyone interested can RSVP and attend.
What he's saying: "There's a lot of work that we need to do to convince those undecided voters," Chiu noted. "Too many in our communities aren't aware of all that [the Biden-Harris administration has] done."
- "We also want to educate our community on how Trump has demonized immigrants, unleashed anti-Asian hate and threatened our freedom," Chiu said.
Yes, but: Jobs and the economy remain the most important issue for Asian Americans, followed by inflation, healthcare and crime, per polling released in July.
- Biden struggled heavily with his jobs approval rating, which could impact Harris.
The big picture: Grassroots AANHPI donors raised over half a million dollars at four events within one week after Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee, her campaign's AANHPI spokesperson Andrew Peng told Axios.
- "This incredible enthusiasm we're seeing is only the beginning, and Team Harris is making significant investments to reach and mobilize community members in every battleground state," Peng said in a statement.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Greg Louganis no longer plans to attend AANHPI Men for Harris.