Nadya Hayasi
Graduate Student at Georgetown University’s Communication, Culture, and Technology program. Her research interests include civic engagement, misinformation, and voting behavior among multicultural and multilingual voters.
Email: nph41@georgetown.edu
U.S. Election 2024
25. Seeing past the herd: Polls and the 2024 election (Dr Benjamin Toff)
26. On polls and social media (Dr Dorian Hunter Davis)
27. How did gender matter in 2024? (Prof Regina Lawrence)
28. The keys to the White House: Why Allan Lichtman is wrong this time (Tom Fisher)
29. Beyond the rural vote: Economic anxiety and the 2024 presidential election (Dr Amanda Weinstein, Dr Adam Dewbury)
30. Black and independent voters: Which way forward? (Prof Omar Ali)
31. Latino voters in the 2024 election (Dr Arthur D. Soto-Vásquez)
32. Kamala’s key to the polls: The Asian American connection (Nadya Hayasi)
33. The vulnerability of naturalized immigrants and the hero who “will fix” America (Dr Alina E. Dolea)
34. Did Gen Z shape the election? No, because Gen Z doesn’t exist (Dr Michael Bossetta)
35. Cartographic perspectives of the 2024 U.S. election (Prof Benjamin Hennig)
The 2024 election cycle has highlighted a striking contrast in how the major campaigns engage with Asian American voters, with Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic candidacy and targeted outreach efforts resonating strongly within these communities. As the first Asian American vice president, Harris’ background as the daughter of an Indian immigrant has created a unique connection with Asian American voters, contributing to her significant lead in polling among this demographic. A September 2024 poll by AAPI Data reveals the extent of this advantage, showing Harris leading former president Donald Trump by an overwhelming 38 percentage points among Asian American voters.
The demographic landscape of the United States has undergone profound changes, with the U.S. Census Bureau reporting that the number of people speaking a language other than English at home nearly tripled from 23.1 million in 1980 to 67.8 million in 2019. Within this broader trend, Asian American communities represent a crucial voting bloc, particularly given that more than half of Chinese and Vietnamese speakers reported limited English proficiency.
Understanding these linguistic barriers, the Harris campaign and the Democratic National Committee launched an ambitious $35 million outreach program in August 2024, which featured comprehensive multilingual advertising across multiple platforms. This initiative includes carefully crafted digital, direct mail, print, and radio advertisements in Vietnamese, Korean, and both simplified and traditional Chinese that were released in three Congressional districts in California and Nevada . Harris has also released a slew of ads in Tagalog aimed at Filipino American voters in Nevada, the largest ethnic group within the Asian American demographic in the state.
The Harris campaign’s approach stands in marked contrast to that of the Trump campaign. While Trump campaign senior advisor Steven Cheung has claimed that the former president has “created an environment where diversity, equal opportunity, and prosperity were afforded to everyone,” the campaign’s outreach efforts have been overshadowed by Trump’s continued use of the term “China virus” to describe COVID-19. This kind of rhetoric has contributed to a significant rise in anti-Asian hate and violence during the pandemic and subsequent years. His comments comparing the treatment of January 6 rioters to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II has also been condemned by many Japanese American leaders, who called his statement “egregiously inaccurate” and immensely culturally insensitive.
Harris’ campaign has demonstrated a sophisticated understanding that Asian Americans are not a monolithic group, tailoring outreach efforts to specific communities’ needs and concerns. Harris wrote a series of essays in five different Asian American newspapers days before Election Day, each of them tailored to speak to different ethnic communities. These essays highlighted key issues relevant to each group, showcasing her commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by different segments within the Asian American population.
The effectiveness of Harris’ outreach is evident in the attention paid to cultural authenticity and linguistic accuracy. With about a third of Chinese and Vietnamese households classified as limited English-speaking households, the campaign has invested heavily in hiring dedicated AAPI staffers in each of the seven battleground states, helping to build trust and credibility within these communities. This has facilitated more personalized engagement and more effective messaging, amplifying the campaign’s appeal across a diverse voter base.
Statistics from Data for Progress indicate that Asian Americans make up 7% of swing voters in 2024, a significant bloc that could determine election outcomes in closely contested states. The substantial lead Harris holds over Trump suggests that her personal story and comprehensive outreach strategy have successfully connected with these voters, particularly when contrasted with the Trump campaign’s approach.
Despite Harris’ failure to secure the presidency, her campaign achieved a significant milestone among Asian American voters, with CNN exit polls showing 54% supporting her compared to 39% for Trump. This outcome signals both the resonance of her outreach efforts and the growing political engagement of Asian American communities. Looking beyond 2024, the Harris campaign’s approach to Asian American outreach marks an important step forward in setting a new standard for political engagement with the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the United States. By combining authentic representation at the highest levels of government with sophisticated multilingual outreach and cultural competency, the campaign has laid the groundwork for effective engagement with Asian American voters while avoiding inflammatory rhetoric.
The success of Harris’s outreach to Asian American voters goes beyond an effective campaign strategy and signals progress toward a more inclusive democracy that acknowledges and values every voter’s voice. Yet, as Asian American communities continue to grow in size and political influence, ongoing efforts will be needed to build on this foundation. The Harris campaign’s emphasis on respectful discourse, cultural understanding, and multilingual engagement sets a valuable precedent, but maintaining and advancing these initiatives will be essential for future political outreach to fully reflect the diversity of American democracy.