Asian-Americans and Pacific islanders are trying to turn their status as the country’s fastest-growing demographic into political muscle, and are hoping to get there with a new super PAC representing Asian-Americans and Pacific islanders, the AAPI Victory Fund.
Launched by a Democratic group of community leaders, the PAC will focus on mobilization and voter registration, with particular focus on Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia.
“The Victory Fund will target battleground states where AAPIs eligible to vote in 2016 exceed the presidential vote margin [of victory] in 2012,” the group’s website reads. “In each of our targeted communities, we will build databases of AAPI voters, small donors, volunteers and leaders.”
The group’s “ultimate goal” in each of the targeted states is to grow AAPI voter registration by 8 percent, increase turnout by 5 percent and up the number of AAPIs voting for Democrats by 3.5 percent.
Shekar Narasimhan and Dilawar Syed are leading the effort. Norm Mineta, formerly a commerce secretary for President Clinton and transportation secretary for President George W. Bush, is serving as honorary co-chairman.
In their professional capacities, Narasimhan is the managing partner at Beekman Advisors, an investment firm based in McLean, Va., and Syded is president of North America Operations for Freshdesk, a technology company based in Chennai, India. Both are current or former commissioners to the White House Initiative on Asian-Americans and Pacific islanders.
The group notes that AAPIs compose 6 percent of the population but register to vote at 10 percent below the national average.
“The AAPI Victory Fund occupies a unique space, using precinct-level data in targeted states to effectuate change,” Mineta stated.
To underscore the strength of AAPI voters in key states and districts, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., spoke Thursday at a launch event for the super PAC.
“I wouldn’t have won [my] narrow races without strong support from the AAPI community,” Kaine said. “And you could have a thousand elected officials sitting in my chair and saying the same thing, but now is the point we can take it to the next level” in terms of AAPI influence and participation, he said.
Syed said that one of the reasons he formed the political action committee is because he is distraught by growing anti-immigrant sentiment and xenophobic rhetoric of some politicians.
“We have heard some horrible things this election season,” Syed said. “There’s frankly a shocking narrative of division, absolute hatred and total bigotry. First and foremost, that is un-American. It is plain wrong,” which is why he will push AAPIs to come out and vote for Democrats, he said.
“For far too long, AAPIs have stood on the sidelines … We have a long way to go … but this is a growing voting population … and we need to make sure that” elected officials embrace the community’s values, said Deputy Labor Secretary Chris Lu.
