Ms. spoke with APIAVote and the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum about AAPI women’s biggest concerns: cost of living increases, lack of access to reproductive healthcare and threats to democracy.
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women have become a formidable force in influencing electoral outcomes in recent years. Although historically underrepresented in politics, the AAPI community is the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States—growing 81 percent from 2000 to 2019—and actively shaping the electoral landscape through increased voter turnout and civic engagement. These trends highlight the importance of the AAPI vote in November’s election (and beyond), which can significantly sway political races in battleground states and uplift diverse voices and concerns.
Ms. spoke with Christine Chen, executive director and founder of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, and Sung Yeon Choimorrow, the executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, to discuss the issues that matter most to AAPI women—like the rising cost of living, lack of access to reproductive healthcare and threats to democracy.
This interview has been edited lightly for clarity.
Alia Yee Noll: Intersections of our Lives (a collaboration between NAPAWF, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice and the National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda) conducted a survey to find out what women of color are prioritizing in the upcoming election. What were some of the key takeaways for AAPI voters?
Sung Yeon Choimorrow: Over 80 percent of the AAPI women that responded to the survey said they were somewhat or very motivated to vote this fall, and 55 percent of AAPI women respondents said that they feel like things have gotten worse since last year…
Read the full article here
