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By Shayla Parker, Arts Editor & Melissa Peralta, Editor-in-Chief
On Sept. 8, Asian Americans Rising PAC and the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Victory Fund hosted the first-ever AAPI Democratic Presidential Forum where democratic candidates spoke about their policies and political views with the AAPI community.
The event was a historical step forward in acknowledging AAPI voters as a substantial group in the U.S. electorate as it put members of this community at the forefront of national issues for the first time.
AAPI voters are a crucial portion of the electorate to win over in a presidential campaign because of how large the group has become over time.
According to Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders remain the fastest growing populations in the United States, at a rate of 46% and 40%, respectively, between the year of (sic) 2000 and 2010.”
Getting a head start in captivating the AAPI electorate is important as members of the community are key votes in swing states. Although the AAPI voting population is powerful, they need to vote for that power to go into effect. Congresswoman Judy Chu stressed the need for her fellow AAPI members to vote in the upcoming election.
“We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines,” Chu said.
During the forum, 2020 candidates Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer, and Tulsi Gabbard discussed their stance on issues such as immigration, guns, climate change, education, and health care.
When asked about his thoughts on the current immigration situation, Yang expressed that he felt immigrants aren’t the problem when it comes to the unemployment rate of natural-born citizens. The problem stems from technology advancing at a rate the general public is not ready for. Jobs are changing, and Yang admitted technology will take a number of them away from the working American. However, he believes this can be combated by learning to work with it. Furthermore, he elaborated on the idea that technology will help and that we, as a country, need to stop the “You get what you deserve” mindset when it comes to unemployment.
Steyer, a long-time advocate for climate change action, told reporters he plans to announce a national emergency in regards to climate change the first day he is in office. However, he also said that combating climate change on a national level is simply not enough and that it is a global issue.
Having served two tours in Iraq, Gabbard’s stance on guns is more personal than the other candidates. She spoke about how the main question should not be whether or not we keep guns, but instead what is best when it comes to keeping people safe. She explained how because of this debate, we are unable to get anywhere with the situation. Gabbard stated that she strongly believed we need to come to a compromise to properly address the problem.
Some organizers of the forum were disappointed only three presidential candidates made an appearance. AAPI Victory Fund President Varun Nikore felt more candidates should have taken the chance to speak with AAPI voters.
“It’s unfortunate that candidates can’t be more straight with a constituency group that is the fastest-growing constituency group in the country,” Nikore said.
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