On Tuesday in Las Vegas, the Biden-Harris campaign launched “AANHPIs for Biden-Harris,” an engagement program meant to mobilize Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) voters.
The campaign says it is adding resources and personnel as a part of “AANHPIs for Biden-Harris” to reach key voters. According to a press release, the program is announcing:
- Culturally competent and linguistically appropriate resources to reach AANHPI voters and combat misinformation
- Events, activities, and programming to engage directly with AANHPI communities
- New dedicated staff to lead AANHPI voter engagement and media outreach efforts
The Las Vegas launch event kicked off around 2 p.m. PST with opening remarks from television host, writer, and executive producer Padma Lakshmi. Lakshmi said she was “proud to be here with the first Asian American Vice President of the United States.” She recalled the day she saw Harris thank her aunties in Tamil after being announced as Biden’s running mate.
“I thought of how much it would have meant to me as a young girl to see an Asian American woman helping lead our country. And I mean, I’m glad my daughter has that, and all of our daughters, and every day since I’ve been proud to call her my vice president,” she said.
Lakshmi also emphasized the importance of AANHPI voters.
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“We’re the fastest-growing demographic in this country. We can and have made the difference in elections in battleground states like Georgia and right here in Nevada, Nevada. So, thank you. Thank you so much for being here today,” Lakshmi said.
The kick-off event was catered by a local Las Vegas restaurant called Xiao Long Dumpling. The restaurant’s owner, Maya Kwong, spoke at the event, introducing Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kwong told attendees that she made the difficult decision to launch her business in 2021 during the pandemic. She claimed that because of the Biden-Harris administration’s actions and efforts “my people, my business, and myself, were able to survive and thrive throughout the crisis.”
After Vice President Harris took the stage, she thanked the people responsible for putting on the event. She also formally accepted the endorsement of the AAPI Victory Fund.
Harris highlighted the recent actions of the Biden administration like capping the price of insulin and forgiving some student loan debt.
The Vice President also discussed the administration’s efforts to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which offered protection and resources for AANHPI people. By contrast, she noted, Biden’s opponent, Donald Trump, “consistently incites hate, including toward the AANHPI community.”
“I will not repeat his words. I will not repeat his words, because they should never be repeated, but I will say that someone who vilifies immigrants, who promotes xenophobia, someone who stokes hate, should never again have the chance to stand behind a microphone and the seal of the President of the United States,” Harris said.
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Harris never refers to herself as Asian except when she is appearing before an Asian group. What a pandering clown. To me, Harris will never represent Asians.