CNN —
On Monday night, when President Donald Trump made the long-awaited announcement about who will be his running mate in the 2024 election, Shalabh “Shari” Kumar was filled with pride.
But it wasn’t just the name of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance that provoked a reaction from the founder of the Republican Hindu Coalition and chairman of the Republican National Committee’s Hindu Indian Coalition.
That person was Vance’s wife, Usha, a 38-year-old Yale graduate and daughter of Indian immigrants.
“Hindus have come a long way,” Kumar said, noting that their population and political power has grown since they immigrated to the United States in the late 1960s. “It’s about time,” he said, adding that the Vance family “will represent a new generation of Americans.”
Three politicians of South Asian descent are vying for the White House in the 2024 presidential election. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are running in the Republican primary, and Vice President Kamala Harris is running for a second term alongside President Joe. Biden.
On the second night of the convention, Haley and Ramaswamy explicitly supported the Trump-Vance ticket in their prime-time speeches at the Republican National Convention.
And on Wednesday night, Usha Vance will introduce her husband as Trump’s running mate in her first public speech as a member of the Trump-Vance campaign.
As Asian Americans play a more central role in the 2024 presidential election, political activists from both parties say increasing representation aligns with efforts to connect with a long-overlooked voting bloc. He says he is looking forward to it.
The increase in South Asian representation in politics is “tremendous,” said Chintan Chintan, executive director of Indian American Impact, a national organization that works to increase representation and civic participation for Indian and South Asian communities. Mr. Patel said.
“Since Impact was founded in 2016, representation within the South Asian community has grown from about 50 elected officials to more than 300 across the United States, including, obviously, the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris. Patel told CNN.
Patel added that representation is important because it “helps us reimagine what is possible for our communities.”
Trump campaign officials told CNN they believe Usha Vance can appeal to minority voters.
Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial and ethnic group among voters in the United States, according to a recent analysis by the Pew Research Center.
Since 2020, the number of Asian American voters has increased by 2 million people, roughly equivalent to the population of Nebraska, according to Pew.
But despite growing voting power, both parties need to do more to engage this important voting bloc and to empower Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. said Kristin Chen, executive director of APIAVote, a nonpartisan group dedicated to this.
“As we head into this cycle, given the scars of 2020, not only in response to the pandemic but also in the rise of anti-Asian hate, we must all acknowledge the role that elected officials play and the importance of our We are voting,” Chen said.
“We also reiterate to campaigns and political parties that they need to do a better job of reaching out to their growing electorate, and that they need to do it sooner. I’m trying.”
Last week, APIAVote, in collaboration with AAPI Data, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and AARP, released the 2024 Asian American Voter Survey, a study on the key issues driving Asian American voters this election cycle.
Ninety percent of Asian American voters surveyed said they planned to vote for president, Congress, and other offices this November, but half said they had not been contacted by Democrats. The survey also found that 57% of Republicans said the same thing.
“This is alarming because this has been consistent throughout this cycle and since,” Chen said.
This lack of support could sway elections in battleground states like Georgia, she said. The number of Asian American voters outpaced the margin of victory in 2020, according to APIAVote data.
But, Patel said, like any voting bloc, the strong symbols that representation brings must also be accompanied by substance and commitment to issues important to Asian American voters.
A survey of Asian American voters found that the economy, education, inflation and immigration were “very important” to Asian Americans this election cycle.
Kumar said immigration is a top priority for many South Asian Republican voters, as millions of Hindus and Indian Americans waiting for green cards face backlogs. Ta.
And although politically different, Patel’s group is also concerned about immigration, particularly plans calling for mass deportations outlined in Project 2025, the incoming Republican president’s conservative blueprint. He said he is listening to the voices of progressive Indian American voters.
Chen said there is a need to continue engaging with Asian American voters, many of whom are immigrants voting for the first time, to understand the important role they can play in the next election.
“In fact, it is for us to protect democracy,” she said. “Everyone needs to participate. If only a few people participate in the electoral process, it’s no longer a democracy.”
