.png)
AAPIs are the fastest-growing segment of eligible voters. More than 11 million were able to vote this year, making up nearly 5% of the nation’s eligible voters. AAPIs are the only major racial/ethnic group in which naturalized citizens – rather than the U.S. born – make up a majority of eligible voters.
Source: Pew Research Center
Election Day is behind us.
All eyes are now on the Georgia’s Senate runoffs in January, in which AAPI voters may play a pivotal role.Rounding out the 2020 election, top AAPI voter concerns were the economy (favoring Republicans), healthcare, education, and racial discrimination (all other three concerns favoring Democrats). And despite significant diversity in socioeconomic status and ethnic background, AAPIs showed solidarity on issues of inclusion, social safety net, and economic justice.
Comprised of more than 20 different ethnicities, AAPI voters’ alignment with the political parties varies significantly, with a high proportion of AAPI voters identifying as unaffiliated. As seen below, Vietnamese Americans were more likely to vote for Trump (with 42% identifying as Republican). By contrast, Indian Americans were more likely to vote for Biden (with 50% identifying as Democrats).
AAPI voters are dispersed throughout the country, but more than half live in only three states. California holds 35% of the U.S. Asian electorate (3.6 million), followed by New York (920,000) and Texas (698,000).
Of Asian American voters:
63% voted for Biden
31% voted for Trump
Source: NBC News Exit Poll
“Asian Americans have been distinct from the general U.S. public when it comes to progressive views on health care, the environment, gun control and a social safety net provided by the government. These issue positions have propelled Asian Americans toward the Democratic presidential candidate for the past seven election cycles.”
- Janelle Wong
Senior Researcher, AAPI Data
Comments