ASPIRE PAC, the political arm of Asian American and Pacific Islander Members of Congress, sent a letter today to declared candidates for the Democratic nomination for President encouraging them to prioritize AAPI communities in their outreach, hiring, and campaign materials.
The letter was led by ASPIRE Chair Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), Congressman Ami Bera (CA-07), Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Congressman TJ Cox (CA-21), Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17), Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03), Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Congressman Ted Lieu (CA-33), Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06), Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (FL-07), Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (CNMI), Congressman Michael San Nicholas (GU), Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), and Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41).
“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing population in our country, and we are already an important constituency in key electoral states such as California, Nevada, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. It’s crucial that candidates seeking the Democratic nomination pay attention to Asian American and Pacific Islander voters across the country,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng, Chair of ASPIRE.
“We encourage you to keep Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in mind as your campaign makes hiring decisions and prioritizes outreach to different voting blocs as you campaign for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. History has shown us that we are stronger when all voices are represented at the decision-making table,” wrote the Members.
ASPIRE PAC was established to work for fair representation in the U.S. Congress by supporting and increasing the number of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) policymakers and federal candidates with large AAPI constituencies. The PAC works to support the values and address the issues important to the AAPI community.
The full letter:
May 8, 2019
Dear Candidate:
ASPIRE PAC is the political arm for Asian American and Pacific Islander Members of Congress. We encourage you to keep Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in mind as your campaign makes hiring decisions and prioritizes outreach to different voting blocs as you campaign for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. History has shown us that we are stronger when all voices are represented at the decision-making table.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing population in our country. We are already an important constituency across the country, and will strongly influence the outcome in key electoral states such as Nevada, California, New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachusetts.
There are many opportunities for a presidential campaign to show its commitment to our community. As you make hiring decisions, plan your events and speak across the country, we ask that you will keep the AAPI community in mind. As you engage with different communities, it is crucial to use in-language outreach tools and AAPI media outlets.
We are often overlooked by campaigns and remind you that showing up can go a long way.
Sincerely,
Rep. Grace Meng, Chair
Rep. Ami Bera
Rep. TJ Cox
Rep. Pramila Jayapal
Rep. Andy Kim
Rep. Judy Chu, Past Chair
Rep. Rho Khanna
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi
Rep. Ted Lieu
Rep. Doris Matsui
Rep. Stephanie Murphy
Rep. Stephanie Murphy
Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan
Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan
Rep. Michael San Nicolas
Rep. Michael San Nicolas
Rep. Bobby Scott
