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By Ti-Hua Chang
The Kamala Harris election night watch party ended as a chill descended on the outdoor rally — a chill both physical and emotional. As the temperature dropped 14 degrees, so did the hopes of a Harris win with Trump’s increase in projected electoral votes. Vice President Harris never showed up at her watch party.
HARRIS CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIR, “VICE-PRESIDENT HARRIS WON’T SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT”
Just after midnight, Cedric Richmond, the Harris campaign co-chair, told the already reduced crowd, “We still have votes to count and will continue to check overnight. Vice-President Harris won’t speak to you tonight, but she will be back here tomorrow to talk to you and the nation.”
RALLY STARTS WITH JOY AND SENSE OF POSSIBLE HISTORIC WIN
The rally began with cheerful enthusiasm in the center of Harris’ alma mater, Howard University. The same yard where she walked some 40 years ago filled up with thousands of supporters, many Howard alumnae and students. The sense that history might be made, the first woman President, the first Asian American President, filled the rally with cheer and hope. There was talk of a new direction for America including from the relatively few Asian Americans present.
ASIAN AMERICAN HARRIS SUPPORTERS INITALLY HOPEFUL
Dan Lee, from Korean Americans for Harris, just returned from canvassing for her in Georgia. He proudly told AsAmNews that his team, which included actress Sandra Oh and Grace Lee, reached some 13,000 potential voters. He admitted that canvassing Georgia was “tough.”
Christine Chen, from APIA Vote (Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote), in between telephone calls to potential voters texted AsAmNews: “This election is an important moment to establish our community’s role as a consistent and powerful voting bloc. As our voting power grows, so does our ability to advocate for issues that matter to us, from immigration to healthcare to economic opportunity.”
Early on during the Harris rally, George Washington University graduate student Yisan Chan said a President Kamala Harris would have a lot of impact. “She is the first Indian American, first Asian American President, hopefully, and … (she) cares a lot about women’s rights, which is something I care a lot about.” Chan also cited the Biden administration’s work on the economy and climate change.
AAPI Victory Fund’s founder, Shekar Narasimhan, told AsAmNews that Asian American voting has increased since 2016 from 49% participation to 60% this year, but not all supporting Harris.
By the rally’s midpoint, Bel Leong-Hong, co-founder of the AAPI Victory Fund, told AsAmNews that a Harris Presidency would be, “A dream come true… it would smash the glass ceiling for Asian Americans.”
It’s a dream that will have to wait.
MOOD AT RALLY CHANGED
As the Trump electoral college numbers increased, we asked Arshi Siddiqui, also from the AAPI Victory fund, what would happen if Trump won? She replied, “We would join with allies and use America’s checks and balances to fight back.”
This coverage was made possible by a grant through the URL Collective, a nonprofit supporting local, diverse media. AsAmNews and URL Collective have partnered to bring you election reporting from grassroots media.
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc.
We are supported through donations and such charitable organizations as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. All donations are tax deductible and can be made here.
Please purchase your tickets to our fundraiser Up Close with Connie Chung, America’s first Asian American to anchor a nightly network newscast. The in-depth conversation with Connie will be held November 14 at 7:30 at Columbia University’s Milbank Chapel in the Teacher’s College. All proceeds benefit AsAmNews.