Democrat, Republican, third-party—regardless of political stripe, Fil-Ams are fired up about the election and the future of America
WITH mere days away from, once again, the most important election of our lifetimes, the push to get out the vote has accelerated: every other TV commercial is a campaign ad, the constant text messages from political organizers, and the barrage of mailers we all find stuffed in our mailboxes. Back in 2020, a study from APIAVote and AAPI Data found that among the major Asian subgroups in the U.S., Filipinos had the lowest voter turnout with 54%. But one thing that voters may have noticed this election cycle is an uptick of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)-targeted campaign materials and outreach efforts—an acknowledgment of the growing influence of the AAPI voting population.
Amid her campaign’s hastening AAPI outreach efforts—including the many Tagalog ads aired over the last several months— Vice President Kamala Harris released an exclusive Op-Ed in the Asian Journal that highlighted Filipino American history and achievements.
“For generations, people of Filipino heritage have come to America in search of hope and opportunity. The earliest Filipinos arrived at Morro Bay, California, in the 16th century. Today, more than four million Filipino Americans call this country home, and your values of hard work, family, and faith make America stronger,” Harris said.
Last week, Donald Trump also held a rally in Las Vegas centered around AAPIs where he promised to bolster the economy, highlighting Asian American business owners.
“So many amazing Nevada Filipinos, right? You are all the greatest people, hardworking people, and we’re going to take care of you,” Trump told the cheering crowd.
The increased outreach to Filipino voters is a sign that campaigns are taking the Filipino vote seriously. But what are Filipinos doing this election?
The Filipino electorate: a diversity of opinions
On Sept. 26, 2020, when then-President Donald Trump appointed Amy Coney Barrett as Supreme Court justice (following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg), a Filipino American stay-at-home mother living in Las Vegas named Lilia Sison-Mills “woke up.”
On that day, there were only 38 days until Election Day. Like many parents during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sison-Mills was caught up with helping her three elementary school-aged daughters amid distance learning as well ascope with the frustrations of social distancing and quarantines.
“I wasn’t even really giving much attention to the election at that point,” Sison-Mills laughingly admitted in a telephone interview with the Asian Journal this week.
But when she saw that the Supreme Court bench was now majority-conservative, and had several justices with “backwards opinions about women’s health,” Sison-Mills felt compelled to get involved.
She continued, “I think I kind of took some things for granted, when it came to politics and government, but when I took a second to see what could happen with the future my daughters could have in this country, I started to pay attention and learn more.”
Fast-forward to 2024, Sison-Mills has knocked on “hundreds of doors,” phone banked for the last several months, and attended several West Coast rallies for Kamala Harris.
“I’m voting for Kamala Harris because it’s important for my daughters to live under leadership that has their interests in mind: someone that supports inclusion and diversity, someone who will protect their rights to reproductive healthcare,” Sison-Mills said.
As a Nevadan, Sison-Mills belongs to a robust Filipino American electorate. As previously reported in the Asian Journal, Nevada has become a key battleground state that could sway the election and with its growing Asian American population.
Asian Americans represent 12% of the state’s electorate, and Filipinos account for nearly half of that. Knowing this, both major political parties have sped up campaign efforts in one of the most contentious swing states in the country.
Historically, the majority of Filipino voters are either Democrats or voted blue, as previously reported in the Asian Journal. A Pew Research Center study found that 68% of Filipinos lean more Democratic while 31% lean more Republican.
Bernard Ramon, a Filipino American day trader, attended the Trump rally in Henderson, Nevada on Oct. 31 and shared that he already submitted his mail-in ballot, which he calls “the most important ballot” he’s submitted in his life so far.
“The economy is in a dire state, and I know that President Trump will protect those of us who want to salvage the American Dream and bring back order,” Ramon, 42, told the Asian Journal.
Ramon said that historically, he didn’t participate in elections, but in 2020, he became a Trump supporter because of the campaign’s promise to secure borders, crackdown on violent crimes, protect the economy, and “get rid of ‘wokeness.’”
But during the summer when a shooter at a Trump rally shot at the former president, Ramon said he ramped up his support of, not just Trump, but of all standard bearers of the conservative movement.
This election cycle, Ramon also helped campaign for Drew Johnson, who is running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Some Filipinos here have called him an honorary Filipino and it’s true because he really shows up to our community and he’s been making the extra efforts to get to know us and what our needs are,” Ramon said.
Ramon shared that although Filipinos are largely liberal, he believes that the tide is changing and more Filipinos are becoming “more disillusioned” with the Democratic Establishment, sharing that many of his Filipino friends who previously voted Democrat are not anymore.
“I think that there’s a lot specific issues, specific red lines, that some voters might have. I keep seeing a lot of people online share they’re not voting for either [Harris or Trump],” Ramon said. “Even if they don’t make the switch to voting Republican, it’s interesting seeing people kind of get away from the Establishment as we knew it, whether it’s the Democratic Establishment or the GOP Establishment.”
Ramon added, “You know how people say the Asian American community isn’t a monolith? Filipino voters, we’re not a monolith either.”
Though Ramon’s awakening into politics led him to vote for Trump, many young American voters have been distancing themselves from the two major candidates altogether—even those who lean left.
Among leftist spaces in the U.S., chief among their many concerns lies within the U.S.’s foreign policy—specifically the U.S.’s relationship with Israel and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
A Gallup poll released this year found that of Democratic voters, support for Palestinians has increased (49%) and surpassed support for Israelis (38%). But throughout the campaign, both Trump and Harris have affirmed their support for Israel and vows to continue funding Israel’s military.
“That started my journey toward radicalization, I think,” said Penny Marcelino, a Filipino American coder working in video game development. “Seeing video after video of hospitals, schools, nurseries, and all these places with children being bombed by the IDF, and the U.S. not doing much to stop Israel…that really changed my view on things.”
Marcelino, 34, told the Asian Journal that she largely stayed out of politics but upon learning about the history of the U.S. in foreign affairs—particularly in the Middle East and Levant—she began questioning her own values as a born and bred American.
“Historically I’ve voted for Democrats. Being from LA and being around mostly liberal people, including most of my family, that’s just always seemed like the right move for me,” Marcelino said. “But now, I’m really not sure.”
Marcelino declined to comment on how she voted in the presidential race, but she confirmed that neither Harris nor Trump received her vote.
“I think that there’s a valid concern for those of us who don’t really feel seen by either party, but it only makes me more energized to get involved and learn more,” Marcelino said.
Election Day is Nov. 5. Voters may locate a polling station by visiting https://www.vote.org/polling-
