ON Saturday, October 26, Biden for President launched “AAPIs for Biden,” a national network of Asian American and Pacific Islander supporters working to rally the community around Vice President Biden’s record of accomplishment, and his vision to heal the damage done by Donald Trump and to rebuild the middle class.
Joe knows that the AAPI community is a core part of the American story. Our country’s ability to draw hard-working, aspirational people from every culture and every nation has always made us strong. AAPIs are the fastest growing racial group in the country and one of its most diverse, representing 50 different ethnicities and 100 languages. With so much at stake in 2020 – health care, workers’ rights, immigration reform, the very soul of our nation – AAPIs for Biden will organize this key voting bloc to elect Joe and the steady, tested leadership needed to unite our country and deliver results.
AAPIs for Biden will recruit, train, and deploy a growing movement of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to run phone banks, canvasses, community events, days of action, and fundraising activities in support of the campaign. Biden advisor and Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan kicked off the new coalition this afternoon in Las Vegas, which is home to a vibrant AAPI community, and to the all-important Nevada caucus on February 22.
“The AAPI vote will be decisive in choosing whom Democrats nominate to take on Donald Trump. The future of our community, our country, and the values that make us strong all depends on the movement that we build together, starting here, to elect Joe as the next President of the United States,” said Michelle Kwan, Director of Surrogates, Biden for President. “Today is a testament to Joe’s deep support among AAPIs – and it’s just one example of the many ways in which our campaign is working to build a broad, diverse coalition that reaches every corner of this country. Joe has fought for us his whole life, and now we’re going to fight for him.”
Joe has built a long record of accomplishments for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and working families – turning bold, progressive ideas into tangible results. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with President Obama to pass the landmark Affordable Care Act, providing health insurance to 20 million people, including more than 2 million AAPIs. He fought to guarantee overtime pay, unemployment benefits, and strong workers’ rights; worked to boost teacher pay and school resources; and twice defeated the National Rifle Association to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines. And as Vice President, he was part of an administration that re-established the White House Initiative on AAPIs, to increase economic opportunities and living standards throughout the AAPI community; and that made sure our Filipino-American World War II veterans received long-awaited compensation payments.
Now, Joe is running to restore, protect, and build on that progress. As president, he’ll continue his lifelong fight for the American middle class, and make sure that everyone – including the AAPI community – comes along. Specifically, he will:
Expand access to quality, affordable health care: Nearly twenty million Americans gained health coverage under the Affordable Care Act – including more than 2 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Trump now is trying to rip that coverage away. As president, Joe will protect and build on Obamacare, lowering premiums, and automatically covering the 5 million low-income Americans who’d be eligible for Medicaid if Republican state lawmakers hadn’t refused to expand it. And he’ll double funding for the AAPI and other community health centers that so often provide care to undocumented immigrants.
Invest in education from birth through 12th grade: Joe will make sure that every child in America has the chance to realize their full potential, regardless of zip code, race, or family income. He’ll make pre-K universally available and triple funding to Title I schools, giving teachers the higher pay they deserve and narrowing the gap between rich and poor districts. He’ll expand “community schools” that serve the needs of both students and parents; and double the number of school psychologists, nurses, and counselors, giving kids the support they need to grow. Through partnerships between high schools, community colleges, and employers, Joe will make sure that all kids have a chance to graduate with an industry credential, ready to compete in the 21st century workforce. And, he’ll provide two years of free community college, halve the cap on student loan repayments, and double the maximum Pell Grant, so lower-income students get more help for college, and many middle-class families qualify for the first time.
Reform our immigration system: As vice president, Joe backed reforms that would’ve established a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants; when Congress failed to pass them, the Obama-Biden Administration created the DACA program so DREAMers could pursue their lives free from fear of deportation. As president, Biden will prioritize a comprehensive immigration reform to finally give 11 million undocumented immigrants a roadmap to citizenship. He’ll invest in smart technology at our ports of entry and streamline the asylum system, hiring more immigration judges. And he’ll ensure those seeking refuge in the United States are treated with respect and get the fair hearing they’re legally entitled to. No more ripping families apart. No more babies in cages. No more demonizing immigrants and scaring people for political gain. Biden will restore dignity to the immigration process.
Give all AAPIs a fair shot at the middle class: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial group in the United States and a key driver of economic and labor force growth. Still, many are stuck in low wage jobs, making it harder to own a home or build wealth. As president, Biden will restore the basic bargain between workers and management, and make sure that everyone has a fair shot at the American Dream. He’ll start by restoring overtime pay to millions of workers and getting rid of non-compete clauses and unnecessary licensing requirements that make it harder to move to higher paying jobs. And he’ll continue his life-long fight for workers’ rights to form unions and bargain, including the country’s more than half-a-million AAPI union members.
