Kamala Harris favoured over Donald Trump among AAPI voters: Poll finds

A new poll shows Kamala Harris is more popular among AAPI voters than Donald Trump. The poll highlights Harris's appeal, particularly among AAPI women and younger voters, while some Trump supporters focus on his leadership and policies over his personality.

In Short

• Kamala Harris more popular than Donald Trump among AAPI voters in new poll
• AAPI women and young voters see Harris's identity as important
• Trump supporters emphasise his leadership on inflation and the border

Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, 59, is viewed more favourably by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters compared to her Republican rival, Donald Trump, 78. According to a new survey by AAPI Data and APIAVote, around 6 in 10 AAPI voters hold a positive view of Harris, while only 3 in 10 feel the same about Trump.

Harris has worked to connect with AAPI communities in key swing states. About half of AAPI voters feel Harris better represents their background and culture, compared to only 1 in 10 for Trump.

However, only 3 in 10 AAPI voters say Harris’s Asian Indian identity is very important to them. Younger voters, particularly women, tend to value her identity more.

Kamala Harris is an Indian-American politician. Her mother is from India, and her father is from Jamaica.

AAPI women are more likely than men to say that Harris's identity as a woman matters. Christine Chen, executive director of APIAVote, pointed to the strong support Harris has among groups like South Asians for Harris, noting, “We’ve seen so much organising from young people and AAPI women,” reported news agency Associated Press (AP).

Some AAPI voters support Trump, focusing on his policies over personality.

Jihua Ma, a Chinese American from Boston, voted for Trump in 2020 and plans to support him again, saying, “I’m electing someone to really run this country, not someone to be a friend, a nice person.” He is concerned about inflation and the border and feels Harris lacks a strong platform on those issues.

Immigration and inflation have become the two most important issues for American voters.

The survey found that racism is a critical issue for AAPI voters, with 7 in 10 saying they could never vote for a candidate who doesn’t align with their views on discrimination. Despite this, some believe Trump may still win over AAPI voters on issues like the economy and crime.

In a recent AP-NORC poll, Kamala Harris was also shown to have more favorability over Donald Trump.