Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
A panel of experts discussed the 2020 Presidential results, including participation rates, preferences and voting access for Black, Latinx, Asian-American & Pacific Islander, Native American. Blacks, Latinos, and Asians overwhelmingly voted for the Biden-Harris ticket.
By the slimmest of margins, voters in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan picked Biden over Trump. “The most defining feature of American politics is the Black American vote,” said Theodore R. Johnson, a senior fellow at Brennan Center for Justice. He said that a summer of protests for racial justice along with the disproportionate numbers from COVID-19 and record levels of unemployment in black communities, galvanized Black voter turnout in record numbers. He said the reason African Americans supported Joe Biden in the primary season and not more progressive candidates like Cory Booker or Bernie Sanders was because they were practical.
Johnson said picking Kamala Harris as his running mate contributed to the increase in enthusiasm and an increase in Black turnout for this election. He also said the hardships 2020 has brought to Blacks underscored its importance to them. Frank Sharry, Executive Director, America’s Voice, an immigration reform advocacy organization said “If not for the minority vote we would not be celebrating the victory we are celebrating,”.
He said immigration did not become a wedge issue in the 2020 election and a record number of Americans voted against Trump’s immigration policies. He said most voters didn’t want to close down immigration, didn’t like separating families or gutting political asylum, and didn’t want to close a path to citizenship for the Dreamers. Dr. Stephen Nuño-Perez, Senior Analyst, Latino Decisions / Associate Professor and Chair, Northern Arizona University Department of Politics and International Affairs spoke on the impact of Latino votes. Latinx voters were critical in flipping Arizona blue, said Nuno Perez of Latino Decisions.
He pointed to the counties such as Maricopa, Pima, and Yuma, which all have significant Latino populations. Mark Trahant, editor of Indian Country Today, discussed the impact of the Native American vote, indicating that a large number of Native Americans ran for elected office and that next year’s Congress will have a caucus with three Republicans and three Democrats. “This will give a bipartisan spin on Native issues,” he said.
John C. Yang, President and Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC said, Asian Americans turned out in significant numbers for the 2020 election. In the elections over the last decade, the Asian American electorate has grown larger and more engaged. Exit polls plus pre-election polls showed there was much more enthusiasm to vote, Yang noted. He said 65%-70% of AAPI voters supported Biden, with 30 percent voting for Trump.
