Opinion | Get Out To Vote, Your Vote’s Your Voice

Yuan Media's Op-ed

By Editorial Board

The 2024 Presidential Election is exactly one week away, and nearly every state has already opened early voting. If you haven’t decided yet, now’s the time to act—there’s only a short window left to make your voice heard.

The voting rates among Asian Americans used to be low. But it’s not the same this election cycle. With civil awareness awakening, more Asian voters are willing to vote. Many are not only committed to voting themselves but are also actively working to motivate others.

The most common sight may be volunteers distributing flyers at grocery store entrances. Since late August, if you visit Asian grocery stores, you’ll often encounter individuals handing out flyers encouraging people to vote. These flyers, typically bilingual or multilingual, are not officially endorsed by any party. Asian American volunteers create and translate them as part of a grassroots effort. Asian volunteers either pair up or take turns distributing flyers.

In addition to handing out flyers, some Asian Americans set up campaign stations in front of grocery stores or areas with large Asian populations to promote their chosen candidates. These stations are often seen on weekends, decorated with political yard signs and flags. Visitors can pick up flyers, brochures, buttons, magnets and other campaign materials at these booths.

Campaign volunteers passionately share their political views with passersby. Most are Asian Americans fluent in at least one Asian language, helping new immigrants and seniors navigate the voting process and register to vote.

Many also participated in their party’s town hall meetings and car rallies, demonstrating the presence of Asian Americans at these political events.

Some are even more courageous, knocking on doors to encourage voter turnout. Since September, many Asian Americans have either grouped together or acted independently to canvass in neighboring swing states. They focus on areas with significant Asian populations, aiming to connect with voters through shared language and immigrant backgrounds.

Due to huge language and cultural differences, Asian Americans are not good at expressing themselves. As a result, canvassing in person can be quite challenging. However, they have persevered. Others, equally passionate, are contributing to the campaign behind the scenes.

They opt for phone banking and text banking to encourage voter turnout, targeting fellow Asian American voters. Some individuals with expertise in research and data analysis work to gather reliable contact information for Asian American voters. They leverage their bilingual skills to communicate effectively, aiming to create a sense of familiarity.

Some Asian Americans handwrite postcards and mail them to fellow Asian Americans in swing states, using this traditional approach to boost voter turnout. In an era dominated by AI, this may seem outdated, but its heartfelt sincerity makes it all the more impactful.

Certainly, most Asian Americans are primarily active on social media, where they share and discuss the agendas of the two major parties. Even if these discussions sometimes lead to heated debates due to differing opinions, their engagement shows they care about politics. In this nation of democracy and freedom of speech, all voices deserve to be expressed and heard.

At Yuan Media, we maintain an independent stance and do not endorse any political party or candidate. However, we understand and respect diverse political ideologies. What we truly appreciate is the increasing political engagement of Asian Americans.

The political system here is vastly different from that of the home countries many Asian Americans immigrated from, leaving many feeling baffled upon their arrival. Even after naturalizing and gaining the right to vote, not everyone fully appreciates this privilege. Some may feel reluctant to vote or simply don’t know how to, resulting in missed opportunities to make their voices heard. While some understand that they can participate in street protests if they feel treated unfairly, by then, it’s often too late to effect change, making it difficult to address issues.

In comparison, voting is the simplest yet most powerful action we can take. The President of the United States does not own this country; we, the people, do. Whether they are the President or members of Congress, they are elected by us. Their authority comes from us, the people. The right to vote is one of the most sacred civil rights we have as Americans. Please don’t waste it.

Our votes are our voices. We need higher voter turnouts to amplify our voices and show that Asian Americans are no longer silent.