Georgia Senate Debate with Kelly Loeffler and Rafael Warnock: Live Update

Tony Joseph 4 years ago 2 min read

In Duluth, Georgia, the homeowner opened his screen door and said softly, “I’m not good at English.” Two volunteers, a clutching clipboard and political flyer, were in the Korean women’s porch to talk about the January 5 Senate runoff.

“I speak some Korean,” Grace Pa said in Korean. “It’s terrible,” Pai added in a broken Korean. Pai described how he and his fellow volunteers, Syed Hussain, were searching homes to talk to Asian American voters for Democratic Challengers in runoff for the Asian American Advocacy Fund.

“My mother emigrated from Korea to the US as a girl,” Pa explained. The homeowner, pleased to hear his native language, explained to the canvassers how affordable health care is for his family.

Pai pressured the woman to send her absentee vote by mail for Democrats John Osoff and the Rev. Rafael Warlock.

As Pa and Hussain left the woman’s porch, the homeowner pumped her fist in the air, promising that he would be.

Such interaction is important for volunteers who believe the only chance for Democrats in Georgia to flip two Republican Senate seats is through a broad-based coalition, which includes Asian Americans.

In the state presidential election in November, Joe Biden defeated President Trump by just 12,284 votes, activists say it’s a question of little Asian American voters surge Helped to flip the state in November.

They just have to reach them.

“There are many people, like that woman, Asian American voters who have never been asked about their political beliefs, who have never asked why voting is important to them,” Pai said. “I think this tailored outreach matters a lot.”

“It is, at least in my opinion, the one who led Joe Biden to victory,” said Hussein, who is 21. The college student grew up in Gwinnett County, which helped Korean immigrants develop Asian Americans in the Atlanta suburbs. Have seen

Across the entire Atlanta metro area, Asian American and Pacific Islander voters have grown significantly in recent years – reflecting the growing population and growing population trends across the state – particularly in and around Atlanta’s capital.

While the AAPI has a small proportion of voters in Georgia, the number of Asian American voters has increased seven-fold, as other ethnic and ethnic groups combined.