Kamala Harris Speaks on the Importance of AANHPI’s Participation in Upcoming Election

By Farah Feddaraini for the Indonesian Lantern Magazine, on July 19, 2024

On July 13th, the Presidential Town Hall took place in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Notable speakers such as Joy Luck Club’s, Tamlyn Tomita, US Representative from California, Judy Chu, and member of the Philadelphia City Council, Dr. Nina Ahmad, emphasized the importance of the AANHPI community to heighten their voices and vote in the upcoming election. The event was hosted by NBC’s Francis Wang, and highlighted insights by Vice President Kamala Harris on the importance of the AANHPI community in the upcoming election. 

Joy Luck Club actress Tamlyn Tomita encouraging AANHPI folks to vote. (Photo creds: Drew Hallowell/GettyImages)

She starts by highlighting Trump’s actions that can harm AANHPI folks in the future. “Donald Trump has tried more than 60 times to end the Affordable Care Act. More than 60 times. And give the insurance companies the power to deny pre-existing conditions.”

“He is trying to roll us backward…we believe healthcare should be a right, and not a privilege to those who can afford it”

She states with the help of the current administration, the issue of healthcare has been mitigated. “Today, more AANHPI Americans have health insurance than ever before.” 

Harris continued to discuss the importance of the AANHPI community in raising their voices, alluding to the city’s previous project, the Vine Street Expressway, which impacted the Chinatown community, cutting straight through it and displacing community members in the process. 

“It continues to cut off residents of Chinatown from jobs and opportunities in other communities. So to address this inequity, President Biden and I have invested nearly $60 million to build parks, bike paths, and walking paths over the Vine Street Expressway.”

Beginning of the Affordable Care Act, signed by previous US president Barack Obama. (Photo creds: J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press)

Audience members were chanting “four more years” to support Biden’s continued presidency, in the midst of Vice President Harris’s speech. President Harris smiled and stated, that although she supports everyone’s right to voice their thoughts, she was speaking, continuing to bypass the momentary interruption. 

Kamala ended her speech with powerful thoughts. “Do we believe in the promise of America? And are we ready to fight for it?”

Through this, Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as other Asian leaders and public figures, immensely encourage the AANHPI community to raise their voices and fight for supportive policies towards AANHPI folks. From discussions on preventing important policies from being erased to funding projects that will support the community, Harris and leaders paint a picture towards the audience of a brighter, more equitable future, should they choose to participate in this upcoming election. 

This content is a part of Every Voice, Every Vote, a collaborative project managed by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Lead support for Every Voice, Every Vote in 2024 and 2025 is provided by the William Penn Foundation with additional funding from The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, Comcast NBC Universal, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Henry L. Kimelman Family Foundation, Judy and Peter Leone, Arctos Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, 25th Century Foundation, and Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation. To learn more about the project and view a full list of supporters, visit www.everyvoice-everyvote.org. Editorial content is created independently of the project’s donors.