Good morning and welcome to a special edition of The Yappie's Asian American politics and activism briefing. Support our work by making a donation and send tips, events, feedback, and opportunities to [email protected].
The Big Story
2020 PREVIEW—DEMOCRATS MAKE THEIR PITCH: The presidential election enters a new phase this week, with Democrats kicking off their mostly virtual convention on Monday night. The four-day event comes amid a historic period of pain for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, which continues to grapple with coronavirus-related hate crimes, economic insecurity, and unprecedented rates of anxiety and depression. Here’s what you need to know…
- The latest: The Democratic National Committee is making an aggressive push to mobilize community activists. DNC AAPI Political Director John Santos led a boot camp for Asian American Political Islander (AAPI) organizers over the weekend, and the party rolled out shareable graphics inviting families to watch the convention in 11 different languages—including Chinese, Hmong, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Hindi, and Gujarati. Advocacy groups and lawmakers also joined together to raise money for AAPI nonprofits in Milwaukee on Sunday.
- Kamala’s moment: Democrats are also hoping that Joe Biden’s decision to tap Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) as his vice presidential running mate will boost AAPI voter enthusiasm and turnout. Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants and one of the most prominent South Asians in American politics, is the first Asian American to appear on a national ticket.
- What they’ll say: Surrogates are expected to highlight the Biden campaign’s AAPI agenda and racial equity plan, and talking points reviewed by The Yappie emphasize that the November election is “a battle to protect our AAPI communities.”
- What to watch: The DNC’s AAPI caucus has virtual meetings on Aug. 17 and 19 that are open to the public. Monday’s event will feature lawmakers including Reps. Grace Meng, Judy Chu, Ted Lieu, Mark Takano, Stephanie Murphy, Ami Bera, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, as well as Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Amy Klobuchar.
- DNC Chairman Tom Perez and a mix of other figures will make appearances, including former Deputy Labor Secretary Chris Lu, House candidates Hiral Tipirneni and Pritesh Gandhi, former Baltimore city health commissioner Leana Wen, and entertainers David Henry Hwang, BD Wong, Daniel Dae Kim, Tamlyn Tomita, and Lauren Tom.
- Also… The DNC still plans to release a second wave of endorsements for Biden from prominent AAPI leaders, but the exact timing remains fluid and could be pushed back. The DNC unveiled its first wave of 250 endorsements on July 17.
The Speakers
At least four speakers of Asian descent will be featured in this week’s convention programming, which begins at 9 p.m. ET each night…
TUESDAY—Georgia State Rep. Sam Park is one of 17 rising Democratic stars who will deliver a joint keynote address under the theme “Leadership Matters,” convention organizers tell The Yappie. The coveted spot has been “long reserved for emerging party leaders,” according toThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Park made history after becoming the first openly gay man elected to serve in the state legislature in 2016.
WEDNESDAY—Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) accepts the vice presidential nomination in front of her largest audience yet and delivers remarks from Wilmington, Delaware.
THURSDAY—Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang received prime speaking slots on the final night of the convention. Duckworth, the first Thai American woman elected to Congress, was on Biden’s VP shortlist and served as a reliable surrogate for his campaign. Yang, the Taiwanese American candidate who defied expectations and inspired long-overdue conversations about positive Asian political representation, will address the nation right before Biden’s acceptance speech.
The Week Ahead
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17—The DNC kicks off its first AAPI Caucus meeting hosted by Bel Leong-Hong under the theme “We the People” at 1 p.m. ET. APIAVote, the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS), and the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) host an AAPI mixer featuring former U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke at 3:30 p.m. ET, followed by an event on how to mobilize AAPI voters at 4:30 p.m. ET. Daniel Dae Kim, DNC Chairman Tom Perez, and Rep. Grace Meng speak at an AAPIs for Biden convention watch party at 8:30 p.m. ET.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18—AAPI Progressive Action, the 2020 Project, and the AAPI Victory Fund discuss the importance of AAPI voters at 4:30 p.m. ET. AAPI Progressive Action has an additional event at 5 p.m. ET. ASPIRE PAC and the DNC AAPI Caucus celebrate “AAPI trailblazers” at 8 p.m. ET.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19—The DNC AAPI Caucus has its second meeting at 1 p.m. ET. The Asian American Action Fund hosts an event for young AAPI professionals at 7 p.m. ET.
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