AAPI advocates, lawmakers promote election reforms, voting rights, DEI at Raleigh lobby day

Representatives from the nonprofit advocacy group North Carolina Asian Americans Together called on state lawmakers Wednesday to protect voter ID exceptions, establish an independent redistricting commission, and support DEI initiatives and ethnic studies. The advocates spoke at a Legislative Building press conference alongside a small group of Asian American and Pacific Islander lawmakers.

Later in the afternoon, advocates met with legislators to lobby for those issues.

Speakers at the press conference, which coincided with the Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, discussed the significance of diverse representation in state government, and the significance of Asian American voters in the upcoming election.

Democratic Senator Jay Chaudhuri of Wake County, one of four Asian Americans serving in the General Assembly, said that in a battleground state like North Carolina, where, in 2020, Donald Trump won by only 74,000 votes and a Supreme Court race was decided by 401 votes, 172,000 registered Asian American voters could be the difference.  

“Asian Americans can literally determine the future of our state and the future of our country,” said Chaudhuri. “We are a small but powerful bloc in the swingiest of swing states. We can be the margin of victory for years to come.” 

With a growth rate of 68 percent between 2010 and 2020, Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial demographic in North Carolina, according to the 2020 Census. The Asian American population, which has grown to more than 450,000 statewide, spans more than 20 ethnicities with over 40 different languages spoken. 

Rep. Maria Cervania (D-Wake), Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed (D-Mecklenburg), and Rep. Ya Liu (D-Wake), the three other AAPI legislators in the General Assembly, also spoke at the press conference.  

Cervania said, “Because of the strength of our votes, we are pulling up chairs at the tables that once they turned us away from.” 

Liu, who like Cervania is serving her first term in office, said she will continue pushing for support for HB 619, a bill she cosponsored last year. The bill would require elementary, middle and high schools to teach the impact of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on American history.  

Sen. Mohammed, who is serving his third term, underscored the importance of representation, particularly for young people. “They need to be able to see themselves in their elected officials. They need to know that there are elected officials that look like them and are going to have their back.”   

Founded in 2016, NCAAT seeks to get more members of the state’s Asian American community to get involved in the political process.  

For her part, Chavi Khanna Koneru, the executive director of the group, spoke out against House Bill 10, the controversial immigration bill that will require sheriffs to cooperate with ICE. The bill is set to be voted on this short session. 

“HB 10 isn’t intended to protect the freedoms of immigrants; rather, it infringes on our freedoms and is in direct conflict with our rights by mandating detention even in unjust cases,” Koneru said. “We stand with our community allies against this bill and are dedicated to advocating for the rights of each and every immigrant in our state.”