FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 1, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jimmy Patel-Nguyen | 919.335.6156 | press@ncaat.org
Racist mailers sent by conservative right-wing organization target NC Asian American voters with disinformation ahead of 2022 midterms
RALEIGH, NC – In the week leading up to the midterms, Asian American voters across North Carolina have been receiving hateful, racist mailers aimed at suppressing their vote and subduing the political power of the fastest-growing racial demographic in the state.
While anti-Asian rhetoric has been prevalent since early 2020, this blatant piece of disinformation is the first time Asian Americans in North Carolina have been the target of suppression efforts around an election.
“This mail piece is evidence that bad actors fear our growing political power.” said Chavi Khanna Koneru, Executive Director of North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT) and NCAAT in Action. “Asian Americans had record turnout in the 2020 election (72%) and so far Asian American early vote turnout is on track to exceed early vote turnout compared to the 2018 midterm elections.”
This attempt at suppression comes after recent Census results show exponential growth in the nation’s Asian American population. Here, in the battleground state of North Carolina, the Asian American voting bloc can determine the outcome of toss-up races statewide.
Over the past week, mailers using racist and inflammatory rhetoric have also been received in Arizona, Virginia, California, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Digital and radio advertisements have also popped up across the country, purposefully targeting multiple underrepresented groups including the Latinx, transgender, and Asian communities. This mail piece repurposes an old tactic historically used to drive a wedge between Asians and other racial communities of color in the United States.
“Right-wing racist actors are exploiting the fact that Asian Americans have received limited voter contact by political parties by using manipulative ads to keep them from voting,” added Koneru. According to recent polling results conducted by NCAAT and the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at UC San Diego, roughly 161,000 Asian American voters in North Carolina (61%), have never been contacted by any political party about this year’s election. “These false ads could undermine the faith Asian American voters have in candidates this year and beyond.”
The racist and misleading mailers were sent by the American First Legal Foundation, the conservative organization founded by Trump confidant Stephen Miller. As the architect behind the Trump Administration’s family separation policy, Miller has a long history of peddling racist hate and division against the vulnerable and underrepresented.
“If Miller is targeting our communities to discourage us from voting in the midterm elections this year, then it’s not going to work,” said Allison Chan, a long-time Durham voter who received the postcard. According to NCAAT’s poll, fifty percent of Asian Americans are more motivated to vote in this year’s election compared to previous elections.
NCAAT will continue to call out and discredit disinformation that seeks to mislead and harm the AAPI community. Asian Americans have stood resilient against attempts to suppress and silence us, and our community will come together to make our voices heard at the polls. Concerns or questions about voting can be addressed by calling NCAAT’s election protection hotline, 919-591-2442, which serves voters in over 20 different Asian languages.
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Media Contact:
Jimmy Patel-Nguyen | 919.335.6156 | press@ncaat.org
North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to supporting equity and justice for all by fostering community among AAPIs and allies in North Carolina through civic engagement, leadership development, grassroots mobilization, and political participation. Learn more at www.ncaatogether.org
Facebook – facebook.com/ncaatogether | Twitter – @ncaatogether | Instagram – @ncaatogether
NCAAT in Action is committed to supporting equity and justice for all by building political power among Asian Americans and allies in North Carolina through voter education, progressive advocacy and leadership development. Learn more at www.ncaatinaction.org
Facebook – facebook.com/ncaatinaction | Twitter – @ncaatinaction | Instagram – @ncaatinaction
