indica News Bureau-
Former vice-president Joseph R Biden’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination has launched ‘AAPIs for Biden’, a national network of Asian-American and Pacific-Islander supporters to rally these communities around his vision to heal the damage caused by President Donald J Trump and rebuild the middle class.
In a press statement, Biden’s camp said the AAPI community is a core part of the American story. “Our country’s ability to draw hard-working, aspirational people from every culture and every nation has always made us strong,” the statement said. “AAPIs are the fastest growing racial group in the country and one of its most diverse, representing 50 different ethnicities and 100 languages.”
With so much at stake in 2020—health care, workers’ rights, immigration reform, and the very soul of America—AAPIs for Biden will seek to organize this key voting bloc to elect Joe Biden and the steady, tested leadership needed to reunite the country and deliver results, the statement said.
AAPIs for Biden will recruit, train and deploy a growing movement of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders to run phone banks, canvasses, community events, days of action and fundraising activities in support of the campaign.
Biden adviser and Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan kicked off the coalition Monday afternoon in Las Vegas, home to a vibrant AAPI community and to the all-important Nevada caucus Feb 22.
After welcoming remarks from Dilawar Syed, former commissioner, President Obama’s Advisory Commission on Asian-Americans, Mailinh McNicolas, Nevada Biden for President field organizer, and Krystal Sun, Nevada Biden for President regional field organizer, Kwan spoke.
“The AAPI vote will be decisive in choosing whom Democrats nominate to take on Donald Trump,” she said. “The future of our community, our country, and the values that make us strong all depend on the movement we build together, starting here, to elect Joe as the next President.
“Today is a testament to Joe’s deep support among AAPIs—and it’s just one example of the many ways in which our campaign is working to build a broad, diverse coalition that reaches every corner of this country. Joe has fought for us his whole life, and now we’re going to fight for him.”
Ajay Jain Bhutoria, National Finance Committee member, Biden for President 2020, delivered the closing notes with Diwali celebration with Indian food and music. Wishing everyone for Diwali, he said, “Today, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists—some of the world’s oldest religions—are celebrating Diwali by lighting the diya with family and friends. Today, we celebrate life’s blessings—the triumph of knowledge over ignorance and good over evil and of New Beginnings. So, having AAPIs for Biden launch today feels particularly right!
Bhutoria continued, “I can’t think of a better way for us to celebrate than by coming together here today for Joe Biden, a man who has spent his life standing up to evil and is in this race to ensure that we defeat evil—or should I say Donald Trump—in Nov 2020.”
