Harris Fuels Hope and Skepticism With Georgia’s South Asian Voters

It’s just after 6 a.m. at a mosque in suburban Georgia, and the topic of discussion over breakfast is Kamala Harris. “Let’s see what happens, right. The South Asian community knows that they have a really pivotal role and that their turnout, their engagement could shift the election one way or another. Asian Americans are the fastest-growing voting bloc in Georgia, and South Asians make up the largest percentage of that group, totaling around 86,000 eligible voters. Joe Biden won the state by just over 11,000 votes in 2020. “The path to the White House runs right through this state.” Kamala Harris is presumed to be the first Democratic presidential nominee of South Asian heritage. “There’s so much hope that I feel now.” Here in Fulton County, we found new enthusiasm, but also some waiting to see where Harris will stand on the issues. “I’m definitely re-engaged. I consider myself an independent. I’m not sure if I’m going to vote before Kamala Harris entered because I was so unenthusiastic about both candidates.” “But I don’t know if anyone really expected how exhilarating it would feel. As a South Asian, you know, I feel a connection to her. This time, I would like to be more engaged and actually doing something besides just voting.” Parul Kapur is now hosting meetups with friends as she prepares to organize a fund-raiser for the very first time. When did you guys hear and what was your reaction when you heard that?” “She’s been a U.S senator. Now, she’s been vice president for four years. That’s a pretty impressive résumé. But deep inside, I was like someone who looks like me is going to be the next president of the United States.” “That’s very true.” “A lot of people, I think, were, you know, like going to vote for somebody like Biden regardless because they were scared. And, you know, it felt very much like they were going to bite the bullet. Whereas now people feel energized and you want to vote.” And while shared identity resonates for the group, the conversation ultimately shifts back to policy. “And somehow we forget that there is a middle class for a lot of us. Taxation, inflation, all those are important issues for us.” “The economy, essentially, which is what I think ultimately this election is going to come down to anyway.” Back at the mosque, the conversation turns to one specific issue: the war in Gaza. “The Asian American community doesn’t always fit into a nice box along the political spectrum. We all carry different identities. I’m a Muslim American. And how I see the election is kind of a combination of these different factors. Gaza is still the primary issue that I’m looking to see where Kamala Harris will differentiate herself from Biden.” Asian American voters here decisively chose Biden in 2020, but in the four years since, their support for him has declined. These voters could be crucial for Harris to win or lose the state. “She has the potential to change the equation of how things are done for the better. The entire society is changing. I have seen that because when I arrived is when the change started, right — ’69 until today. That has been what they call the ‘browning of America,’ Asians, Indians.” “It’s an open conversation. So I think the Asian American vote, they can be convinced to switch loyalty for candidates and parties. I’m pretty confident I’ll vote now, but I’m going to leave a little bit of wiggle room because so much can happen.”