Rising Voices endorses Vice President Kamala Harris to be the next President of the United States.
This election is a historic moment for our Asian Americans families. It is the culmination of our shared history of struggle, the hard work of our ancestors who helped to build this country, and a choice for our Michigan communities that will determine the future of the nation.
As a daughter of immigrants and a proud Black and Indian American woman, Vice President Kamala Harris embodies the American dream many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) hold dear. Her journey reflects the promise of this nation—a land of freedom, equality, and opportunity, where a child of immigrants can rise to the highest office.
But this election is larger than any individual person, and beyond shared cultural identity. This election is about where we as the American people want to steer our nation: forward in progress, not backwards to a time when our basic rights were unprotected, our identities were weaponized, and the lives of our families and loved ones subject to violence and oppression upheld by racist leaders and extremist policies. We want to build a country that is inclusive, equitable and just. We want a future where all persons can thrive and live with dignity.
That future is not possible under another Donald Trump administration. Should Trump win a second term, the Michigan Asian American community will once again be under constant attack, endangered by the same racism and xenophobic violence Trump encouraged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The anti-Chinese and anti-immigrant rhetoric put forward by Trump and his supporters would target our community members as enemies of the state, perpetual foreigners or dangerous criminals rather than as legitimate Americans. And a second term would mean the crucial advocacy work that Rising Voices and our partner organizations strive to achieve would be either dismissed or buried under constant battles for basic rights undone by an authoritarian administration and the extremist policies of the Project 2025 agenda.
It is imperative that we do all we can to stop a second Trump administration. Electing Vice President Harris is essential to building the future we seek for our families and loved ones.
With a long career in public service as a prosecutor, Attorney General of California, U.S. Senator, and Vice President, Kamala Harris is the most qualified candidate. Her breadth of experience and proven leadership demonstrate that she has the vision and capability to navigate the complex challenges our nation faces. At every step, she has championed the causes of working families, defended civil rights, and stood up to powerful interests to protect the most vulnerable. Furthermore, Vice President Harris's selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signals that she is listening to voters, and in this election choosing joy and positivity over doom and gloom. The energy the Harris-Walz ticket has generated speaks to the hunger of our communities for a future where all belong.
Rising Voices’ decision to endorse Vice President Harris is the result of deep conversations with our community members, staff and board. Our endorsement does not mean unquestioned agreement on all policies put forward by Harris or the other candidates on our slate. With our support comes accountability, and the expectation that our elected leaders will represent the progressive values our organization holds. We call on Vice President Harris to take meaningful action such as working toward a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, ending unlimited military arms to Israel, and increasing aid to address the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. We also urge her to follow through on her promise to meet with Palestinian American and Arab American communities to hear their concerns.
At Rising Voices we believe that an election is a political and strategic necessity, but not an end in itself. It is only the beginning of a relationship between elected officials and our communities that requires respectful dialogue, a seat at the table of governance, and meaningful action. It is but one tool in Rising Voices’ effort to build power for our families, alongside community organizing, policy advocacy, cultural amplification and leadership development.
Historically, the Asian American and Pacific Islander community has been ignored by campaigns and political parties. But in Michigan and across the country the number of eligible AAPI voters is now greater than the margin of victory in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Our power as a major voting bloc can no longer be denied; the choices our families make at the polls will decide the future of this country.
The future we want rests on the idea that everyone deserves a fair shot, and Vice President Harris understands that our strength lies in our diversity. She knows that when we lift up every community—when we ensure that women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies, when we create economic opportunities that benefit working families, when we affirm that anyone can love who they love, and when we protect the freedoms that are the bedrock of our democracy—we can build a future where everyone can thrive.
In the coming months Rising Voices and our partner organizations will be mobilizing Michigan voters across the state to turn out at the polls. We will defend American democracy from a second Trump term, and we will urge our AAPI families to support the election of Kamala Harris as our nation’s first Black and Asian American president.
Our votes have the power to change the world. During this historic election Rising Voices will be with Michigan’s Asian American communities every step of the way to advocate, mobilize, and urge voters to make history at the ballot box in November.
The stakes are high. Our nation’s future hangs in the balance. But we have faith in the power of our loved ones and families, because when we organize, raise our voices, and when we fight–the outcome is inevitable.
We win.
____________
Endorsements by Rising Voices and Rising Voices Action Fund are not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.
Comments