"#TheNew is a reference to our growing political power, the face of #TheNew American voter," said actress and activist Chloe Bennet who is co-founder and creative director of #TheNew. "For me, representation is personal. This idea that AAPI could never be the hero or the stars of their own lives, on screen and off, haunted me for years. That's why I was driven to co-create this campaign, to reclaim our narrative, show pride in who we are, and ensure our interests are reflected in every policy decision being made."
As part of the campaign, (RUN) partnered with the National AAPI Power Fund and the National Education Association to commission the first-ever political opinion poll focused exclusively on young Asian Americans, 18-34 years old.
- 43% of registered voters are still uncertain on whether they will vote in November
- The most important issue for voter turnout is responding to COVID
- 83% prioritize containing COVID spread over reopening the economy now
- 1 in 3 report being accused of spreading coronavirus
- Young AAPI voters strongly support The Green New Deal, Black Lives Matter, and Medicare For All
"Far too often, politicians and the media overlook young Asian American power and influence," said fellow RUN co-founder Brad Jenkins. "We are the fastest growing demographic in the country and yet, we are rarely given the room to share the realities we face in our day-to-day lives. Media, culture, advertising and television all go hand-in-hand with politics, and it's time we harness our collective power to get out the vote in our communities and make sure the issues facing young Asian Americans are addressed."
#TheNew's political strategy and mobilization efforts are focused on Texas and Georgia; two new battleground states given the rising AAPI electorate. The following AAPI organizations supported the launch of #TheNew in solidarity: AAPI Victory Fund, AAPI Progressive Action, Asian Americans Rising, APALA, the Asian American Engagement Fund, the Asian American Action Fund, We Are Sikhs, National Sikh Campaign, and local community organizers and activists on the ground.
The campaign launched with a star-studded video, which was shared by #TheNew supporters Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, Cory Booker, Ted Lieu, Nathan Chen, Ross Butler, Ai-Jen Poo, Alexander Wang, Jenna Ushkowitz, Harry Shum Jr, Joel Kim, Ella Jay Basco, Steven Yeun, Joe Zee, Prabal Gurung, Tamlyn Tomita, Lou Diamond Phillips, Brenda Song and more.
For more information, visit TheNew.Vote.
About (RUN) AAPI
Is a 501c4 civic platform for the fastest-growing racial group in the United States: 21 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders. (RUN) is a home for the AAPI community to identify and discuss the issues that affect our communities. (RUN) will harness & organize the political and cultural power of AAPIs into a voice that represents us. Now is our time.
Contact: [email protected]
SOURCE (RUN)
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