Video: Harris fuels hope, skepticism among Georgia’s South Asian voters

It’s just after 6 a.m. at a mosque in suburban Georgia, and the topic of conversation over breakfast is Kamala Harris. “Let’s see what happens, OK? The South Asian community knows that they are critical and that their turnout, their engagement, can swing the election one way or the other.” Asian Americans are the fastest-growing voting bloc in Georgia, and South Asians make up the largest percentage of that group, with about 86,000 eligible voters. Joe Biden won the state by just over 11,000 votes in 2020. “The path to the White House runs through this state.” Kamala Harris is believed to be the first Democratic presidential candidate of South Asian descent. “There’s so much hope that I feel right now.” Here in Fulton County, we’ve found new enthusiasm, but some are also waiting to see where Harris will stand on the issues. “I’m definitely back in. I consider myself an independent. I’m not sure I voted before Kamala Harris came in because I was so unenthusiastic about both candidates.” “But I don’t know if anyone really expected how exciting it would feel. As a South Asian, I feel connected to her. This time around, I would like to be more involved and actually do something other than just vote.” Parul Kapur is now organizing get-togethers with friends as she prepares to host her first fundraiser. When did you hear about it and what was your reaction when you heard about it?” “She’s been a senator in the US. Now she’s been vice president for four years. That’s a pretty impressive resume. But deep down, I thought someone who looks like me would be the next president of the United States.” “That’s very true.” “A lot of people, I think, were going to vote for someone like Biden anyway because they were scared. And you know, it felt like they were going to bite the bullet. Whereas now people are feeling energized and you want to vote.” And while shared identity resonates for the group, the conversation eventually shifts back to policy. “And somehow we forget that for many of us, there is a middle class. Taxes, inflation, those are all important issues for us.” “The economy, essentially, and I think that’s what this election ultimately comes down to.” Back at the mosque, the conversation turns to one specific topic: the war in Gaza. “The Asian American community doesn’t always fit neatly into a box along the political spectrum. We all have different identities. I’m a Muslim American. And the way I see this election is kind of a combination of those different factors. Gaza is still the number one issue that I look at to see where Kamala Harris is going to differentiate herself from Biden.” Asian American voters here overwhelmingly voted for Biden in 2020, but in the four years since, their support for him has waned. These voters could be crucial to Harris winning or losing the state. “She has the potential to change the equation of how things are done for the better. The entire society is changing. I’ve seen that because when I got there, the change started, right? From ’69 to today. That’s 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 change their allegiance to candidates and parties. I’m pretty sure I’m going to vote now, but I’m going to leave a little bit of wiggle room because so much can happen.”