Pasifika voters in the United States have been active in this year’s dramatic election.
Tongan American Sina Uipi from NGO organisation Empowering Pacific Islander Communities told the ABC’s Pacific Beat there had been an increase in political engagement from Pacific Islanders this election.
“They’re participating, they’re voting, they’re paying attention, they’re watching the news and they are engaged,” Uipi said during the election.
More than 101 million early votes were cast in person and by mail before the polls even opened.
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities said the Asian American and Pacific Islander electorate had risen to more than 22.1 million voters.
In the past Asian and Pacific Island voters have supported Democrat presidential candidates.
In 2012 more than two-thirds of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders voted for President Obama. Obama won every segment of the Asian American and Pacific Islander populations.
It is estimated that about 3.85 million Asian American and Pacific Islander votes were cast, with a about 2.67 million of them going to Obama.
President-elect Joe Biden was Obama’s Vice President. The Obama-Biden Administration re-established the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to improve the lives of AAPIs
