By TERRY TANG and LINLEY SANDERS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is viewed more favorably by Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander registered voters than former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll. AAPI voters are also more likely to believe that she is the candidate who better represents their background and policy views.
The new survey from AAPI Data and APIAVote finds that around 6 in 10 AAPI voters have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of Harris, while about one-third have a somewhat or very unfavorable view. In comparison, 3 in 10 AAPI voters have a positive view of Trump and around two-thirds view him negatively.
That’s an increase in favorability for Harris since October 2023, when an AP-NORC/AAPI Data poll found that about half of AAPI adults had a somewhat or very favorable view of her. Opinions of Trump among this group have remained stable.
Harris is both Black and South Asian American, and has worked to rally AAPI voters in swing states like Georgia where their numbers are growing. But while the poll indicates that AAPI voters are much more likely to see their own cultural identity reflected in her than in Trump — about half of AAPI voters say Harris better represents their background and culture, while only about 1 in 10 say this about Trump — it’s not clear how much this is influencing their perspectives on the candidates.
Only about 3 in 10 AAPI voters say that Harris’ Asian Indian identity is extremely or very important to them, although some AAPI Americans may be more connected to her background than others. About 7 in 10 Asian Indian adults see Harris as the candidate who better represents their background and culture, which is higher than AAPI adults overall.
Ping Hackl, a 27-year-old Chinese American independent in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is planning to vote for Harris, but not because of the Democratic candidate’s race or gender.
“I don’t really care. She can be anybody,” said Hackl.
Hackl…
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