Asian Americans are the fastest-growing group of eligible voters in the United States, increasing from 4.6 million in 2000 to 11.1 million in 2020, according to the Pew Research Center. And in Pennsylvania, one of the states that’s most likely to decide the presidential election, some 4 percent of the voting-age population is Asian American or Pacific Islander. Yet much mainstream political coverage ignores the importance of this crucial demographic.
In October 2020, in a collaboration with my colleague, Eric Lee, we traveled across Pennsylvania, profiling 12 Asian American voters in the hopes of rectifying that problem. From a hospital manager to small-business owners, a first-time voter in high school to a former green-card holder and new citizen, a lifelong Republican to a newly declared Democrat, each of these voters lends insight into a complex and diverse community.
沿着宾夕法尼亚州高速公路(Pennsylvania Turnpike)行驶,连绵起伏的山脉上的树木从郁郁葱葱的绿色变成了充满活力的秋天的黄色。每隔几英里,秋天的落叶被政治广告牌打断,为景观增添了民主党的宝蓝色和共和党的宝石红。今年,宾夕法尼亚州将在美国总统选举中发挥至关重要的作用。作为少数几个摇摆州之一,唐纳德·特朗普总统和前副总统乔·拜登都在该地区积极竞选,以吸引人心未定的选民。 2016年,当时的候选人唐纳德·特朗普以44292票的优势击败了希拉里·克林顿,赢得了宾夕法尼亚州,这暴露了该州的摇摆性。皮尤研究中心(Pew Research Center)的数据显示,亚裔美国人是美国增长最快的选民群体,从2000年的460万增加到2020年的1,110万。在宾夕法尼亚州(最有可能决定总统大选的州之一)中,约有4%的投票年龄人口是亚裔美国人。然而,许多主流政治报道却忽略了这一重要人口的重要性。总统候选人的其中之一挑战是选定合格选民的目标群体,另一个是让他们真正地投票。美国人口普查局进行的《当前人口调查的投票和登记补编》发现,宾夕法尼亚州的亚裔美国人中有44%在2016年大选中投票,而MIT选举实验室估计的全国平均水平为47%。由于新冠肺炎的影响,今年情况有所不同。在AAPI Data进行的一项调查中,有27%的受访者表示他们计划今年亲自投票,而2016年亲自投票率为57%。宾夕法尼亚州州务院正在为所有居民一项服务,如果居民要求,他们提供通过邮件投票选举服务。
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Married couple Mark Ogino, 61, and Paul Czubryt, 58, stand for a portrait in their backyard with their dog, Duke, in Berwyn, Pa. on Oct. 4, 2020.
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Claire Kalucki, 46, a single mother, poses for a portrait outside of her house in Jim Thorpe, Pa. on Oct. 21, 2020.
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Claire Kalucki, 46, waves to her son, Matthew Hillbish, 5, as he walks into his school in Jim Thorpe, Pa. on Oct. 21, 2020.
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After dropping off her son, Claire Kalucki, 46, gets some children's books at Ollie's Bargain outlet in Pottsville, Pa. on Oct. 21, 2020.
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After dropping off her son, Claire Kalucki, 46, visits her friend, Rose Ferrer, 68, who greets her by chanting in Orwigsburg, Pa. on Oct. 21, 2020.
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Claire Kalucki, 46, reaches for her son, Matthew Hillbish's hand, while walking in Jim Thorpe, Pa. on Oct. 21, 2020.
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After picking up Matthew, Claire Kalucki, 46, gives him a kiss in her car in Schuylkill Haven, Pa. on Oct. 21, 2020.
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After driving for an hour back home, Claire Kalucki, 46, rests on the coach while Matthew Hillbish, 5, plays his toys in the dining room in Jim Thorpe, Pa. on Oct. 21, 2020.
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Claire Kalucki, 46, talks to her son Matthew Hillbish, 5, while he eats dinner in Jim Thorpe, Pa. on Oct. 17, 2020.
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After showering, Claire Kalucki, 46, reads stories to her son before going to bed in Jim Thorpe, Pa. on Oct. 21, 2020.
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Claire Kalucki, 46, exercises after her son, Matthew Hillbish, 5, falls asleep at home in Jim Thorpe, Pa. on Oct. 21, 2020.
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Chinatown, Philadelphia, Pa. on Oct. 16, 2020.
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Andrea Buchanan, 27, poses for a portrait in her house in Philadelphia, Pa. on Oct. 13, 2020.
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Family photos of Andrea Buchanan are displayed on walls in her house in Philadelphia, Pa. on Oct. 23, 2020.
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Andrea Buchanan has meetings with her colleagues at home in Philadelphia, Pa. on Oct. 13, 2020.
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Andrea Buchanan has meetings with her colleagues at home in Philadelphia, Pa. on Oct. 13, 2020.
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Due to the recent pandemic, Andrea Buchanan has been working from home. Here, she rubs eyes during a work break in Philadelphia, Pa. on Oct. 23, 2020.
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Andrea Buchanan exercises in the morning before work in Philadelphia, Pa. on Oct. 15, 2020.
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Andrea Buchanan prepares dinner with her fiancé, Edward Zaleski IV, at their house in Philadelphia, Pa. on Oct. 13, 2020.
Shuran Huang (黃舒然)'s Website
Originally from China, Shuran Huang (she/her) is a photographer who currently based in Washington, D.C. Shuran’s work focuses on memory, family, and heritage through moments of intimacy, reflecting on the missing connections in her childhood.