As part of our Elections Day 2024 coverage, EMS surveyed two dozen of our ethnic media partners across the country. What’s driving voters to the polls this election cycle? What are the key concerns, hopes and aspirations animating voters?
Among the responses, several key themes emerge: we see concern over pocketbook issues and public safety across communities, as well as profound frustration with the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza. Even among heavily-immigrant populations, there are those calling for a more restrictive stance along the US’s southern border.
At the same time, concerns over Trump’s promise of mass deportation targeting the nation’s 11 million or so undocumented migrants have intensified, while a generational divide appears to have emerged in once solidly Republican-leaning communities as younger generations begin to lean Democrat.
Post-election results reveal that more voters of color turned to the Republican ticket than in any election in recent memory. The responses here point to some of the underlying dynamics driving that shift, told from the perspective of ethnic media reporters, publishers and editors who have made it their career to reflect the lived experience of America’s increasingly diverse communities.
Ethnic media “really is on the ground floor when it comes to amplifying voices, educating the community and getting that back to political leaders,” says Houston-based reporter De’Neshia Bell with Black Press USA.
Mark Tyler, Editor, The Atlantic City Focus, NJ
“The most striking thing I learned covering this election is that people want change, but they still view Kamala Harris with a degree of skepticism, although many plan to vote for her anyway,” says Tyler, who covers the African American community in Philadelphia and Atlantic City.
For those that don’t, says Tyler, turning to the Republican side of the ticket should not be read as a betrayal of the community.
“Black Republicans are just as committed to improving their communities as Democrats,” he says. “In fact, they care so much and are so disillusioned with the Democratic Party that they decided to give the Republican Party a chance.”
Mireya Olivera, Editor, Impulso, Los Angeles
Impulso serves the largely immigrant Oaxacan Indigenous community in Los Angeles County. According to Olivera, there are those in the community who find Trump’s message of lower taxes and a more secure border appealing.
“They have hopes that the economy will improve, and they are totally against having an open border,” she explains, recalling an interview with a community leader who shared his interaction with a group of newly naturalized US citizens preparing to vote for the first time.
“They have hopes that the economy will improve, and they are totally against having an open border.”
Olivera describes a sense of frustration among earlier Oaxacan immigrants who feel the waves of newer arrivals are being given opportunities they never had. They “arrive with immigration documents, work permits, people who have been here for twenty or more years do not have any work permits and are practically losing their jobs.”
That same sense of despair can be found even among younger generations born here in the U.S., she adds. “When their parents arrived, they worked hard to buy their homes and had a place to live. But the younger generation, even being from here, do not have those same opportunities.”
Araceli Martínez, La Opinión, Los Angeles
Immigration is “if not number one, it’s among the top three” issues, says Martínez. “Particularly in this election, with one candidate—the Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump—promising mass deportations.”
Trump’s oft-repeated threat to deport some 11 million undocumented immigrants now in the country—a plan likely to cost billions and cause irreparable harm to communities nationwide—has “elevated” the significance of immigration as an issue for many, she explains.
As part of her reporting, Martínez wrote about a polling station in West Los Angeles for transgender voters. It is, she says, an example of the lengths California has gone to “ensure our votes count.”
Jiah Yoon, Reporter, Korea Daily, Atlanta
“The main issue here is the economy, just like other communities. Inflation, paying the bills and taxes are what people worry about. And Korean residents are no different,” says Yoon.
“Also, there are many Korean businesses here… there is a Korean battery plant, an electric car plant, and a solar panel plant. So, Korean residents are always paying a lot of attention to economic policies that can affect those businesses.”
But, she adds, “the Korean community in general is very diverse. I’ve met some people who told me that the local economy is the most important issue for them. Someone told me they really think about how their vote can influence the US and South Korea alliance. Others have said that life after retirement is their biggest concern.”
Jongwon Park, Reporter, The Korea Daily, New York
“The Korean American community in New York and New Jersey is very interested in whether or not Andy Kim will be elected to the U.S. Senate. If elected, Andy Kim will be the first Korean American to serve in the U.S. Senate. (Note: Kim won his race, defeating his Republican opponent Curtis Bashaw 53% to 44%.) The fact that a Korean American politician is running for such a high office makes Korean immigrants more interested in the election and more likely to vote.”
“The Korean American community was disappointed and saddened by the attacks against Kim, especially when a Republican political commentator accused him of wearing a ‘North Korean flag’ necktie. Even in New York and New Jersey, which are considered relatively liberal states, we never expected to hear such racist comments against a Korean American candidate. Ironically, as a result, Korean Americans are more interested in this election.”
The fact that a Korean American politician is running for such a high office makes Korean immigrants more interested in the election and more likely to vote.
Rose Davis, Publisher/Editor, Indian Voices, San Diego
“Concerned Native citizens are focused on preserving and promoting Native culture and forcing the Federal Government to uphold their mandate and obligation to oversee and follow their treaties.”
“As the tribes grow from gaming and into industry, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is obligated to stand with the tribes as this transition takes place. Just as the Native Gaming Association helped with the gaming industry, the BIA is obligated to stand by tribes as they explore industry.”
“The funds and grants that rightfully should flow to the tribes from the treaty of 1870 have been hard fought. Funds for the Language Preservation Act pushed by Russell Means in 1970 have not been forthcoming. As tribes move from farms to industry, The Federal government and the BIA must be put on alert to make sure that mandated grants are made available.”
Fatmeh Bakhit, Editor/Publisher, Al Enteshar, Los Angeles
“What’s going on now in Gaza, and in front of the whole world, the massacre… and neither the Democratic Party or Congress push hard to stop it. The community has been asking for a cease fire. It has been almost 13 months now and no one has done anything. We see people dying, from not finding food… they are starving.”
“This is going to affect the vote this year. As you know, most Arabs used to vote Democrat. And they are very concerned… they are between this or that, and they cannot vote for either. When I do interviews, people are so afraid that Trump might win and do bad to the Muslim community. They call him a danger. So, they are turning to third party candidates, which is the Green Party.”
Rong Xiaoqing, Reporter, Sing Tao Daily, New York
“Chinese Trump supporters are still a strong group… they are still very loud. But if you compare this year to the last election I don’t think this group is bigger. At the same time, in 2020 I didn’t see a whole group of Chinese Democratic supporters really go out into the field, to knock on doors and rally votes for the Democratic candidate. This year, I did see them. There are quite a lot of them. They went to Pennsylvania… to swing states to help Kamala Harris. I think this is something new.”
“Everyone thinks this is a very critical election, maybe the most critical in their whole life. So people who stayed silent before, who maybe voted Democratic but didn’t announce it because of those voices supporting Trump, now think this is their last chance.”
Orhan Akkurt, Editor, Zaman Amerika, New York
“I am surprised that Democrats will not do anything to end the war in Gaza. This is why Turkish voters will not vote for Democrats. Many will even vote for the Green Party – those who don’t want to vote for Kamala or Trump. I think Democrats will lose badly.”
Manuel Ortiz, Publisher, Peninsula 360 Press, Redwood City, CA
“I just got back from Reno, Nevada… where I encountered two perspectives. Among the Latino community, there are those who support Trump and those who support Kamala Harris. However, when talking to leaders who have worked with our communities for years, the line is clear. They identify Trump as the adversary, fearing that if he wins, services like medical care will decline, and there is also worry about potential mass deportations. This is intensified by Trump’s proposal to reinstate the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which was used after World War II to place Japanese-American communities, even U.S. citizens, into internment camps.”
“This was a major topic of concern in Nevada among Latino communities and community leaders. I even heard from some leaders who said they would consider leaving the country if Trump wins, as they’ve spent years working on human, civil, and labor rights with the Latino community and fear retaliation. One young woman, a U.S. citizen, expressed that she felt threatened despite her citizenship.”
Maria Del Carmen Amado, Editor, NJ Hispano, New Jersey
“Due to the high cost of housing, high interest rates, closing costs… some immigrants won’t be able to afford a home and may have to go back to their home country to buy a house. Marco Naranjo, from Newark, is part of this story. He also believes that the prices of homes will never go down, and neither will rent.”
Dzung Do, Publisher, Nguoi Viet, Los Angeles
“During the last election, I think more Vietnamese voted for Donald Trump than Joe Biden. This time, more Vietnamese voted for Kamala and less for Trump. Why? Because there is more information now than there was in 2020.”
“I see a lot of young voters who fight with their families. There are a lot of stories in the Vietnamese community. Before, parents used to just tell their kids how to vote. You just sign and I’ll take it from there. Now it’s different. I heard some stories of young people fighting with their parents, saying, no, this time, you vote for yourself, and I will vote for myself. So they’ve taken back the vote. That’s how I see the Vietnamese community changing. So maybe Trump will win with Vietnamese voters, but maybe not with the same margins as before.”
Francis Espiritu, Publisher, Philippine News Today
“Many Filipinos are still ardent Catholics and the issue of reproductive care is on their minds. Although Catholic teaching does not allow abortion, many Filipinos—having been exposed to differing views on the issue—have divergent, if not conflicting opinions.”
“In the predominantly blue state of California, there are many Filipinos who still lean toward Republican values of conservatism and small government. They are mostly older, regular church goers who believe in strong family ties. I meet them regularly and they like to recall the Reagan years. They say they want a strong America respected worldwide. They also want law and order in the streets, and are disturbed that school shootings have become normalized.”
Tar Macias, Editor/Publisher, Hola Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska
“Our community is excited about the possibility of seeing the first woman, a woman of color become the first woman president. Given the latest poll by the Des Moines Register that positions Harris ahead of Trump in Iowa, that is something that I wasn’t expecting, seeing how Iowa has been ruby red for over a decade. But we still have to see if that becomes a fact.”
As for what’s surprised Macias, “How people are once again excited about voting. Something I think we lost from the last election.”
Judd Huang, AM 1320 Texas Chinese Radio, Houston, Tx
“People are worried about the future of the country. They’re seeing pocketbooks shrink, they’re seeing government overreach, and the unfairness of illegal immigration. Many resent the fact that they came to the United States through a long immigration process while this more recent influx of migrants just cross over.”
“There is a divide between working class immigrants, who are more supportive of Trump/Republican policies, and younger or second generation voters who lean toward the Democrats. Culture in Asia is generally more conservative, but it is also changing fast, and that may explain why younger, more recent arrivals lean to the left. But regardless of age group, what we see is concern over the country’s economic future, education and immigration.”
Mohsin Zaheer, Editor, Urdu News, New York City
“Many in the Pakistani American community, the majority of whom are Muslim, want a ceasefire and peace in the Middle East and believe that the U.S. administration could play a vital role in achieving this. Small business owners are hopeful that the U.S. economy will improve if Donald Trump is elected. Like other immigrant communities, Pakistani Americans are disappointed that there has been little progress in fixing the U.S. immigration system.”
“We’re waiting to see the Pakistani American community’s voter turnout on election day, but one surprising development is that more people from the community are now interested in running for office.”
