Over 250 Asian Pacific American leaders back Biden

In this file photo, Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Asian and Latino Coalition Town Hall at the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 33 on August 8, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa. (Jason Bergman/Sipa USA via AP)

WASHINGTON — More than 250 leaders from the Asian American and Pacific Islander community have endorsed Joe Biden for President.

The group includes members of the DNC AAPI Caucus, prominent state and local officials, community leaders, organizers, advocates, and the entire AAPI Legislative Caucuses from California, Maryland, and Hawaii.

In the endorsement, the group praised Biden’s unique ability to “heal our nation’s soul” and applauded his “compassion, humanity, honor, integrity, and steady leadership.” (Read the full endorsement here.)

The announcement reflects the broad coalition of support that Biden is building across the AAPI community. Earlier this year, Biden earned the endorsement of the AAPI Victory Fund and ASPIRE.

The AAPI community will be decisive in determining the outcome of the 2020 election in key battleground states like Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Virginia, and Arizona.

“Now more than ever, we need leadership in the White House that will strive to knit Americans together, rather than tear us apart. Vice President Biden has a proven track record of standing with the AAPI community, and he has demonstrated a strong understanding of the diverse needs and challenges we face,”  said DNC AAPI Caucus Chair Bel Leong-Hong.

“Our endorsement today comes at a critical time for the AAPI community. As the entire country grapples with Donald Trump’s catastrophic coronavirus response, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are being hit especially hard.Trump’s utter failure of leadership has stoked xenophobia, while inflaming already existing economic and health disparities in our community. When Joe Biden is President, the AAPI community will have an ally in the White House who will fight to create a fair and humane immigration system, invest in small businesses, collect disaggregated data, and ensure that hate has no safe harbor in our country.”