TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A group called "Taiwanese Americans for Biden" has begun mobilizing the Taiwanese diaspora in the U.S. to vote for Joe Biden in the coming presidential election.
Despite a recent survey showing Taiwan as one of the few countries in the world where Trump is favored over Biden, by 42 percent to 30 percent, Taiwanese living in the U.S. have formed a group called "Taiwanese Americans for Biden." The grassroots volunteer organization was founded in September and has joined Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) for Biden as one of more than 14 official affinity groups.
The group is currently made up of more than 600 members and is the first Taiwanese American organization to ever be recognized by an American presidential campaign in this manner. The organization says that supporting the Biden-Harris ticket is "an easy choice for Taiwanese American voters" because they feel that Biden and Harris are committed to ensuring that "every member of the AAPI community is treated with dignity — no matter their race or ethnicity — and has a fair shot at the American Dream."
The organizers assert that Biden and Harris have "proven track records on ensuring affordable healthcare for all Americans, combatting discrimination against AAPIs, protecting the rights of immigrants and minority groups, fostering economic opportunity, and defending democracy both at home and abroad." The group pointed out that leading Taiwanese American activists and artists like Andrew Yang, Constance Wu, Hudson Yang, Jason Wu, and Lynn Chen are outspoken Biden-Harris supporters.
Since its inception less than just two months ago, the group has rallied support for Biden-Harris in the Taiwanese American community by maintaining a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and producing a video of grassroots supporter testimonials that has been viewed thousands of times. Its first virtual event featured keynote remarks from Congressman Ted Lieu and former Deputy Labor Secretary Chris Lu, kicking off a weekly phone bank series, with volunteers gathering virtually from across the country to contact swing state voters.
The organization's ongoing grassroots fundraising efforts include a “moneybomb” event that rewarded donors with cloth face masks featuring the Taiwanese Americans for Biden logo and has raised thousands of dollars for the campaign to date. Given its large communities in states like Georgia, Nevada, and Texas, Taiwanese-Americans could prove to be the Democratic margin of victory in November, according to the group.
The group also told Taiwan News that its representatives have been speaking extensively with the Biden campaign’s foreign policy team regarding Taiwan. However, it was not at the liberty to provide specifics at this time.
In addition to Taiwanese Americans for Biden, the AAPI Coalition is made up of more 13 other affinity groups, including AAPI Staffers for Biden, AAPI Veterans and Military Families for Biden, Chinese Americans for Biden, Filipino Americans for Biden, Hmong Americans for Biden, Japanese Americans for Biden, Korean Americans for Biden, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders for Biden, Queer AAPIs for Biden, South Asians for Biden, Thai Americans for Biden, Vietnamese Americans for Biden, and Young AAPIs for Biden.
For more information about the organization, please visit the official Taiwanese Americans for Biden website, Facebook page, Twitter account, or Instagram Group.
